Can Little or No Car Damage Still Mean a Serious Injury?
Yes. Little or no damage to your car doesn’t rule out a serious injury. After a wreck, most people’s first move is to walk around the car and check the bumpers, but that’s the wrong measuring stick. David Greene joined WKRG News 5’s Judge Knows to explain why the outside of your car and the inside of your body don’t always tell the same story.
Does the Amount of Damage to My Car Show How Badly I Was Hurt?
Not reliably, no. David once took a deposition in a case where both vehicles showed almost no visible damage, and the injured person still ended up needing a spinal fusion. A bumper can absorb an impact and look almost untouched while the person inside took the full force of the collision. The body doesn’t need crumpled metal to get hurt.
Why Do People Brush Off Their Injuries After a Minor-Looking Wreck?
It cuts both ways. Some people see light damage and assume they’re fine, only to develop real problems later. Others total their car, walk away saying “I feel okay, just a little sore,” and don’t realize how serious that kind of impact can be on a body even when the person feels fine standing at the scene. Either way, the car’s condition isn’t the thing to trust.
Does the Insurance Company Focus on the Car Instead of the Person?
Often, yes. Insurance companies collect premiums and pay out as little as they can get away with. That’s not a moral failing on their part, it’s how the business model works. But it means an adjuster looking at a repair estimate has no reason to think about what happened to the person who was in the car. Making sure a claim reflects the actual value of what someone went through, not just the cost of the bodywork, is where an attorney’s job starts.
What Happens If I Settle My Case Too Soon?
This is where people get hurt twice. If you accept a check for a few hundred dollars and sign a release, and then your arm goes numb six months later because of something the crash caused, your case is closed. There’s no reopening it. Insurance companies move fast on small offers precisely because most injuries from a wreck don’t show up looking dramatic right away.
Do I Need to See a Doctor Even If I Feel Fine at the Scene?
Yes. Call 911 if anyone needs immediate help, get checked out by a doctor, and only then think about calling an attorney if it makes sense for your situation. Adrenaline is good at masking pain for hours or days. People who skip the follow-up visit sometimes find out later they had something serious the whole time, something that could have been caught and treated early if they’d gone in.
What Does It Cost to Talk to Someone at Greene & Phillips?
Nothing to talk it through. Greene & Phillips offers a free consultation, works on contingency, and charges no fee unless the firm recovers money for you. Sign-up takes a few minutes online, or you can meet in person at either office. There’s no such thing as a silly question when you’re trying to figure out whether you should follow up on a wreck.
About the Author
David Greene is the founding attorney of Greene & Phillips Injury Lawyers, a personal injury firm with offices in Mobile and Birmingham, Alabama. He has practiced personal injury, wrongful death, and product liability law in Alabama for nearly 28 years and has tried thousands of cases. Greene & Phillips handles only personal injury matters and charges no fee unless you recover.
Call or text (251) 478-1115 in Mobile or (205) 918-7800 in Birmingham, or reach us through our contact page.
