Posted in News on April 18, 2019

The aftermath of a car accident in Montana can lead to significant mental and physical injuries. One injury that many victims of car accidents develop is fibromyalgia, a form of chronic pain that leads to a significant loss in your quality of life. If you believe that you developed fibromyalgia after a car accident, you can claim compensation for your injuries.

If you or a loved one has recently been involved in an accident and diagnosed with fibromyalgia, contact our office today to schedule a free initial consultation.

What Is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a form of chronic pain that causes a persistent, dull ache and a sense of exhaustion and fatigue. Fibromyalgia also makes it difficult to concentrate and think, with many sufferers reporting mental fog in addition to the chronic pain. This condition can severely impact a person’s daily life, leading to severe complications over time.

People who have fibromyalgia usually can’t point to a specific cause of the pain – this condition can develop even if you are healthy in every other regard. Doctors believe that some risk factors that can exacerbate the development of this condition include being a woman, having arthritis or infections, having a genetic history of fibromyalgia, or developing a psychological disorder.

Doctors also believe that a traumatizing event allows fibromyalgia to develop. A traumatizing physical or mental event can trigger the onset of this condition – including car accidents. These crashes cause severe stress and physical and mental injuries. As a result, you can develop fibromyalgia and experience chronic, persistent pain following your accident.

Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

While no one knows the cause of fibromyalgia exactly, the condition comes with a set of symptoms that you can develop after your traumatizing event. If you experience any of the following symptoms after your car accident, you may have fibromyalgia.

  • Cognitive difficulties: Fibromyalgia patients often develop a condition known as fibro fog. This mental fog impacts your ability to focus, concentrate on your surroundings, or pay attention to tasks or other people.
  • Chronic, widespread pain: This symptom is the most common characteristic of fibromyalgia. You may experience a consistent dull ache that lasts for at least three months or longer. The pain usually occurs on both sides of your body and above and below your waist.
  • Chronic fatigue: Fibromyalgia impacts your sleep as well as your daytime functioning. As long as you may sleep during the night, you will often wake up tired if you have this condition. This phenomenon occurs because fibromyalgia disrupts your sleep due to the pain. You can also develop many sleep disorders due to the condition, such as sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome.

In addition to the above symptoms, fibromyalgia often co-exists with certain chronic conditions that also lead to severe pain. These conditions include irritable bowel syndrome, migraines and persistent headaches, temporomandibular joint disorders, painful bladder syndrome, and interstitial cystitis.

Compensation for Fibromyalgia Injuries in Montana

To treat fibromyalgia, you will have to visit doctors consistently and receive a course of medication to relieve your symptoms. Depending on your condition, you may receive pain relievers, anti-seizure drugs, and antidepressants. You can also attend physical therapy, counseling, and occupational therapy. However, these treatments can be expensive. Fibromyalgia can also cause harm to other aspects of your life, such as reducing your overall quality of life and your ability to work.

You can receive compensation for your fibromyalgia treatment after your car accident through a personal injury lawsuit or insurance claim. You can also claim compensation for other injuries that your fibromyalgia causes, such as lost wages due to recovery and permanent disability. You can also recover compensation for the emotional damage that fibromyalgia may cause you, such as a reduced quality of life and chronic pain.

If you are suffering from fibromyalgia after a car accident, contact a car accident attorney as soon as possible to discuss your legal options. The sooner you begin your claims process, the sooner you can seek compensation to pay for your ongoing fibromyalgia injuries.