Jan 22nd, 2014
Auto injury victims have long been accused of faking their symptoms to earn a payout, but a new study shows that in most cases, that accusation is patently false. Researchers from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine found that the vast majority of patients fail to pursue litigation after an auto collision, despite suffering from chronic pain.
"In the US, if someone develops chronic neck pain or other pain after a car accident and they go to their doctor or tell their friends, they are often not believed or are viewed with great suspicion, as if their symptoms are not real and they are just trying to sue someone," explained Samuel McLean, MD, MPH, lead author of the study and associate professor of anesthesiology and emergency medicine at the University of North Carolina. "Our findings indicate that only a minority of those with persistent pain are engaged in litigation."
In the first large prospective study evaluating musculoskeletal pain after a car accident, researchers analyzed the medical records of 948 auto injury patients at eight different emergency departments in four states. Overall, 70% of those patients reported ongoing musculoskeletal symptoms six weeks after the auto accident. Over a third of patients felt pain in four or more body regions.
Whether or not you plan on suing the responsible party, it is important to seek early treatment to avoid developing chronic pain after a car accident. Chiropractors can safely and effectively alleviate acute and chronic symptoms after auto injury so you can get back to living your life pain-free