When it comes to car accidents, myths abound. In case of severe car accidents where cars are totaled and bones are broken, the case is fairly simple. However, the truth is that even minor fender-benders can and do cause extensive injuries.
Myth No. 1 Everyone who claims to be injured in a car accident is faking it. If you can’t see the injury, it isn’t there!
This can’t be farther away from the truth. Many severe injuries like concussions and whiplash have no physical manifestations. This doesn’t make them fake. The truth is that while there are people out there who abuse the system to make a quick buck, it doesn’t mean that everyone is. Picture this – cars that weight thousands of pound in cold hard metal collide with each other, and a person is caught between all this! It would be abnormal if you were not hurt!
Myth No. 2 It’s just a sprain. Leave it alone, and it will heal within 6 – 12 weeks.
People around you as well as insurance adjusters would love for you to believe this one! It is important to remember that insurance adjusters are not medical professionals and have no medical training whatsoever. Their primary interest lies in getting you to agree to a settlement. The truth of the matter is that injuries to soft tissue often last for an average of 10.8 years, as per research by Gargan and Bannister. Soft tissue injuries require all the medical attention that other injuries get. This is where a chiropractor comes in. Just like you would go to a dentist if your tooth was hurting, a chiropractor is needed for treating injuries to joints, muscles, ligaments, and nerves.
Myth No. 3 Your car is fine! There is almost no damage to your vehicle, therefore, you could not possibly be seriously injured.
Car accident injuries do not work in proportion to the extent of damage that the car has suffered. Therefore, the understanding that if the car is fine, you must be too is wrong. Studies show that even 8 mph car collisions cause whiplash. In fact, research by Martinez in “A Model for Whiplash” shows that at 8 mph, a collision would produce twice the normal force of gravity while the occupants head will experience acceleration of 5 times!
After an accident, one of the first things you need to do is visit a chiropractor who will be able to tell you what the exact extent of your injuries is.
