Car accidents are just that; accidents. No one can predict when they will happen or who will be involved. They just happen. When they do, they can result in either minor or severe injuries. In some cases, the injuries may even be life threatening as well as difficult to find a doctor.

Head and brain injuries are common in severe car accidents. These types of injuries are caused by head trauma resulting from falling out of the car or hitting a hard surface within the car. The severity of the injuries varies widely. However, head injuries commonly cause pain in the head, bleeding, deformity and unconsciousness. Victims of car accidents may also display other symptoms that are characteristic of head injuries such as pain when opening the mouth, the bones in the head are unstable when touched, paralysis or weakness in the limbs, impaired vision, hearing and smell, loss of memory, lack of concentration and unequal diameter in pupils.

Minor head injuries may develop increase in severity if they remain unattended. If you or someone you know is involved in a car accident and has experienced any head trauma, ensure that they see a doctor. Many head injuries go undetected when victims ignore visiting a medical doctor.

A common injury that may result from a car accident and go undetected is retinal detachment. Many victims of car accidents that have this injury often don't take notice of it until it has become severe. Common symptoms of the injury are blurred vision, flashes in vision and dark shapes floating in your vision. Blurred vision in a victim of a car accident is an indication of the need for emergency treatment. The condition requires surgical treatment immediately. Failure to do so places the injured person at risk of losing their sight permanently.

Whiplash is one of the most common injuries resulting from car accidents. It is the result of strain on the neck muscles, tendons and ligaments caused by the neck having being forced to move beyond its normal range of motion. This type of injury is common when the car accident resulted in impact to the front or rear of the vehicle. The condition is easily recognizable as it results in a great deal of pain and stiffness in the neck. Some victims suffering from whiplash may have an accompanying injury known as a concussion. This may present itself as a headache and is often overlooked. This is a mild traumatic injury to the brain that may result in temporary loss of brain function. Victims of car accidents who experience headaches alongside neck injuries should be examined by a medical doctor.

A more serious injury that often goes unnoticed is injury to the spinal column or spinal cord. This may result from trauma or straining of the back muscles, ligaments or tendons. Many people may experience slight back pains and ignore the injuries. Action is often taken when the injury has escalated into something more serious with symptoms such as loss of sensation in the limbs, loss of motion or extreme pain.

Ensure that you get yourself thoroughly examined by a professional medical doctor in the event of a car accident. But what is most surprising about seeking a doctor for a car accident injury is that it will take you an extended period of time to research. 99% of Family Practice doctors will not treat patients with injuries from these types of accidents and won't even let you schedule an appointment. There are many reasons for this but the most prevalent is the difficulty in receiving reimbursements for the medical care.

For example, if Bob was injured from a car accident, then the other driver whom is at fault will provide their vehicle insurance information for car damage and medical treatment. However, doctors can't count on the faulted driver's car insurance company to pay all of Bob's medical bills. Therefore, the rare doctors that do treat for auto accident injuries require that Bob retain an attorney to represent him and his case. The doctor will request a Letter of Protection or an Assignment of Benefits from the attorney which essentially states that the attorney guarantees that the physician will receive reimbursement payments for the medical treatment upon the settlement of the case.

Needless to say, most doctors would rather not wait a year or two to finally collect payment for treatment. Moreover, the case rarely settles for the original suit amount and consequently the attorney will ask that the medical clinic take a reduction; a reimbursement amount that is considerably less than the actual medical treatment cost. Most doctors just have a flat out difficult time trying to make living treating injuries from car accidents.

By John Vreugde

Speak with a medical professional that specializes in these types of injuries: Auto Injury Physicians.