Neither the driver nor any passenger can control the movement of their head at the time of a collision. That simple face highlights the reason that any victim of a motor vehicle accident might find it necessary to seek a treatment for a TMJ disorder.
What is TMJ?
Those 3 letters stand for the temporomandibular joint. That is the place where the jaw connects with the skull.
What movements of the head could affect the TMJ at the time of an accident?
The head could suddenly move forward and then backward. Alternatively, the jaw might hit the dashboard.
What are the symptoms of a TMJ-related disorder?
Pain in the jaw, including pain when eating. That might combine with pain in the neck and shoulders. Other symptoms include the following: headaches, earaches, ringing in the ears, and facial swelling.
How can such a disorder be treated?
Usually, the patient takes prescription pain killers and muscle relaxants. Sometimes it becomes necessary to use a surgical correction.
Why do personal injury lawyers need to know about TMJ?
The fact that the pain in the jaw can be felt when the affected victim eats shows the extent to which this one disorder destroys the enjoyment of life. Such an interruption in a normal daily activity calls attention to the extent of the victim’s pain and suffering.
If surgery becomes necessary, the surgical patient gets exposed to the risks that enter the life of anyone that is having an operation. There is always a chance that the region of the body exposed during the operation might become infected. Furthermore, development of an infection, or discovery of some feature in the surgically replaced jaw that needs to be altered can trigger the need for yet another operation. That could force an employed victim to request more time off from work. Sometimes repeated requests of that nature can lead to a termination of the victim’s employment.
An employer does not always make it obvious that the employee’s health was the reason for the termination. Sometimes an employer changes the nature of the tasks assigned to the targeted employee. That same employee then gets asked to perform jobs that he or she has not been trained to do. Obviously, the lack of training tends to limit the employee’s ability to perform the assigned task in an acceptable manner. Consequently, the employee’s repeated mistakes can become grounds for a dismissal.
It would then become the job of an Injury Lawyer in Richmond Hill to demonstrate the connection between the client’s repeated absences, all of which were taken for health reasons, and the sudden introduction of challenges to that same working client. Finally, all of that could be linked to an accident.