Yes. You can sue an at-fault driver after an injury causes Post-Traumatic Arthritis (PTA). A car insurer should provide support for the cost of medical treatment and for the effects PTA had on your life.
A minor fender bender or a major crash can cause injuries that may later develop PTA. Victims will suffer pain and stiffness, and in some cases surgery is necessary. A California Post-Traumatic Arthritis Lawyer makes sure victims get the care they need without having to worry about how expensive medical bills will get paid. An at-fault driver and the driver’s auto insurance provider must be held fully accountable.
What is PTA?
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It usually develops in joints over a long period as wear and tear in cartilage (the cushion at the end of bones) eventually causes bone and tissue damage.
Post-Traumatic Arthritis occurs much faster and develops after an accident affects a victim’s joints. Instead of a slow progression, PTA is experienced after a joint has suffered a sudden trauma, like in a vehicle collision, and becomes inflamed. This inflammation may be the result of a broken bone or a dislocation.
A study published in the National Library of Medicine details how PTA causes swelling, severe pain, and in some cases, internal bleeding. Stiffness is another common side effect.
The National Library of Medicine explains that PTA usually subsides in two to three months as the primary injury heals. Unfortunately, not every car accident victim is that lucky. Some cases lasting more than 6 months are diagnosed as chronic Post-Traumatic Arthritis. The symptoms can continue for months or years.
What Types of Accidents Cause Post-Traumatic Arthritis?
Researchers classify normal arthritis as a condition that develops slowly, often showing up as patients get older and the wear on their joints builds up.
Post-Traumatic Arthritis develops much more quickly due to a traumatic event. These accidents and others can cause an injury and then trigger PTA:
- Car accident, motorcycle accident, pedestrian accident, cycling accident
- Workplace injuries
- Sports injuries
- A trip-and-fall or slip-and-fall accident
Whereas time and use serve to break down joints to cause arthritis, a physical injury can speed up the process and result in the rapid development of PTA.
In a car crash, several joints can be stressed or even fractured at once. A rear-end impact could send your legs into the floorboard to stress the cartilage in the ankles, knees, and hips. The quick snapping motion of the head in a similar impact could cause the same inflammation in the neck.
A car accident injury settlement should cover every physical and financial damage victims endure. That means support to cover current medical expenses and the care that may be needed in the months and years ahead. A California Car Accident Lawyer can help you secure the support you need to recover from PTA and then rebuild your life.
Recovery from Post-Traumatic Arthritis
In less severe cases of PTA, victims can cope with pain and stiffness with a routine of daily exercise and avoiding some activities for a while.
The Cleveland Clinic reports on how victims may be in a joint brace until healing is complete and arthritis subsides. Weight loss may be a key goal for victims suffering from PTA. Unfortunately, additional weight on bones with PTA inflammation will only make symptoms worse and lengthen recovery times. Swimming or biking, low-impact exercise, is often recommended.
Some victims will need long-term physical therapy. These expensive sessions will be focused on restoring a full range of joint motion for the patient.
In certain instances, patients must undergo surgery to restore mobility and reduce pain. Surgeons will go in to remove damaged tissue and adjust and reshape damaged bones. In some cases, the joint must be secured with metal pins and screws so it can’t move. In extreme cases, a joint replacement is utilized.
How Can a Lawyer Help With My Post-Traumatic Arthritis Injury Claim?
When medical bills start to stack up from the treatment of a broken bone, or a joint dislocation, car insurance companies often act to protect their profits. Insurance adjusters will use several tactics to try to limit what a PTA sufferer earns in an insurance settlement.
A California Post-Traumatic Arthritis Injury Lawyer is your safeguard against these tactics and all unfair treatment. An insurance provider may find it would be cheaper to try to blame you for an accident and then begin to twist the evidence in that direction. An adjuster would downplay the severity of your PTA symptoms and attempt to show that the injury will heal on its own. Of course, that may not be the case.
Your lawyer will be collecting accident evidence to show who was really to blame for a car accident. Your lawyer also uses medical charts and doctor testimony to demonstrate the hardships patients have faced and will face. This proof builds a strong case so that insurance providers can’t invent some reason to reject your claim.
If an insurer refuses to take blame for an accident and injuries their policyholder caused, a California personal injury lawyer also represents the threat of a lawsuit. When an insurance company won’t provide what’s fair in a settlement, your attorney will be ready with evidence and testimony to sue the company and take them to court.
Your lawyer will be seeking the maximum in compensation. That means securing support for every hospital bill you have now and those expected in the future. The income you lose while having to miss work with a painful joint injury should be returned to you. The physical and emotional pain you are asked to ensure must also factor into a post-traumatic arthritis injury settlement check.
Contact a California Post-Traumatic Injury Settlement Lawyer
If you or a loved one have suffered a serious injury due to a careless driver’s mistake. Contact a skilled California Car Accident Lawyer at Maison Law. We offer a free, no-obligation case consultation to all car accident victims.
You should know what your Post-Traumatic Arthritis case is worth and how to hold a car insurance company responsible for every recovery expense.
