Injuries from a car crash can range from minor to life-threatening. Some of the most common ways people get hurt in a vehicle accident include:
- Whiplash
- Back injuries
- Knee injuries
- Ankle injuries
- Wrist injuries
- Concussions
Out of all the injuries that can come up, head injuries can be hard to spot — and deadly if they go untreated.
“That’s one of the first things we screen for,” said attorney Humberto Tijerina of Tijerina Legal Group. “When somebody comes in, we have a test that we administer to clients to check for some of the major signs of a traumatic brain injury. We ask certain questions to make sure that they’re not having these kinds of injuries, because that’s definitely something you want to catch right away, and even though we leave the true diagnosis to doctors, sometimes it’s missed and we always strive to serve our clients to the best of our ability.
“All of these are injuries after a crash are injuries that can and should be compensated by the insurance company,” Tijerina added. “But if you don’t have somebody that knows how to properly document these types of injuries and damages, they’re going to lose against the insurance company.”
Tijerina urges people who have been injured in a car crash to get the proper treatment, which includes attending doctors visits beyond an initial emergency trip to the hospital. If too much time passes between going to the hospital and following up with specialists, physical therapists, or other medical professionals, “it works in favor of insurance companies, which means that they won’t fairly value your claim to provide full and fair compensation for your injuries,” Tijerina said.
“If you’re in pain and all you have to prove your pain is a hospital bill, insurance companies love that kind of claim because as more time passes, and you don’t get medical treatment for your injuries, then the insurance company has a chance to say you’re not really that injured,” he said. “It doesn’t matter to most insurance companies that you have children to feed or a demanding work schedule; if you don’t have proof of your injuries, then you will not receive fair compensation for them, regardless of the reasons you may have.”
Tijerina sympathizes with parents who have to take care of small children, or employees who don’t get compensated when they cannot come to work. Still, it is essential to make the time and be proactive in getting the care that is necessary to address injuries from a car crash.
“People don’t think about those consequences. They think about, ‘hey, I don’t want to deal with that kind of stuff. It takes too much time,’” Tijerina said. “This is the only chance that people get to make a claim against the insurance company. If you don’t take that chance and do things the right way and have somebody that’s going to be able to help you do it, you could be screwed for the rest of your life with the neck and back pains of a 70 year old when you’re only 30.”
Car crash injuries suffered in your early 20s could negatively impact the way you pick up your children in your early 30s, for example. If you don’t do anything about your injuries when they happen, then waiting a few weeks could often be too late to receive medical help to address lingering health issues — and have an insurance company accept responsibility for any such medical treatment.
If you’re not sure how to get your injuries treated after a car crash — or how to get compensated for your visits to the doctor —Tijerina Legal Group is there to take care of the Rio Grande Valley community and help assist in accessing the resources needed to receive medical treatment and fair compensation.
Tijerina Legal Group strives to provide superior service by keeping on top of the latest legal trends, medical options, and embracing ongoing education through reading books and articles on how best to assist our clients. Hundreds of positive online reviews from previous clients speak for themselves.
“I pride myself in making sure that if a client is in here and I’m available, I want to meet them,” Tijerina said. “I want them to know who their lawyer is — that their lawyer actually comes into this office and is getting the work done and is making sure that the cases are being handled the right way.”
COMING UP
In the next issue of RGVision, Humberto Tijerina gives tips on making sure clients are choosing the right doctor to address their injuries.
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