Fla. Bar No. 1048733 · Former judicial clerk, Fourth Judicial Circuit
Last reviewed October 2026
Can a minor accident cause a serious injury?
Yes. Serious injuries happen in low-impact crashes, slip and falls, pedestrian accidents, and unsafe property cases, not just catastrophic truck crashes.
Insurers argue the crash was "low impact," the property damage was minor, or the fall "shouldn't" have caused a serious injury. But a minor-looking collision can still cause long-lasting neck, back, joint, nerve, or soft-tissue pain, and a grocery store fall can lead to surgery. See when the car damage looks minor.
Does a normal MRI mean I am not hurt?
No. MRI often does not explain long-lasting pain after a whiplash injury.
A prospective study of 178 whiplash patients in the European Spine Journal found that trauma-related findings on cervical MRI were rare, even though some people exposed to whiplash "develop long-lasting and sometimes disabling symptoms." The authors concluded that MRI "is not the answer to a diagnosis in the vast majority of patients developing long-lasting pain after a whiplash injury," and that "early MRI scans do not predict prognosis." Kongsted et al., Are early MRI findings correlated with long-lasting symptoms following whiplash injury?, 17 Eur. Spine J. 996 (2008).
Pain, limited motion, headaches, radiating symptoms, weakness, trouble sleeping, and inability to work all matter, whether or not imaging explains them.
What is facet joint pain, and why is it missed?
Facet joints are small joints in the spine that can become painful after a crash, fall, or twisting injury. Their inflammation is often not noted in routine MRI reports.
A 2024 study in Spine looked at how often routine lumbar MRI reports mention signs of facet joint inflammation, such as joint effusion, bone marrow edema, and soft tissue edema, and found that those features were frequently left out of the reports. Reporting of Facet Joint Inflammation in Lumbar Spine MRI Studies in Patients With Low Back Pain, Spine (2024) (PMID 38229507).
A proper evaluation looks at symptoms, treatment, clinical findings, diagnostic injections, and how the injury affects your life, not just one radiology report.
Does the at-fault person's conduct matter?
Yes. A drunk driver who runs a red light, a hit-and-run, distracted driving, or a business that ignored a known hazard can change how a case is evaluated.
Aggravating facts matter regardless of the size of the vehicle or the type of incident.
What should my lawyer be looking at?
More than the obvious. What caused the injury, what evidence exists, and every source of coverage.
- Was video preserved, and were witnesses identified?
- Were all insurance policies reviewed, including UM and MedPay?
- Are there liens or subrogation issues?
- Has the client reached maximum medical improvement, and is future care needed?
- Is the case being prepared for litigation if necessary?
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Common questions
Does a normal MRI mean I am not injured?
No. Research shows long-lasting whiplash symptoms often occur without visible MRI findings, and inflammatory facet joint findings may be underreported in routine MRI reports.
The insurance company says my crash was "low impact." What does that mean?
It usually means they are using the repair estimate to argue you could not have been hurt. Hidden damage and your medical record often tell a different story.
What injuries are common after a "minor" crash?
Neck and back injuries, facet joint injuries, disc injuries, concussions, and shoulder or knee injuries from bracing.
This page is general information about Florida law, not legal advice for your situation.