Injury Evaluation
Before you settle your case, answer these eight questions!
An injury evaluation helps to determine the extent and nature of a health issue, necessary to recommend medical treatments. Even minor whiplash can develop into serious injuries, if left untreated after a car accident. You shouldn’t wait until after a car accident settlement to see a medical provider.
Do you have whiplash?
Do you have ligament damage?
Do you have bone damage?
Do you have muscle damage?
Do you have joint damage?
Should you miss work?
Do you have permanent impairment or disabilities?
How much will treatment cost?
Schedule a complimentary Injury Evaluation from one of our trained providers.
Your evaluation includes x-rays, evalutation of findings and a personal consultation with a doctor.
Please click the “+” next to each question to see the answer.
+ Do you have whiplash?
Whiplash is many times misunderstood! It is normally caused by a collision that whips the heavy head of a person in relation to the body. This can result in stretching and tearing of the ligaments in the neck and back! Many times this can be seen on motion x-rays in a stair step effect on the alignment of the bones. This injury, though many times made fun of, can be serious. In many cases it is accompanied by a pinched nerve with radiating pain or numbness! This type of injury should be diagnosed as soon as possible using evaluation and x-rays so that proper treatment can be given. In many cases the injury can result in permanent impairment or disability!
+ Do you have ligament damage?
Ligaments hold our bones together. When our body is subjected to injury or trauma these ligaments can stretch and tear! Testing can be used to look for ligamentous laxity or damage. Many times x-rays will show a misalignment of the bones supported by torn ligaments. Ligament damage is serious and can turn into permanent damage and resulting arthritis later in life. If ligament damage is suspected an evaluation should be performed as soon as possible!
+ Do you have bone damage?
Bone damage or a fractured or broken bone can be very serious, Especially in the areas of the neck or back! X-ray is an excellent tool to view the bones and to evaluate for damage! If you have pain in an area many times an x-ray can greatly help with the diagnosis.
+ Do you have muscle damage?
Muscles are what help our body to move. When they contract they move a joint. Muscles can be stretched and torn in an accident. Fortunately muscles unless completely torn with the proper diagnosis and treatment heal fairly well. If it hurts when you contract a muscle or move after an accident it is likely that you have done some degree of damage to a muscle. An evaluation can be used to determine the extent of muscle injury!
+ Do you have joint damage?
Joint damage can be very serious. Cartilage is what provides a smooth sliding surface between our bones. If this Cartilage is damaged it is very slow to heal if it heals at all. Proper treatment is a must and it is very important to start treatment as soon as joint damage is found!
In the neck and back the vertebral joints are supported by disc. With an injury these disc can tear and sometimes rupture or herniate! And in many cases this can create nerve pressure on the spinal nerves and or spinal cord. It is obvious that this type injury can lead to permanent impairment or disability. If joint injury is suspected an evaluation should be performed as soon as possible. This evaluation may include specific test, x-rays and sometimes MRI!
+ Should you miss work?
In many cases an excuse to miss work is warranted. If you have suffered injuries such as whiplash, bone damage, ligament damage, muscle and or joint damage in many cases it could be detrimental to work. Especially if your work involves lifting or bending, repetitive motion of your injured area, or prolonged sitting or standing. The last thing that you want to do after an injury is aggravate it further by an activity at work or at home! In many cases we will recommend that a patient not work for a period of time. Sometimes light duty is recommended and in some more extreme cases retraining for a new occupation is the best advice!
+ Do you have permanent impairment or disabilities?
Many factors come into play when determining if someone has permanent impairment or disability. Many impairment evaluators use the AMA guides to the evaluation of permanent impairment. These guides give specific instructions on how to rate permanent impairment based on the injuries that you have! Disability is determined by looking at your injuries and how they affect your occupation. A permanent impairment and disability.