How common are back injuries in car accidents? This is a question that our back injury car accident lawyers deal with almost every day in our law practice. It is a question that most lawyers and orthopedists will actually agree on, and believe it, doctors and lawyers generally don't agree on much! Broadside collisions, rear-end accidents, rollover accidents, and truck accidents all have one thing in common - they cause moderate to severe strain on your spine. This includes the discs, tendons, nerves, and muscles that make up your spine and spinal cord. You rarely meet a person involved in a crash who has not experienced some degree of chronic back pain.

If you are involved in a crash, I can tell you from personal experience (both legal and in my personal life), that the steps you take in the days and weeks following the collision will have a direct result on your overall health and your case. Let's first address the health part. A common misconception is that "things will get better on their own." They rarely do. Second, going straight to the chiropractor after a car accident is NOT a smart move. Think about it...Do you think twisting and torquing your spine and discs by a chiropractor is medically-prudent when your spine is already torqued from the g-forces of a car accident? NO. In fact, you can do additional harm to your spine if you go this route. Our car accident attorneys are not claiming that chiropractors do not serve a purpose. They do. But not in the days, weeks, or even months following a motor vehicle accident.

Instead, the smart thing to do is get an initial diagnosis by trauma personnel at the nearest hospital, then follow up with your primary care doctor and seek a referral to a specialist such as an orthopedist or neurologist. And do these things in that order. It's smart medicine. Hospitals will likely provide x-rays to check for broken bones. Your primary care doctor and specialists will then set you up with a MRI, which is the most effective and efficient diagnostic imaging study available to diagnose soft-tissue injury from a car accident. These "soft-tissue" injuries can include herniated discs, bulging discs, muscle strains, and muscle sprains. Whiplash also falls into this category.

Now on to your case...so why are these steps important to your case? Insurance companies question and scrutinize everything a car accident victim does. If you wait two days to get medical treatment for the first time after a crash, they will say you are not hurt. If you get treatment from a chiropractor instead of an actual doctor, they will question the benefit of the treatment and likely deny the claim. If you only get treatment from a hospital and don't follow up with a primary doctor or a specialist, they will say your injuries were temporary and are now completely healed. Our St. Louis car accident lawyers deal with these types of car insurance companies in court each day. These are battles we fight day in and day out for our injured clients and their families.

So what can you do to increase your chances of healing after a crash AND getting a fair settlement for your claim? First, follow the advice of an injury lawyer who is the president of one of Missouri and Illinois' most sucessfull law firms and obtain the competent medical care described above. Then, call me directly at (314) 732-1401 or toll-free at (866) 840-3636. Our St. Louis accident attorneys will protect you and your claim. It is something we do very well (according to clients, reviews, peers, magazines, verdict & settlement reports, local news stations, and legal rating organizations).