Can I Seek Compensation for Chronic Pain After a Cleveland Car Crash?

After being injured in a car crash, you expect to have some pain and discomfort during the healing process. If your pain continues months after your injuries have healed, however. you may have developed chronic pain syndrome. While ongoing pain for some victims may be relatively minor, for others, it can be debilitating, making it difficult to work or even just to get through the day.

Crash victims dealing with chronic pain may not realize they may be eligible to recover compensation, not just for their initial injuries from the crash, but also for their chronic pain.

At Friedman, Domiano & Smith, our knowledgeable Cleveland car accident attorneys have a history of securing favorable outcomes for our clients. However, deadlines apply, so it is important to contact us as soon after your crash as possible.

What Are the Impacts of Chronic Pain After a Car Crash?

Unlike many injuries that heal in weeks, chronic pain can persist for longer than six months. Crash victims living with chronic pain have many unexpected challenges they have to deal with, including:

Difficulty Completing Daily Tasks

A daily routine that used to take minutes to complete may now take much more time due to chronic pain. Simple tasks like grocery shopping, picking up your child, or even sitting at your desk become painful ordeals.

Lost Income & Future Earning Capacity

Medical treatments to help you manage your chronic pain may continue long after your other injuries have healed. Treatments often include specialized pain management, physical therapy, and medications. Many victims end up missing significant amounts of work. In the most severe cases, victims may need to change their careers, work fewer hours, or stop working altogether if pain makes working impossible.

Declining Mental Health

Chronic pain can have a profound impact on your mental health, causing you to feel anxious, depressed, or hopeless. Many victims suffering from chronic pain may feel isolated from friends and family if they can no longer participate in activities they once enjoyed.

Strain Relationships and Social Connections

The stress of trying to help a family member suffering from chronic pain affects loved ones as well. Partners often assume caregiving roles, which can significantly alter the dynamics of a relationship. Social connections may fade if you repeatedly must cancel plans due to unpredictable pain flares.

What Type of Compensation Can I Receive for Chronic Pain After a Car Accident?

Every case is unique, but Cleveland car crash victims may be eligible to include several types of compensation as part of their injury claim.

Specific types of compensation may include:

• Medical Expenses: In addition to covering the costs of your current and future medical bills for any initial crash injuries, you may be compensated for ongoing physical therapy, pain management and other treatments to help you manage your chronic pain.
• Lost Income: You may be eligible for compensation if chronic pain forces you to work less hours or prevents you from returning to your previous position.
• Pain and Suffering: This compensation addresses the physical discomfort and emotional distress chronic pain causes.
• Loss of Enjoyment of Life: Compensates you for activities you once enjoyed and can no longer participate in. You may qualify, for example, if you can no longer play with your children or enjoy your favorite sports.
• Consortium: Loss of consortium applies if your chronic pain affects your relationship with your spouse. These damages recognize the strain on marital relationships when pain changes intimacy, companionship, and household responsibilities.

How to Prove Chronic Pain After a Cleveland Car Accident

Providing evidence of chronic pain is no easy task. Since pain cannot be seen on an X-ray, insurance companies often fight these claims.

There are some steps you can take to help strengthen your chronic pain claims:

• Visit your doctor regularly and report all pain symptoms truthfully. The details from those visits will be documented in your medical records, along with your doctor’s assessment and treatment notes.
• Seek specialized care from pain management doctors who understand complex conditions.
• Follow all prescribed treatments diligently, remembering that insurance companies look for gaps in treatment and where you ignored your physician’s medical advice.
• Consistently document your daily pain levels, limitations, and medication effects in a pain journal.
• Get diagnostic testing to reveal pain that may be associated with underlying conditions like herniated discs, nerve compression, or arthritis.
• Get statements from family, friends, and coworkers who observe your daily struggles to strengthen your claim and provide compelling evidence.
• Obtain employment records showing missed work, reduced hours, or performance changes, which may also help to strengthen your case.
• Consider psychological evaluations as chronic pain often causes depression and anxiety.

Call Friedman, Domiano, & Smith After You Have Suffered Chronic Pain After a Car Crash

After a car crash, you should not have to live with chronic pain without support or compensation. Let our trusted law firm provide the legal guidance you need. We can help you gather medical documents, expert testimony, and other compelling evidence to support your claim.

At Friedman, Domiano and Smith, we fight for justice for injured victims every day, including those injured in Ohio car crashes. Our knowledgeable legal team is prepared to fight tirelessly for the compensation you need and deserve. Call our Cleveland law office today to get started. We accept injury cases on contingency, so there are no upfront costs or fees to pay to engage our legal services.