Continue reading to learn how long it might take to notice a back injury and how an experienced Tampa car accident lawyer at Merricks Law Group, P.A. can help you file your claim on time.
How might I incur a back injury after a car accident?
A back injury is a particularly prevalent injury resulting from rear-end car accidents. This is because this type of collision involves one driver striking their front bumper against the rear bumper of another driver. The forceful impact of this strike may cause the driver in front to contort their back in an unnatural movement. This is not to mention the possibility of their back harshly bumping against their seatback. Such a physical reaction to this impact may ultimately result in a herniated disc, a compression fracture, or otherwise a spinal cord injury.
How long does it take to notice a back injury after a car accident?
While the impact of a rear-end collision may instantly create a back injury, you may not notice it until the hours, days, or even weeks afterward. This is because certain signs and symptoms take some time to rise to the surface, such as pain from muscle spasms; pain that radiates to your arms and legs; pain that gets worse when you cough, sneeze, or laugh, etc.
What’s more, once you begin experiencing back pain, you cannot assume that it is going to resolve on its own. In fact, certain back injuries are permanent, such as paraplegia or tetraplegia. You may also experience what is known as chronic back pain, which is when your bodily pains last for 12 weeks or more after you incurred and treated your initial injury.
This is all to say that you should seek immediate medical attention after your rear-end collision, even if you do not feel any back pain. This is not only so your back injury can be properly treated; but also so that it can be effectively tied to the negligence of another driver in your future car accident claim.
How long do I have to file a car accident claim against a negligent driver?
Understandably so, you may want to focus on reaching a full recovery from your back injury. But at the same time, you must not let your opportunity to file a car accident claim slip away. That is, the statute of limitations for your potential, future claim is generally two years in the state of Florida. Otherwise, the court may permanently bar you from holding the negligent driver accountable for the damages they brought onto you.
You must not stay silent if you believe that a negligent driver caused your back injury. Rather, you must retain the services of a skilled Tampa auto accident lawyer. Contact Merricks Law Group, P.A. today.