A lot of car accidents happen daily on Pennsylvania roadways, and some lead to blunt force trauma that injures accident victims. Unfortunately, the nature of car accidents and the injuries caused can lead to delayed symptoms and missed medical conditions, like a TMJ injury to the jaw area.
TMJ injuries explained
A TMJ injury refers to damage done to the temporomandibular joints that attach the jaw to your skull. The joints are located on either side of your head and can be especially painful and troublesome when injured. When you have TMJ injuries, simply talking can become a truly painful experienced. Chewing food might be out of the question while the pain persists, and the condition often is not diagnosed right away. If you do not know you have a TMJ injury, you cannot make claims for damages arising from it, but you still will feel all of the ill effects until full recovery occurs.
Commonly occurring TMJ symptoms
When you suffer extensive injuries during a car accident, the more obvious injuries easily can distract your doctor from an existing TMJ injury. Only after the related afflictions improve and heal further does the TMJ injury become more apparent. Common signs of a TMJ injury include soreness when moving the jaw, popping or other strange noises coming from your jaw, and occasional dizziness. Other common signs include partial hearing loss, pain in the shoulders and neck, and swelling along the side of the face where the jaw joints are located.
Build your best case
A TMJ injury could trigger liability claims against the offending driver, but you need to build the best possible case to press your claims and win a fair settlement. An experienced Pennsylvania personal injury attorney may help you build your case and hold the responsible parties liable for the injuries and pain caused. A successful claim may enable you to obtain the needed medical care and have the best chance at a full recovery.
