Fibromyalgia is a musculoskeletal disorder that causes widespread pain and can lead to fatigue, sleep, and mood issues. This is an often misunderstood disease that affects a significant portion of the population. Doctors have not pinpointed the exact cause of fibromyalgia, and while it is unlikely that a car accident can actually cause this disease, it is certainly possible for an accident to exasperate fibromyalgia symptoms.
What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a condition that affects an individual’s bones and muscles. This is a relatively common medical diagnosis that can amplify musculoskeletal pain throughout the entire body. For individuals who do have fibromyalgia, their main symptom is chronic, widespread pain that can last for weeks or months at a time.
It is not uncommon for some fibromyalgia patients to report pain in sensitive pressure point areas as well as particular tender areas on their bodies. Other fibromyalgia patients experience a general achiness and discomfort. This condition can cause injuries, such as bruises, to feel more painful than in individuals who do not have fibromyalgia.
How Could a Car Accident Make Fibromyalgia Worse?
Doctors and researchers are not sure of the exact cause of fibromyalgia, even though there are some individuals more likely to develop this condition than others. For example, women are more likely than men to develop fibromyalgia, as our individuals who have a family history of lupus or arthritis.
Some researchers have shown a link between physical injuries and a higher risk of developing fibromyalgia. This includes car accidents and other traumatic incidents. A vehicle accident could potentially trigger fibromyalgia by impacting the pain receptors in the brain and making them more sensitive because of both the physical injuries and the emotional stress caused by the car accident.
Can You Recover Compensation After an Accident?
If an individual develops fibromyalgia after a vehicle accident occurs, they may be able to recover compensation connected to this condition. Usually, car accident victims are able to recover a range of economic and non-economic damages as a result of the incident and the injuries. Compensation paid for fibromyalgia what typically be considered “pain and suffering” or non-economic damages.
The court will typically allow a vehicle accident victim to establish a causal link between their fibromyalgia and the vehicle accident, but any person in this situation needs to work with a skilled Arizona vehicle accident lawyer as soon as possible. Properly documenting all pain and suffering damages can be challenging, particularly because there are no direct bills or receipts that can show physical, emotional, and psychological pain and suffering.
Adequately proving that fibromyalgia is a compensable loss after a car accident may require documentation from medical experts as well as expert witness testimony for insurance carriers or at a personal injury trial. A skilled Phoenix, Arizona personal injury lawyer can explain to a jury or judge the link between the car accident and the fibromyalgia.
There is no set amount of money available to car accident victims for their economic and non-economic damages. The total amount of compensation will vary based on a range of factors, including the severity of the injuries, how much pain and suffering can be properly documented, property damage expenses, and the amount of time a person is away from work due to their injuries.
If you were involved in a car accident that led to fibromyalgia, contact Sargon Law Group for a free consultation with our car accident lawyer in Phoenix, AZ.