Victims often suffer from muscle pain after a car accident. This can range from inconvenient to life-altering. Muscle spasms and ongoing muscle pain can definitely be part of your personal injury claim, assuming they are the result of being injured in a car accident. 

How a Car Accident Can Cause Muscle Pain

Car accidents wreak havoc on the human body. Broken bones, skull fractures, spinal cord injuries, and soft tissue damage are just some of the injuries caused by being in a wreck. 

Muscle pain occurs after the muscles in your body are overstressed, overused, torn, pulled, twisted, or cut. Sometimes called a soft tissue injury, muscle injuries can take weeks, months, and even years to heal. 

Whiplash

Whiplash is a neck injury that occurs because the head is forcefully slammed forward and then backward in an accident. Whiplash can occur regardless of whether or not a person’s head is hit; the back-and-forth motion causes the damage.

Muscle and/or Tendon Strains

Any muscle or tendon that is torn or stretched during a car accident can leave you with ongoing pain as it heals. 

Sprained Ligaments

Ligaments are tissues that connect bones to one another. When this tissue is stretched or torn, it is described as a sprain. 

Injuries from Seat Belts & Airbags

Airbags save countless lives every year and should always be worn by drivers and passengers alike. Unfortunately, while they are doing their jobs of protecting you from serious injury or death in an accident, they can also cause contusions, muscle tears, and soft tissue damage. 

Middle and Lower Back Muscle Pain

Following an accident, many survivors experience pain in their middle or lower backs. This pain can be constant and exhausting. 

Muscle Weakness

Herniated discs are likely to cause muscular weakness, pain, and numbness. These injuries can manifest weeks and even months after the initial accident. 

Muscle Spasms

Muscle spasms after a car accident occur when the muscles involuntarily contract, causing pain and discomfort. These can also be called muscle cramps.

When To Seek Medical Attention for Muscle Pain

It is so important to seek medical care immediately after an accident. Even if you think you are fine, medical professionals can identify concerning symptoms and provide guidance to prevent injuries from getting worse. 

“Delayed pain” is a condition that happens when your body doesn’t develop symptoms immediately after an accident. Instead, pain begins in the days, weeks, and even months after an accident took place. 

Additionally, if you experience any of the following symptoms, you should seek medical attention:

• Ongoing, shooting abdominal or stomach pain can be a sign of an internal injury. 
• Severe headaches or migraines may be a sign of serious whiplash damage. 
• Constant muscle spasms, especially in your back and/or neck, can indicate a traumatic back or neck injury. 
• Numbness, lack of feeling, tingling, and an inability to move any of your fingers and toes are associated with spinal injuries and need to be addressed immediately.

Treatment for Car Accident Muscle Pain

The first step to treating muscle pain from a car accident is to be examined by a medical professional. Accurately diagnosing the cause of your muscle pain ensures that your treatment is for the underlying cause and not just your symptoms. 

A strength test is usually the first step toward a diagnosis. This will show soft areas with damage to the soft tissue. Diagnostic imaging such as x-rays and MRIs will follow to give your physician a clear picture of the damage. After a diagnosis, muscle pain treatment may include:

• Physical therapy
• Massage therapy
• Surgery
• Neck brace
• Chiropractic care
• Rest

Treatment can last for weeks or months, depending on the severity of the muscle damage. Medical bills accumulated during this time can be included in a personal injury claim after an accident.

Addressing Muscle Pain In Your Personal Injury Claim

When someone else’s actions lead to you being injured in a car accident, you have the right to sue for compensation. 

A car accident attorney can walk you through the process of calculating your expenses and filing for damages. Muscle pain after a car accident causes medical bills, prolonged physical pain, lost wages, and more. 

You may also deserve compensation for future medical expenses, travel fees related to medical appointments, home care services, out-of-pocket expenses, property damage, and pain medication reimbursement. 

Your attorney will send a letter documenting the total amount of damages to the at-fault driver’s insurance company. In the event the insurer denies your demand or offers you an unsatisfactory settlement, your attorney can initiate a lawsuit against the at-fault driver. 

Poynter & Bucheri–Indianapolis Car Accident Lawyers

Our experienced team of attorneys at Poynter & Bucheri helps car accident victims in Indianapolis and beyond. We know that you have been through something difficult, and our attorneys are compassionate and knowledgeable. 

Plus, we only get paid when you get the compensation you deserve!

Interested in learning more, without making a big commitment? We offer a free, no-obligation case review. Contact an experienced lawyer from Poynter & Bucheri today at (317) 780-8000 to talk about your case and what you deserve.