Alberta TMJ Injury Lawyers
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) injuries sustained in a car accident can significantly impact daily living, affecting jaw movement, speech, chewing capabilities and causing persistent pain and discomfort.
Please schedule a free consultation to discuss your TMJ injury case with an Assiff Law attorney.
Our TMJ Injury Attorneys fight for your rights after an accident.
While prioritizing medical attention and understanding the extent of injuries after an accident, reaching out to a TMJ injury lawyer may appear unimportant. Nevertheless, the financial repercussions of a TMJ injury can be substantial, with expenses potentially amounting to tens of thousands of dollars for medical treatments, loss of income, and ongoing therapy.
Settling with an insurance company without legal guidance may lead to accepting compensation that could be insufficient, as the full extent of TMJ injury effects may not be apparent for several months. Accepting a settlement relinquishes the right to sue, which will prevent you from pursuing justice once the medical bills and other costs related to your injury begin to accumulate.
A TMJ injury lawyer can provide valuable leverage and employ negotiation strategies while understanding the evidence necessary to prove your case and secure fair compensation from insurance companies.
Hiring a lawyer is not an attempt to exploit the system but a means to ensure equitable treatment by insurance companies focused on profits.
Alberta TMJ Injuries & Info
In Alberta, Canada, brain injuries are a significant health concern. According to the Brain Injury Association of Canada, approximately 160,000 Canadians sustain brain injuries each year, and around 18,000 of these injuries occur in Alberta alone. The effects of brain injuries can range from mild to severe and may include physical, cognitive, and emotional impairments.
Common causes of TMJ Injuries
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) injuries are increasingly prevalent in Alberta, often resulting from accidents and incidents.Â
Below are some common accidents we dealt with, that resulted in TMJ Injuries:
- Car Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Bus Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Sports Accidents
- Assault
Regardless of the cause, it’s important to seek medical attention immediately if you suspect a spinal cord injury.Â
If you have been injured as a result of one of these accidents, contact one of our injury lawyers right away to ensure that you are aware and can account for the potential ramifications that your injury may present in the future.
Types of TMJ Injuries
There are three main types of TMJ Injuries:
Internal Derangement of the Joint
Issues like a jaw out of place, a shifted TMJ disc, or injuries to the jawbone can lead to TMJ problems. This relates to the joint’s structure, not muscle issues. It mainly involves the disc inside the joint moving from its normal position.
Symptoms Include: Difficulty opening the mouth, jaw locking, and a clicking or popping sound when moving the jaw.
Degenerative Joint Disease
With time or heavy use, the joint can wear out or become inflamed. Common causes include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or issues with the TMJ disc.
Symptoms Include: Stiffness in the jaw, pain that worsens with jaw movement, and swelling around the jaw area.
Myofascial Pain Disorder
Pain in the muscles around the jaw indicates a TMJ issue. This can be due to muscle problems, clenching the jaw, or grinding teeth, especially during sleep.
Symptoms Include: Aching pain in and around the ear, tenderness in the jaw, and headaches.
TMJ Injury FAQ
What is a TMJ injury and how severe can it be?
TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, which is where the jawbone meets the skull. Injuries can affect eating, drinking, speaking, and more. They can range from mild discomfort to severe pain and dysfunction.
How can motor vehicle accidents lead to TMJ injuries?
Whiplash or direct trauma to the jaw during a car accident can result in TMJ disorders. The sudden jerk or impact can cause the jaw to misalign or the disc inside the joint to shift.
Is TMJ disorder capped in Alberta?
Recent changes in Alberta’s regulations have introduced caps on compensation for certain TMJ injuries. However, TMJ injuries involving damage to the bone, teeth, or the articular disc are not subject to this cap.
What are the common symptoms of TMJ injuries?
Symptoms can include earaches, pain while chewing, difficulty in opening or closing the mouth, tenderness in the jaw, and a clicking or popping sound when moving the jaw.
Does TMJ qualify for disability in Alberta?
Depending on the severity and impact on daily life, TMJ disorders might qualify for disability benefits. It’s crucial to consult with experts to determine eligibility.
Is TMJ covered by healthcare in Alberta?
In Alberta, Canada, the healthcare system primarily covers medically necessary hospital and physician services under the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP). When it comes to TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) disorders:
Medical Treatments: If the TMJ disorder requires medical intervention, such as consultations with physicians or specialists, those services are typically covered by AHCIP.
Dental Treatments: TMJ treatments that fall under dental care, such as mouth guards, orthodontics, or dental surgeries, are generally not covered by AHCIP. However, some private dental insurance plans might offer coverage for TMJ treatments, depending on the specifics of the plan.
Specialized Therapies: Physiotherapy or chiropractic treatments for TMJ might be partially covered, depending on the service and the healthcare provider.
Surgical Interventions: If a surgical procedure is deemed medically necessary to treat a TMJ disorder, it might be covered by AHCIP. However, this would be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Please consult with your healthcare provider for more accurate information.
Personal Injury Process
What Should I expect?
When you call Assiff Law injury lawyers, we immediately work on recovering compensation for your injuries.
Consult with an Edmonton Injury Lawyer
The first step is to speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer near you.
Our lawyers will review the details of your situation and your understanding of events — your side of the story — so we can determine whether there is any basis for a lawsuit. Then, once you’re ready to move forward, we’ll help you develop a strategy for pursuing compensation.
If we take your case, the process may look something like this:
Gather Evidence
A thorough investigation is the foundation of every case we take on. We use police reports, medical reports, and eyewitnesses’ statements to get to the bottom of things.
Send a Demand Letter
We’ll write a demand letter to the individual responsible for the accident, and their insurance company. We consider the entire financial impact of the situation, including provisions for future medical bills, lost wages, and other related costs.
File a personal injury lawsuit
When an insurance company refuses to offer an acceptable settlement, we gain leverage by filing a lawsuit on your behalf. In addition, filing a lawsuit will provide us access to additional information from the defendants that we otherwise wouldn’t have access to.
Discovery
After filing the suit, we can ask defendants for information that they might have been hesitant to provide. We can use these requests for admissions, interrogatories, and requests for production of documents to learn what evidence they have to support their claims.
Mediation
Once both parties have looked at the facts of the situation, we can schedule a mediation to help resolve the dispute. This gives us the chance to present our side of the story to the defendant’s attorney, and negotiate a fair resolution.
Settlement
If we’re able to reach an agreement prior to the start of the lawsuit, then we’ve reached a settlement. A settlement should take into account all past and future medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, etc., and will be paid out in one lump sum in return for you dropping the case.
Personal Injury Trial
If we are unable to settle for a fair amount, we go to trial. During the trial we present your case, employing the evidence we uncovered during discovery and present any expert testimony.Â
Appeal
What if the jury finds against you? If some sort of legal mistake was made by the defense team or the judge, we might choose to appeal. We would likely have to provide additional evidence and legal arguments in support of our position. If we were successful, the judge could overturn the previous ruling, or require another round of trials.
When you're hurting, We care.
We care. We understand, with our years of experience, what victims of accidents go through—from the obvious physical injuries to the impact they have on your day-to-day life, your job, your family and your overall well-being.
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The acknowledgement of our Edmonton personal injury lawyers have earned us multiple awards for the work we’ve done for thousands of clients. Best Lawyers, Canadian Lawyer Magazine and Consumers Choice have all awarded us for excellence in the field of personal injury law.Â
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