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What to do about whiplash, the “invisible” car crash injury

neck pain, personal injury lawyer

It was all my fault — my first car accident. No police reports were filed. No ticket was given.

I swerved and overcompensated my steering on a narrow, shoulderless road, and ended up hitting the embankment on the opposite side of the road.

The officer looked my brother over carefully,  my only passenger and fellow accident victim, and said, “What’s that white stuff dripping off your face? First time I’ve seen that.” ( The white stuff was his yogurt-to-go.)

We both looked fine.  We escaped injury better than my sadly damaged car.  Or so I thought…

A few hours later, my brother was lying in bed alternating ice and heat on his  very sore neck and shoulders.  His whiplash was apparently much worse than mine.  I felt terrible!

Whiplash is one of the most common car accident injuries, even for a low-impact car accident.

It is an unwelcome guest that often shows up after the initial car accident.  Very commonly, rear-end collisions are to blame.  However, side-impact and head-on collisions are definitely also culprits.

Sports accidents, getting hit in the head, slip-and-fall accidents — all of these  can result in a rapid whipping motion of our super flexible cervical spine!

Neck and shoulder pain after a car accident are sometimes the first signs of a whiplash injury.  However the list of possible symptoms is quite long.

https://www.webmd.boots.com/pain-management/guide/pain-management-whiplash

Potentially serious whiplash symptoms according to WebMD include:

  • Severe, ongoing pain
  • Blurred vision
  • Nausea
  • Headache
  • Ringing in the ears
  • Numbness or tingling
  • Difficulty chewing or swallowing
  • Problems breathing

Since whiplash injuries are so common, many insurance companies will investigate any claims for fraud.  You need to have your ducks in a row when making a car accident whiplash claim!

 Seek medical attention promptly when you feel the onset of symptoms.  Don’t wait to see if you symptoms will just vanish.

Make a list of your symptoms before your doctor’s visits.
Sticky note, journal, list on the phone — use whatever works for you! The thing is, you don’t want to forget a symptom while discussing your needs with your doctor. Not only will this improve your medical treatment,  you will also need this documentation for your whiplash insurance claim.

Document your doctor’s visits. Ask for copies of the records of each visit.  More doctors’ offices are going completely digital, but they will still print out a report of your visit per your request.

If your neck is being a pain, and you can’t think clearly on the muscle relaxers you were prescribed, you’ll be glad you have a paper copy of the visit to help you with the next step you need to take.

Your next step is to call your car accident lawyer.  Again, don’t wait and hope your insurance company will resolve everything

You may think calling your insurance claims office is enough. However, if your whiplash turns out to be a  sign of a greater spinal injury, you need a lawyer who will be on your side.

You need unbiased legal help. After all,  any insurance company is naturally trying to minimize their own cost for your car crash.

Your car accident lawyer will speak directly with your insurance company, but your personal records will also be an important part of the process.

Stand up for yourself!  Get medical help and a caring, experienced personal injury lawyer.

Taking these positive steps will not only help you heal from your car accident whiplash injury, but also make sure you have the financial coverage you need to fully recover.  Your best possible recovery is the goal of The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC.  http://steimel-law.com/personal-injury.html

Call 636-244-3737 for a free initial consultation today.

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

 

 

 

 

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Drive to survive — don’t let an auto accident eclipse your weekend plans!

St. Louis and the surrounding areas are preparing a PARTY to celebrate the first total eclipse viewing in our region since 1442!  This predates Columbus.  The excitement is building!

With 1.6 million residents in the St. Louis area alone, this is going to be one massive celebration when you consider the guest list.  EVERYBODY and their uncle is invited.

Not only that, the party stretches over multiple counties and towns. Visitors and locals alike have an amazing array of events to choose from.

People are going to go places. Crowded streets and highways are a sure bet!  Tempers flare. Then we have trouble.

Car accidents and injuries are also a sure bet in crowded conditions.

Area hospitals and emergency centers have been laying in extra supplies.  Public service workers, officers, and emergency management teams are prepping as well.

No one wants trouble. While you can’t control those around you on the crowded roads, you can also certainly take precautions. 

If you plan to be out and about this coming weekend,  here are some common sense ways to prep.  C’mon! You KNOW you want to enjoy the fun!

1.) Avoid the main roads if possible.

It’s okay. Take the scenic route. You may get there faster, anyways!

Being a local, you have the edge. You probably know the back roads and multiple ways to get to where you want to go. So plan that extra time and spare yourself some headache.

2.)  If you’re going somewhere unfamiliar,  map out your adventure!

Guess what? With so many people converging on an  already crowded area, some states are expecting cell towers to be overloaded. You may have trouble with your GPS!  Plan ahead and bring a paper map. If you can’t find one (age of dinosaurs, he, he), print out your directions from an online mapping service.

Besides learning about astronomy with your family in living technicolor,  you can take them back to the days of Columbus! Teach them how to read a map.

Map out multiple routes, and don’t forget to plan your way home!

3.) Pack your own emergency supplies!

Obviously, you may already be bringing a picnic lunch. You’ve already got your solar viewing glasses, too, right.  (See what NASA says about eye safety in the link below.)

https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/safety2.html

Add to it! Extra water, extra food, road flares, and first aid supplies — you can’t go wrong. If you don’t need it, you may be a friend in need is a friend indeed to someone else.

4.) Don’t forget about prepping your car!

Got a full tank of gas, oil, and coolant? A quick peek under the hood before you leave could make big difference in your day.  Your family will love you more if you don’t run out of gas!

Walk around and check the tires.  AAA will rescue you, but you might be in a long line for the tow truck, too!

5. ) Plan to keep your cool.

Crowds are more stressful for some of us than for others, true?  If you find yourself in a fender-bender or a minor car accident,  take a deep breath.

You may not be able to watch the eclipse from your top choice of viewing locations, but it will still happen!  No one stops an eclipse.

If you plan for the worst (bring your car accident lawyer’s number with you), you will know exactly what to do. Reach for the phone.  If there is personal injury involved, you already know the drill — call 911 first.  Then call your experienced St. Louis car accident attorney:

http://steimel-law.com/personal-injury-carcrash.html

Take another deep breath.  Wherever you are,  check your watch and gaze in awe at the skies.  You can munch on some of those extra snacks while you wait.

It’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment.  Make sure you don’t miss it!

If you’re traveling in the St. Louis, Missouri area, you need your best St. Louis attorney in your phone contact list as an added emergency safeguard.  Better safe than sorry!

Call The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC anytime to get meticulous, aggressive and accessible legal help. (636) 244-3737

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

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Facing a lifetime injury from an auto accident? Read this before you settle…

An auto accident injury could change your life forever!

If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, and your insurance company is in a hurry to settle — BEWARE!

The quickest, easiest path is not necessarily the BEST choice. Think about it. Who will profit from a quick settlement? Most likely — both insurance companies involved. My friend Annie * is the perfect example of this.

Annie has been a  paraplegic for more than twenty years. She nearly died in terrible car crash after being t-boned by car racing through a red light at around 80 mph.  During long months in the hospital and rehab,  she was repeatedly asked to settle by her insurance company.

Thankfully, Annie didn’t settle. She realized her life was changed forever. Who can put a price tag on that?

She hired a savvy personal injury/car accident lawyer.

She waited for years to settle, learning over time all of the hidden costs of living life as a paraplegic.

Her list of new needs was much longer and more costly than she could have anticipated in the early days of recovery from her personal injuries.

She needs 24/7 live-in help.  Multiply that by 20 + years now.  Add inflation to the cost of living. Factor in finding honest, reliable help.  That’s a huge challenge by itself.

Her entire house had to be retrofitted for her to drive her scooter around inside the house. Doorways widened. New shower and safety bars installed. She needed new ramps built for her home’s exterior.

Of course, now she has to hire help to maintain every aspect of her home’s interior and exterior.

She also needed enough money for all of her routine bills for the rest of her life:  house payment, food, electric, water, gas, phone, clothing, etc…  And this was just the tip of the iceberg!

In order to get to doctors’ and therapists’ visits,  a handicapped van was required.

Surprise, surprise! The maintenance costs for such a vehicle are astronomical.  Another friend with handicapped children recently told me that their routine oil changes are nearly double the cost due to the modifications on their handicapped van.  Then, of course, over time, this vehicle needs to be replaced!

Because Annie is a spunky, smart go-getter, she didn’t settle for routine therapies.  After all, she only had limited success with those. Annie wanted to have a life!

Instead she tried alternative routes until she found healing therapies that worked best for her body and needs.

She was able to lose weight! She found an exercise routine and equipment that worked for her. She was actually able to bring back a certain quality to her life.  She lives modestly in a comfortable home of her own.

Did I mention that Annie is spunky? She has gone on adventures like sky-diving and hot-air ballooning. She takes vacations. She even takes time for mission trips to help others in third world countries.

In short, she is not miserable and neglected in some government-run assisted living home!

None of this would have been possible if she had listened to her insurance company’s many pleas to settle. 

Annie would probably have been forced to live in poverty, quite possibly in a group home. She would have had to rely on public transportation.

Worst of all, she would have to rely on the “moods” of overworked care-givers instead of hiring and firing her own private care-givers.

Her medical therapies and care would have been minimal.  Annie’s pain levels would likely been poorly managed.  This tragic accident could have led to a life no one wants to live!

Delaying insurance settlement for her best possible outcome made a huge difference for Annie!

Yes, it was a fight that went on for years!

Without an aggressive auto injury attorney on her side, life would undeniably have been very different for Annie*. 

*Name changed to protect personal privacy.

Are you or a loved one facing a life turned upside down due to serious personal injuries in a car accident?

Before you settle with any insurance company, be sure to seek professional legal advice from an experienced personal injury lawyer. Take a page out of Annie’s book — don’t settle for less than your best possible outcome!

http://steimel-law.com/personal-injury-carcrash.html

The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC are here to fight aggressively for you — not for the big insurance companies!  They won’t “farm out” your case to an inexperienced lawyer like some big law firms commonly do.

You need the best possible coverage to face such a mega life challenge.  Call 636-244-3737 today for your free consultation. 

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Suffering chronic pain from a (even minor) car accident?

Maybe you were recently rear-ended in a minor car accident. Your car was only slightly damaged. But what about your body? 

The next day, perhaps you woke up with a sore neck or even lower back pain. Trip after trip to the doctor has sucked away your precious time and money.

“It’s just a soft tissue injury. Give it time.” Have you heard this?

Unfortunately, your insurance adjuster often considers a soft tissue injury as minor.  So might your doctor!

Weeks can turn into months of pain. Your medical coverage may run out. You can barely work or function around the house. Even worse, your injury is “invisible” to most.

“But you look SO good!” You may have heard these words from family, friends, and neighbors if you are suffering from chronic “invisible” pain. It’s just human nature to not believe what we cannot see.

Recently, a family member was told by a pain management doctor that his back pain was his friend. “Suffering is just part of the journey.”

Yeah, well! Let’s trade shoes for a week, shall we? Pain is a friend no one wants to keep!

Instead, listen to what one local chiropractor says about soft tissue injury.

“…soft tissue injury can result in chronic pain and limited mobility which can result in permanent disability.” (from the newsletter of Dr. Martin Schmaltz of Hazelwood, MO,  www.drmartinschmaltz.com)

Fortunately, you have these experts in soft tissue injury on your side. Your local chiropractor may be just the medical expert to see after even a minor car accident. They can help you in two ways!

1.) Documentation for your personal injury lawyer to help fight for insurance coverage

Chiropractors will help document soft tissue damage that may lead to chronic pain and disability. They take these injuries very seriously.

Records from your local chiropractor can be used to aid your personal injury lawyer to get the best possible coverage from your insurance company.

Partner with your local personal injury lawyer!  Ask about which chiropractor your car accident attorney recommends.

2.) Treatment for your soft tissue injury

Together your personal injury attorney and your chiropractor can possibly prevent a life of chronic pain and disability! Let’s get rid of that unwanted “friend”.

Have you been experiencing chronic pain over time due to a car crash?

Maybe you’ve already used up insurance coverage for a prior auto accident where you were not at fault. Perhaps you did not have an attorney’s help. You can still get a free initial consultation from a personal injury lawyer to see if there is any additional help or coverage possible.

At The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC, chronic pain from any sort of car accident or slip and fall is a serious matter. Attorney Steimel knows how chronic pain turns your life upside down. He will fight for your ability to get the treatment you need!

http://steimel-law.com/personal-injury-carcrash.html

NO money, no worries! You will pay no attorney fees unless a settlement is reached in your favor. 

Give The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC,  a call today for help with your accident-related chronic pain. (636)244-3737

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

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How to survive your teen learning to drive

Drive to Survive: why some driver’s ed for teens is a good idea

Do you have teens anxious to get behind the wheel? It’s a terrifying stage of parenthood for many folks.  When it is time for your teen to learn to drive, not only do you want full and proper insurance coverage, you want them to have mad driving skills. After all, there are a lot of crazies on the road!

So do you have what it takes to pass these survival skills along? Or do you need to hire a driver’s ed company? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

Am I a patient teacher? 

Equipping your teen to drive safely and avoid unnecessary auto accidents takes time, practice, and patience. Loads of patience! Are you ready for that?

Am I a good example?

Step back and take a long look at yourself.  What is your driving record like?

Do you have a history of at-fault car crashes?  Loads of speeding tickets?

Hopefully not a DUI on your record, right? If you’re not pretty clean, you should consider deferring to someone else to teach your teen.

Do I or my spouse have time to invest in hours of driver instruction?

You and I both know it’s a dangerous road out there. Not only does your teen have to deal with their own lack of driving experience, they will have  to deal with the reckless and sometimes dangerous driving of others. You will need to plan to spend many hours beside your teen as they drive in many  different situations and weather. (Just no tornado chasing, okay?)

Does your teen listen to you …fairly well?

Ah! There’s the rub for a number of parents. If your teen constantly tunes you out, teaching them to drive is likely to make these issues worse. You need to know your teen will listen fairly well as you give driving instructions. Patiently, of course!

How well do you know the traffic laws? 

Many of us could use a refresher course, right? Things change over the years.

Some of us, well, know family members or friends we wish we could send to driving school.

Of course, this is no excuse to shuffle the job to someone else. Get the Driver’s Handbook out and review! You could make it a trivia game with your teen.

Is your child’s life worth the risk?

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among teens aged 16-19! Honestly, considering all the distractions available to drivers today, that’s not too surprising. You want to do your best to protect them against a tragic car accident!

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html

Actually, the best option is parental training and a driver’s ed class. 

After all, you are the person who cares the most for your child’s well-being,  right?

Pick the safest parent teacher. You get a refresher course in defensive  driving as you teach your teen what you know.

You’ve lived this long already! Your experience really does count.

Happily, whatever they learn from you is  reinforced by an outside authority.  That way it’s not just what Dad and Mom say.  Your teen may even end up being impressed with your driver savvy. If not,  it’s time to take  them out go-cart racing!

Good news! If you pay for defensive driving classes, you can save on your teen’s auto insurance. 

While driver’s ed is not mandatory in the state of Missouri , defensive driving classes do save you money in the long run. Most insurance companies will offer a 5% to 15% discount for certified completion of defensive driving or even an online driving class.

https://www.dmv.com/mo/missouri/drivers-ed

At The Law Offices of Nathan Steimel, LLC,  we think defensive driving safety is important! It’s like eating healthy food, exercising, and getting  your regular check-ups. 

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Knowledge and practice! That’s what it takes to build a safe driving experience for your teen. If you or your teen should end up in an auto accident, you can protect your legal rights by calling our car crash attorneys at (636)244-3737.

http://steimel-law.com/personal-injury.html

 

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

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Help for your uninsured auto accident nightmare!

Facing an uninsured motorist car accident claim? Here’s why you need legal help.

You know Missouri law requires every driver to have liability insurance. In case of an accident, you take care of your neighbor, right? You also do your best to protect yourself and those you love from harm.

Just because you have proper coverage doesn’t mean your fellow Missouri drivers do.

Sad but true – many people have purchased no coverage at all! Uninsured and underinsured drivers are a real problem.

If you’ve ever been in an auto accident with an uninsured motorist at fault, you know it’s a major headache. Your bad day just got a whole lot worse when you learn that the at-fault driver is not properly insured.

Spending hours on the phone with insurance companies is not fun. Sorry to say, that may be just the beginning of your nightmare if injuries and medical bills are involved.

If one little detail gets messed up in the system, it can days or even weeks to get coverage detangled! When you need ongoing medical care, that’s an added stress you don’t want to deal with.

So how does uninsured motorist coverage actually help you in the event of a car crash?

Uninsured motorist coverage steps in to fill the gap left by the negligent uninsured/underinsured driver. It’s designed to provide coverage to the injured driver up to the uninsured motorists’ limits.

Hit and run accidents are covered by uninsured motorist coverage in the state of Missouri.

Some states unhappily require the uninsured motorist vehicle to have contact with the insured vehicle. Have you ever been run off the road by a speedy driver swerving in and out of traffic?

Thankfully for Missouri residents, if another uninsured driver’s negligence caused your auto accident, you are likely to be eligible for uninsured motorist coverage.

Did debris or equipment left in the road by another vehicle cause your car accident? Even if the negligent vehicle is no longer on the scene, you could still be eligible for uninsured motorist coverage.

This coverage sometimes even applies in situations where an unknown driver “waves out” another vehicle into traffic causing a crash.

How do you claim uninsured motorist coverage if you or your vehicle is damaged by an uninsured driver?

You actually have to bring a claim against your own insurance! That’s what you’ve paid for, right? Whether following a hit and run, a “wave out” crash, or any crash or accident with an uninsured driver, it’s the injured driver’s responsibility to pursue a claim.

Guess what? Your insurance company isn’t going to like this.

Not surprisingly, the insurance will begin looking for ways to blame the insured for comparative fault. Equally unfair and alarming, your insurance company may begin seeking ways to reduce or minimize damages from the time the claim is initially reported.

This is exactly why you need an expert uninsured motorist attorney to represent you!

Our St. Charles and St. Louis car accident lawyers will fight for you to insure the crash investigation is fair.

We will contact witnesses. We will review the police reports.

Most importantly, we will advise you of your rights and communicate with the insurance company on your behalf. Yes! We will handle those frustrating, time-consuming phone calls.

The best news is NO fees unless we recover for your injuries!

We will maximize your claim recovery money for your benefit, not just to line our pockets. We think your rights matter,  not just the big insurance companies’ rights.

So, don’t face your uninsured auto accident nightmare alone!

Pick up the phone today and call The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC at (636)244-3737. You can also check us out at http://steimel-law.com/personal-injury-carcrash.html

You need an experienced uninsured motorist lawyer at your side to fight for your rights!

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.