Can Pittsburgh accident lawyers recover settlements for invisible injuries?

Pennsylvania – September 5, 2021

Motor vehicle accidents.

Motor vehicle accidents in Pittsburgh may be caused by other drivers, road construction, weather, or criminal behavior including reckless driving involving insured, inadequately insured, or uninsured drivers who cause an accident by speeding, failing to follow the rules of the road, losing control of a vehicle, or imprudent driving under a variety of existing conditions. An accident victim should only be concerned with becoming well after a crash causes them harm, while the insurance company works out the details to replace lost property and pay medical claims related to an accident. An experienced lawyer from Scanlon & Wojton Law Firm may speed this process along.

Invisible injuries may be costly and long lasting.

Accident victims should be aware that they may have an invisible injury after an accident. They should take the time to be screened by a medical professional and speak with an accident lawyer to make certain they did not suffer bodily harm that may cause ill-effects at some time in the future.

Traumatic brain injuries can be referred to as invisible injuries because they cannot be seen without invasive diagnostic testing. Brain injuries require assessment and treatment by trained health care professionals.

- - Symptoms of traumatic brain injury could be emotional with changes in mood, and irritability, reveal in physical manifestations such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue, as well as cognitive signs involving memory problems and difficulty with attention.
Whiplash is a neck injury commonly associated with motor vehicle accidents. It happens when someone experiences a forceful overextension of the neck beyond its typical range of motion. The movement is rapid, like a whip. Whiplash may be an invisible injury that can be serious and have lingering effects for months or years. Even mild cases can result in debilitating discomfort and impact daily life as an injury nearly impossible to ignore. Talk to a car accident attorney as soon as possible after a car accident results in this type of injury.

- - Symptoms such as neck pain may be immediate, or appear several days after the injury. In addition to neck pain and stiffness, symptoms may be similar to TBI, including other symptoms such as headache, dizziness, abnormal sensations, or shoulder, or back pain. Some people experience cognitive, somatic, or psychological conditions such as memory loss, concentration impairment, nervousness/irritability.
  - About 3 million Americans sustain whiplash injuries each year and half of those suffer related chronic pain.
  - Approximately 300,000 Americans become disabled due to the pain of whiplash.
  - Most whiplash injuries occur at crash speeds below 12 miles per hour.

Recoverable damages.

In Pennsylvania, an accident report must be filed with the Pennsylvania Department of Public Safety within five days from the mishap if collisions result in death, injury, or significant property damage. An auto accident attorney can explain Pennsylvania’s “modified comparative negligence” rule and how it will affect damage recovery for:

Medical bills and burial expenses,
Compensation for lost wages,
Compensation for pain and suffering,
Punitive damages that are intended to punish the person who caused the death.

Hire an attorney.

An experienced accident attorney can guide individuals on the insurance claims processes, and legal actions that need to be undertaken after bodily injury, or property damage occur in a motor vehicle accident. Scanlon & Wojton can assist surviving family members with insurance claims and accidental death benefit compensation when it is available if an accident results in untimely death.

Scanlon & Wojton, Attorneys at Law

The Mitchell Building
304 Ross Street, Suite 510
Pittsburgh, Pa 15219

Phone: (412) 918-1241

Fax: (412) 235-7275

Sources.

https://www.dot.state.pa.us/Public/DVSPubsForms/BMV/BMV%20Forms/AA-600.pdf

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/42/00.071.002.000..HTM

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/LEGIS/LI/consCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&ttl=42&div=00.&chpt=083.&sctn=001.&subSctn=000.

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/42/00.085.053.000..HTM