Louisiana Injury Lawyers Blog
There is a well-worn stereotype depicting a vehicle passenger or driver who is not injured in an auto accident but, after the fact, starts feigning injury. The stereotype portrays the person as completely unaffected at the scene, only to reappear later in a bulky neck brace. As with many stereotypes, this is often inaccurate and overlooks many important facts. One of those is that a substantial number of people who suffer serious harm as a result of an auto accident may, for one legitimate reason or another, not experience noticeable pain for hours or days after the accident. That delay in noticeable or debilitating pain does not make that person’s injuries any less real and doesn’t make their legal claims any less valid. If you’ve been hurt in an auto accident, whether or not your symptoms “hit” right away, be sure to retain a skilled New Orleans injury attorney for your case.
An example of this type of injury was the one suffered by M.A. in his case. M.A. was a man driving his pickup truck in the left lane of eastbound I-20 on a wintry February morning when M.C., who was driving an SUV in the center lane, allegedly lost control of the vehicle after encountering a patch of ice in the road. The SUV allegedly veered into M.A.’s lane and crashed into the right side of his truck. According to M.A., M.C. did not stop, despite M.A.’s numerous attempts to get his attention by using his horn and headlights.
M.A. exited the interstate and later met a local police officer in a hotel parking lot. M.A. told the officer he did not feel injured and, ultimately, went to his place of employment and worked his full shift as a plumber’s apprentice. Later in the day, M.A. began experiencing neck, shoulder and back pain.
There can be many reasons why the pain one experiences after an auto accident may not “kick in” until hours or even days after the accident has come and gone. If your pain’s onset is within a few hours after your accident, your body’s reaction of releasing adrenaline due to the stressful situation may have been what blocked the pain for a while. Adrenaline can block even very substantial levels of pain for a time.
What is as common, or more common, is pain that doesn’t occur until a few or even several days after the accident. This may happen as a result of something called “acute inflammatory response.” This is part of your body’s way of protecting and healing itself, and it involves triggering inflammation in the area that was hurt. What is most important to know from this is that, just because you didn’t feel pain in the first few days after your accident but subsequently did, you shouldn’t believe (or let someone else like an insurance employee convince you) that your pain is unrelated to the accident and that you weren’t hurt in the crash.
Fortunately, M.A. was not discouraged and did pursue legal action. What’s more, his legal team made sure to pursue all of the “players” who could potentially be liable to him under Louisiana law. That included M.C., the woman who owned the SUV, and the woman’s auto insurance company. Even though there was very little damage to the pickup truck, M.A. was still able to put on a convincing case. The jury awarded him more than $23,000, including $16,000 in general damages, $5,800 in medical expenses, $600 in lost wages and $700 in property damage.
When you are hurt in an auto accident, be sure you take the steps you need to protect your legal interests. Call the Cardone Law Firm to find out more about how our skilled Louisiana injury lawyers can help you and your family get the compensation you deserve.
For your confidential consultation contact us online or phone Cardone at 504-522-3333.
More Blog Posts:
Uninsured Motorist Claims in Louisiana and the Top Rules You Need to Know, Louisiana Injury Lawyers Blog, Aug. 13, 2018
Two Dead in Three-Car Crash in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana Injury Lawyers Blog, Aug. 9, 2018