Your doctor may recommend trigger point injections following an automobile accident. The injection delivers medication to help reduce inflammation. They are used to relax the sooth the muscle pain by relaxing the muscle.
What Are Trigger Point Injections?
A trigger point is a knotted or tight area of muscle that is felt under the skin, and when pressure is applied, it “triggers” pain in another part of the body. Injections are used to help soothe muscle pain by breaking the pain cycle and improving blood flow, which promotes healing. The difficulty with these cases is that the condition being treated is often a degenerative condition that has been aggravated by the car accident. The fight with the insurance company occurs over the argument of whether the treatment would have been needed anyway, regardless of the accident. Adjusters love to blame degenerative conditions for your treatment, even if you haven’t been seen before by a medical professional about this condition.
The reason adjusters fight so hard is because if you prove that the injections are related to the car accident, the insurance company is responsible for paying for any lost wages; your past and future medical bills; suffering, pain, and inconvenience.
Do You Need an Attorney?
In our experience, these cases almost always require representation for this reason. It is also essential that you be honest with your auto accident attorney about any prior medical history or treatments, as this has a significant impact on the value of your case. The fact of the matter is, a trigger point injection case with a client that has never been seen by a doctor for spine or trigger point related problems will have a higher case value than a client who has been constantly seen by doctors for these problems prior to the accident.
Another reason that trigger point injections become hard to evaluate: the injections are used to mask the pain, and they allow a patient to more effectively participate in a rehabilitative program, but it does not cure the problem. Because of this, it is important that you obtain in writing from your treating doctor:
- A medical opinion that your current medical condition is a result of your auto accident
- The prognosis is your condition is likely to be permanent
- An estimation of future cost that includes: costs of injections, physical therapy, and other medical costs
There is no step by step way to calculate a settlement for auto accident cases. If you’ve been in an automobile accident and received trigger point injections, you might be considering whether or not you need a lawyer. In our opinion, you will need a lawyer to settle your trigger point injection case. These cases are complicated from both a medical and legal perspective. It can be very difficult for a person with no legal experience to obtain the proper narrative report from their doctor in order to get the maximum amount from the insurance company.
