Car Crash Injuries: Why Second Opinions Matter?

Probably not, especially if you saw a random ER doctor or a family physician. The medical misdiagnosis rate is above 10 percent. Most of these incidents cause serious injury. The misdiagnosis rate might be even higher for many crash-related injuries. More on that below.

A 10 percent misdiagnosis rate may seem insignificant. In high school, 90 percent is not only a passing grade. It might be the highest grade in the class. But diagnosing and treating a car crash injury isn’t like passing a history test. Car crash injuries, unlike Medieval history, are life-and-death matters. Therefore, doctors have a fiduciary duty, which is the highest level of legal responsibility in California law. 90 percent simply won’t cut it.

A Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyer connects victims with doctors who focus on injury-related conditions. A car crash is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most people, but some doctors see car crash victims every day. They know how to diagnose and treat car crash injuries because they’ve done it about a million times previously. Furthermore, by the time that doctor bill is due, a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer has usually obtained the financial compensation the victim needs to pay.

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)

• The Impact of Moderate Traumatic Brain Injuries (mTBIs) in Car Accidents
  Moderate traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs), including concussions, are among the most common injuries in car crashes. Despite modern safety features in vehicles, no system can fully absorb the impact during a high-speed accident.
• Concussions and Their Potential Long-Term Effects
  While individual concussions may seem mild, repeated concussions can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive brain injury. CTE is often fatal, and the threshold for how many concussions cause it is still unclear.
• Whiplash: A Hidden TBI in Low-Speed Collisions
  Even low-speed accidents, such as fender benders, can cause whiplash, a type of TBI. The violent jerking motion during a crash can damage the cervical spine, leading to symptoms like disorientation and soreness.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a Brain Injury
  Around 40% of car crash victims develop PTSD, a brain injury caused by stress that changes brain chemistry. Symptoms include hypervigilance, depression, flashbacks, and anger. Proper treatment is often delayed because PTSD is misunderstood.
• The Importance of Early Diagnosis and Treatment for TBIs
  Many victims feel fine after a crash, masking pain with adrenaline, which can delay critical treatment. Doctors must recognize the seriousness of mTBIs and whiplash, treating them early to prevent further complications like dementia or paralysis.

Internal Injuries

Diagnosis and treatment issues also plague internal injuries. The extreme motion of a crash, as discussed above, often causes internal injuries. If this motion causes a slight abrasion, a kidney or other vital organ could leak so slowly that doctors cannot spot the problem. Victims who continue losing blood usually go into hypovolemic shock.

Up to that point, when victims have symptoms like rapid heartbeats, anxiety attacks, and profuse sweating, which are classic blood loss symptoms, inexperienced doctors assume transient accident shock is the culprit. As a result, the victim usually goes into hypovolemic shock at work, school, or home.

Consult Our Experienced California Personal Injury Lawyers

Car crash physicians approach this problem the same way they approach mTBIs. They assume the victim is bleeding internally until they conclusively rule out that possibility. The aggressive treatment is more costly, but it could be lifesaving. Car crash victims should see car crash doctors. For a free consultation with our Personal Injury Attorneys in Los Angeles, contact Attorney Sharona Hakim at the Law Offices of Eslamboly Hakim. We do not charge upfront legal fees in these matters.