Minor injuries refer to non-serious injuries with any case of medical leave or light duty. A minor injury is a “muscle or soft tissue injury,” such as muscle strain or back pain. The most common soft tissue injury after a shock is whiplash, which often causes neck pain. What is considered a minor injury? Minor injuries don't involve broken bones, surgery, or hospitalization.
Soft tissue injuries, such as strains, sprains, and contusions, are examples of minor injuries. At this level, people often don't seek experienced medical care or legal advice if the injury was caused by a car accident. But “minor accidents or injuries may be more serious than you think. In particular, psychological or psychiatric injuries can take much longer than six months to develop.
Even if you have only one non-minor injury that is overlooked in your evaluation, you could lose tens of thousands of dollars in benefits to which you are entitled. Is it possible that A&E physicians have not responded to this development because they have seen the safe and effective service provided by emergency nurse practitioners in Minor Injury Units? Let's look at an example where a medical evaluation showed only minor injuries, meaning that personal injury benefit payments would be cut after a maximum of six months. But it is quite possible that the injuries have not yet stabilized at that time and, in fact, could worsen after the first six months. As noted above, the CTP insurer responsible for your claim will issue a liability notice three months after you file a Claim for Personal Injury Benefits, informing you if your injuries are considered “minor” or not.
You may want to consider attending a Minor Injury Unit if it's right for the type of injury you have. If you're quick to characterize your injuries as minor, it's all too easy to damage the value of your case. However, a strain injury to the back without verifiable signs of radiculopathy (such as numbness, tingling, shooting pains, etc.) would be considered a minor injury, despite having significant potential for continued disability. For minor injuries that involve only moderate pain, limited movement, minimal swelling, or other mild symptoms, save time and money by visiting an urgent care clinic for treatment.
As such, the concept of minor injury is something that every person injured in a car accident should understand. First, it's important to note that suffering a “minor injury” doesn't reflect the individual physical and emotional effects a person experiences following a car accident. When listing injuries individually, the CTP insurer will consider whether or not each injury falls within the definition of minor injuries when issuing its liability notice. If there are a large number of A&E Consultants interested in minor injuries and recognize their importance to the specialty, they should or could work with emergency nurse practitioners.
If you have suffered one, you should never resolve your case until you know and understand the full extent of your injuries.