If you’ve recently been in a car accident and walked away from the ER thinking you were fine—only to start feeling worse days later—you’re not alone. Many serious injuries, especially those that can lead to long-term pain and disability, often go undetected during that initial hospital visit. In the video below, car accident attorney Joe Zarzaur breaks down the most commonly missed injury after a crash—and why getting the right medical evaluation is crucial not just for your health, but for protecting your legal rights.
What’s the Number One Car Wreck Injury?
Who would have guessed that the number one permanent injury after a car wreck is something that you do not get diagnosed with at the ER? Probably nobody, right? It’s almost counterintuitive. You’re in a wreck, you go to the ER, and the ER says everything looks fine. The X-ray, the CT scan, they look fine, so you can go home.
Most people leave the ER and think, “Well, that was a close one. I had a bad wreck, the car’s totaled, but the ER says I can go home and follow up with my primary doctor if I have any other issues.”
What you don’t know is that the number one permanent injury from car wrecks doesn’t get detected in the ER through a CT scan or an X-ray. The number one injury from car wrecks only gets detected with an MRI.
And the number one injury? A disc injury—to your back or neck.
Why Doesn’t the ER Diagnose Disc Injuries?
When people call Zarzaur Law they say, “I went to the ER, they said I’m fine, but I feel horrible.” Well, if the car’s totaled and you’re over 25 years of age—because backs age just like everything else in our body—you’re probably going to have a disc injury. It’s probably going to be permanent. But it’s not going to be diagnosed until you get an MRI.
So it’s important to know that most permanent injuries from car wrecks do not show up at the ER. They will not be diagnosed in the ER.
The ER is there—thankfully—to make sure people don’t die from the car wreck, or end up with loss of a limb or paralyzed. They are there to rule out the massive, big, horrible things. And as soon as they’ve done that, you’re done. They’re done with you.
They are an emergency room. You are not an emergency unless you have something that’s going to kill you, or threaten a limb or the function of a body part. Once they’ve figured out you have no immediate, emergent threat, you are now another physician’s issue.
The number one claim we handle in this office? The person gets diagnosed with nothing other than a strain or sprain in the ER—and they’re released the same day.
90% of the injuries that we handle from car wrecks are disc injuries and tears in the rotator cuffs—in one of the shoulders. Those are muscles in your shoulder. Those two injuries account for about 90% of the car wreck–related permanent injuries. Permanent.
You’re not going to get diagnosed in the ER with either one of those, unless your arm’s falling off, or you can’t feel your legs or your arms. Then they’ll put you in an MRI machine. But you’re not going to get an MRI at the ER—more likely than not.
MRIs are very detailed, expensive versions of an X-ray that get down to the muscle and tissue level. You can see the discs in the back and the neck, and you can see the muscle tears in the shoulder—if they’re there.
Do I Need to Call a Car Accident Lawyer?
So just know this: when you’re trying to figure out, “Do I need to call a lawyer? Do I not need to call a lawyer?”—if you’re basing your decision on, “Well, the ER said I was fine,” or “They said I didn’t need to be admitted to the hospital”—that is not the way to make that decision.
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Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the most common permanent injury after a car accident?
The most common permanent injury after a car accident is a disc injury to the neck or back, according to Joe Zarzaur of Zarzaur Law. These injuries often do not show up on X-rays or CT scans and are only detectable through an MRI. Many accident victims are sent home from the ER with a clean bill of health, only to discover later that they’re dealing with a serious, long-term spinal issue.
Why didn’t the ER find my injury after a car crash?
Emergency rooms are designed to rule out life-threatening conditions—things like internal bleeding, fractures, or paralysis. They’re not equipped to detect delayed symptoms from soft tissue injuries or disc herniations, which are often the most damaging long-term. Attorney Joe Zarzaur explains that unless you’re showing signs of severe neurological impairment, the ER is unlikely to order the MRI needed to properly diagnose these issues.
Do I need an MRI after a car accident if my back or neck hurts?
Yes, if you’re experiencing back or neck pain after an accident, an MRI is the only way to accurately determine if you have a disc injury. Attorney Joe Zarzaur emphasizes that disc injuries are the most commonly missed—and most frequently permanent—injuries in car accident cases. Without an MRI, your condition may go undiagnosed and untreated, which can also weaken your legal claim.
Can I still have a legal case if the ER said I was fine, then experience delayed pain after my accident?
Absolutely. As Attorney Joe Zarzaur points out, most legitimate injury claims from car accidents don’t show up in the ER. Just because you were released from the hospital doesn’t mean you weren’t injured. Many clients are initially diagnosed with only a “strain” or “sprain,” but are later found to have serious physical issues such as disc damage or shoulder tears that were missed in the ER. Following up with the right medical providers and getting an MRI can make or break your case.
When should I contact a lawyer after a car accident?
You should contact a lawyer as soon as possible, especially if your car was totaled, you’re in pain, and you’re over 25. According to Zarzaur Law, delaying legal help could compromise your case—especially if you don’t get the proper diagnostics like an MRI. Early legal guidance ensures your injuries are documented correctly, and that your rights are protected from the start.