I’m going to tell you about a common neck injury sustained in car accidents, but unfortunately, this injury does not always get diagnosed by medical professionals. Research suggests that 65 percent of individuals involved in car accidents sustain this injury. When this injury does get properly diagnosed by a doctor, it can lead to a settlement significantly more than just a soft tissue neck strain diagnosed injury.
What is AOMSI?
So, what is this injury I’m talking about? This injury is known as AOMSI, which stands for Alteration of Motion Segment Integrity. An AOMSI injury is caused in a car wreck when ligaments and supporting structures of the spine, commonly the neck area, are damaged, stretched, or torn. It is a permanent injury that can lead to loss of range of motion in the spine. AOMSI is one of the highest and most severe trauma injuries recognized by the American Medical Association in automobile accidents.
Significance of AOMSI
When AOMSI is diagnosed, it is an objective clinical finding, not based on opinion. AOMSI is not a finding that can be faked by someone. This injury, depending on the severity, can be rated as high as a 25 percent impairment rating by American Medical Guidelines, which is comparable to injuries such as an amputation. Unfortunately, AOMSI is often misdiagnosed by treating doctors. It’s an overlooked injury even though it’s one of the highest-rated and most severe accident injuries according to the American Medical Association.
Prevalence and Diagnosis
Research suggests that 65 percent of individuals involved in car accidents sustain an AOMSI injury. The American Medical Association finds that AOMSI is rare without severe trauma. The human eye cannot detect the presence of AOMSI. Sophisticated diagnostic tests, such as digitized motion X-rays or stress X-rays, are required to diagnose this injury. This diagnostic testing can show the torn or stretched ligaments in the neck region down to the millimeter.
Importance of Proper Diagnosis
If you have any neck pain following a car accident, I recommend you find a medical professional experienced in diagnosing and treating AOMSI injuries. AOMSI testing is appropriate for anyone experiencing any spinal pain or discomfort following a motor vehicle accident. It is important to get diagnosed with AOMSI if you have sustained an AOMSI injury. One, because your healing and recovery are only improved by an accurate diagnosis. If you’re not aware you have an AOMSI injury, you risk aggravating your injury. You need to properly stretch and strengthen your neck after an AOMSI injury to help the healing process.
Impact on Injury Claim
If you have been diagnosed with AOMSI following a car accident, it can have a big positive impact on your injury claim. An AOMSI diagnosis can lead to a bigger payout in a car accident injury case than any case that is simply labeled as a soft tissue injury case. Many soft tissue injury cases may only be valued at $5,000 or $10,000 by insurance companies. AOMSI injury cases can pay much more. However, if your medical records don’t note that you have an AOMSI injury, you may not be able to get the compensation you deserve. An insurance company is likely going to argue that you have only sustained a soft tissue injury and thus your claim is worth less.
Insurance Companies and AOMSI
Insurance companies are more likely to pay more upon receipt of a report from a doctor that clearly diagnoses an AOMSI injury. Quite simply, AOMSI injuries are in compensation ranges many times greater than soft tissue injuries. Also, it is very tough to refute an AOMSI injury case because an AOMSI injury diagnosis is objective. It can be expensive for insurance companies to try to refute an AOMSI diagnosis. So, it could very well be the case that if you are diagnosed with AOMSI, the insurance company offers you much more simply by providing your medical records that confirm an AOMSI diagnosis by a doctor.
Conclusion
The thing is, being diagnosed with an AOMSI injury can be helpful for a lot of reasons, including potentially receiving a fair and reasonable settlement offer. In order to possibly get a fair and reasonable settlement offer in your case, there are certain mistakes you must avoid when dealing with the insurance company. In this video about to pop up here, I’ll provide you with some of the biggest mistakes that if you don’t avoid, can kill the value of your injury claim. Lastly, if you’ve been injured in a car accident in Kentucky, remember: don’t wait, call Tate.
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