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Lehmbecker Law Firm

Bellevue Personal Injury Lawyers

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5 Hidden Injuries to Watch Out for After a Car Accident

Car accidents account for an astounding amount of injuries on a yearly basis. In fact, according to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, there are around 2.35 million people injured or disabled due to auto accidents throughout a typical year.

What to expect physically after a car accident:

Herniated Discs

Everyone knows that neck and back strains are common in car accidents, generally referred to as “whiplash.” But these injuries can be much more serious than just a mild strain. Sometimes the force of a collision causes the tissue between the vertebrae of the spine to balloon out or rupture. This is called a “herniated disc.” A herniated disc can put pressure on and inflame nerves coming out of the spine. This causes very severe pain, loss of feeling, and even loss of control of your muscles, typically in your arms or legs.

These symptoms might occur right away, but also can develop in the weeks and months following an auto accident. These injuries require surgery at times, and can cause long-term disability.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

When your head whips back and forth in an auto accident, or if your head strikes something inside your car, your brain can be impacted. This impact to the brain, called a “traumatic brain injury” (TBI) can cause long-term damage to brain function. These injuries are insidious, as they are not always obvious right away. Months later, the injured person or his family may notice that he or she is becoming forgetful, or is undergoing a personality change, often becoming less patient or even extremely irritated or angry, when that was not their normal state previously.

Anyone who has suffered a concussion, or been knocked unconscious, or has had headaches after a motor vehicle collision should watch carefully for the signs of TBI, and seek a neurological consultation if TBI is suspected.

Knee Injuries

Often during a motor vehicle collision, a driver or passenger is thrown forward and will strike their knee on the dashboard. This can result in direct trauma to the knee which can result in many different types of injuries, such as a shattered patella (knee cap.)

The cartilage of the knee can also be damaged, resulting in a torn meniscus, or patellar chrondromalcia. Sometimes, similar injuries will occur when a driver jams on the brakes so hard to avoid a collision that his knee is forcefully compressed. These are painful conditions, often requiring surgery. And again, the severity of the injury is not always obvious right away, as it might take some time for more subtle injuries to develop enough inflammation that they become obvious.

Shoulder Injuries

Because your shoulder belt only wraps over one shoulder, much of the force from an auto accident can be focused on that one shoulder when you are thrown forward by the impact of a motor vehicle collision. This can also impart a twisting motion to your body. These forces can cause many different injuries to the shoulder, ranging from deep bruising, to shoulder strains, or even severe tears of the shoulder ligaments that will require surgery to repair.

Shoulder injuries often worsen over time and become chronic, so don’t ignore any shoulder symptoms after a motor vehicle collision. Get them checked out by your physician!

What to expect mentally after a car accident:

Psychological Injuries

When someone undergoes a traumatic event, it is not just our bodies that can be damaged. Our psychological and emotional state can also be seriously affected. People who have been in serious automobile accidents can develop a “phobia,” which means the person has developed an unusual fear of driving or even being in a car.

These can become so severe that a person with a car phobia can become completely housebound, unable to use a vehicle for any purpose. When phobias develop, it is very important that psychological care be provided immediately. Psychologists have good techniques to help patients overcome phobias. But phobias that are not treated often become longstanding and very difficult to treat. If someone is afraid of driving or being in a car after a motor vehicle collision, make sure they seek psychological care immediately.

As you see, many of these injuries are very serious, but are not always obvious immediately after a car accident, so be on the lookout for them. And most of them are likely to get worse over time if not recognized or treated. Always have any symptoms carefully checked out and documented by a physician.

How Lehmbecker Law Firm Can Help You

Your auto injury lawyer at Lehmbecker Law will determine how much compensation you are entitled to for your car accidentCar driving on road based on our decades of settlement experience in valuing:

  1. Past and future medical bills
  2. Pain & suffering
  3. Past and future wage loss if you cannot work
  4. Lost value on your car (diminished value claim)
  5. Loss of consortium (claim for damages suffered by the spouse or family member of a person who has been injured or killed.)

Protection from unknowingly accepting a low ball insurance offer will give you peace of mind, so contact us today.

Free Consultations: 425-455-3186 (Call or Text)

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Settlements:

$460,000

Obtained for our client after being hit by driver making an illegal U-turn.

$5.7 Million

obtained for our client after being hit by a car while taking a walk in Bellevue, WA.

$2,000,000

for our client who suffered permanent cardiovascular impairment after his surgeon performed an unnecessary procedure during a heart surgery.

$2,000,000

for a young woman who suffered multiple orthopedic injuries after being struck in a crosswalk by a taxicab.

$2,000,000

for an elderly woman who suffered a shoulder injury after being struck in a crosswalk by a delivery van.

More Testimonials

Client Reviews:

“Please allow me to take this moment of your time to say thank you to all the members in your firm who worked on my case. I was so proud of the way my attorney handled herself and stood by myside during the court proceedings. It has been an honor and a privilege for me having all your legal help and advice for the past two years. It’s hard to say goodbye. Again, thank you.”

Kim Kent, WA

“Thanks again for all your help! You made a difficult situation much easier on us. We really appreciate everything you’ve done.”

Alana

“Lehmbecker Law has been outstanding in helping me deal with my Workers’ Comp claim. Before I hired them, it was very stressful trying to deal with the insurance companies and the medical bills. As soon as Lehmbecker Law took my case, my stress levels dropped and I was able to concentrate on getting better. I would highly recommend them to anyone who needs help with their workers’ comp claim.”

N.H. Woodinville, WA

“After a full year of fighting, Lehmbecker Law got me a full year of back wage loss. I couldn’t be happier or more relieved. This will make such a difference in my life. Now we are working on my vocational plan. Lehmbecker Law has been there for me and I will recommend them to anyone who needs help fighting L&I.”

A. Mayberry Woodinville, WA

“After my mother and I were involved in a car accident at the Westfield Shopping Mall at Southcenter I was in a lot of pain. Having your law firm oversee my medical treatment and make sure my bills got paid took away a lot of my stress. And, the settlement I received was even more than I expected. I recommend that anyone involved in a car accident call you and get representation. I truly believe I received a bigger settlement with you fighting for me than I would have gotten on my own.”

M. Bonifacio Federal Way, WA

“I am very happy with the results I received from settling two different cases I had with Mr. Lehmbecker and his law firm.

Mr. Lehmbecker is a very caring and knowledgeable attorney and I felt confident throughout both my cases that he would give me excellent results. I highly recommend Mr. Lehmbecker to anyone who has a personal injury, worker’s compensation or medical malpractice case.”

Y. Knotts Redmond, WA

“I am a lawyer in this community and have had the pleasure of working side by side with two lawyers from this firm, as well as some of the staff members. I am always glad to see other lawyers in the community doing a good job in representing their clients, and the lawyers with Larry Lehmbecker’s office will do that.”

“I have known Larry Lehmbecker for 15 years. I have conferred with Larry over the years regarding personal injury and workers’ compensation issues because I respect his knowledge and experience. I have always found his problem solving and case strategy skills to be thoughtful, practical, and helpful. I consider Larry to be one of top attorneys in his field.”

Attorney Christine Foster

“I had never been in a motor vehicle accident before, and I didn’t know who to turn to for help. After doing research on law firms in the area, I learned about Lehmbecker Law. My case was not an easy one, and there was a lot of emotion along the way. The team at Lehmbecker Law was terrific at navigating the difficulties of my case, from beginning to end. Throughout the process they were responsive, professional, and put my mind at ease during a difficult time. I strongly recommend that anybody who has been in a serious accident reach out to Lehmbecker Law.”

Katrina Issaquah

“Recently, I needed legal services to help me with my injury claim resulting from a drunk driver. The team at Lehmbecker Law was very helpful in the resolution of my claim. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have known how to address the many issues in my case. I would strongly recommend Lehmbecker Law for people who are injured and need help.”

Mozeyl Seattle

“This is an outstanding firm. I have used them twice now, and I would recommend them strongly to anybody who needs legal advice. I had a great experience with both of my cases. They are a very caring firm that truly has their clients’ best interests at heart.”

Darcelle Snohomish

“This law firm is Great. They kept me informed on all that was going on, they cared, were compassionate, kept on top of it like you were their only client. They are not afraid to take on the big companies to help out the little guy. Always straight shooters with me never had to ask twice and when I did have a question if the person I talked to didn’t know the answer they would find out what it was and always called you back. I never had a problem getting to talk to someone in the office, they never put me off with I will have them call you back unless they were not in the office, they always called back in a timely manner and with the questions I wanted answered. Great people to work with.I would recommend this law firm without hesitation to anyone that needed a great lawyer. I have had other lawyers in the past for different reasons and most of the time it was hard to get to speak to someone in the office not here. If you want a great law team on your side choose Larry Lehmbecker.”

Brenda

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Locations:

Washington Federal Building
400 108th Ave NE, Ste. 500 Bellevue, WA 98004

Uptown Square
1066 S. 320th St.
Building K, Suite F
Federal Way, WA 98003

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Lehmbecker Law

Bellevue Car Accident Lawyer

400 - 108th Ave. NE, Suite 500 Bellevue, WA 98004

(425) 455-3186 (888) 889-6895