Its common in the world of automobile wrecks and injuries to associate the damage to the vehicle with the likelihood that the occupants are injured. In my experience nothing could be further from the truth. I've had patients injured in cases where the cars were smashed as well as in cases where the damages to the vehicles was not even visible. Likewise, in many cases where the vehicle was smashed, the examination of the occupants revealed little or nothing which I could treat.
As doctors we are required to document injuries based upon examination findings, both subjective and objective. We are bound by ethics to only report things we find on these examinations. In other words we can't just take a patient's word for it that they are hurt. Of course, if they are complaining of pain, in most cases we find the cause and are able to treat it. They wouldn't be in the clinic if they weren't feeling something, right?
However, believe it or not, I have people come in from time to time with little to nothing to complain about, pain wise that is, but just want to get checked out. In most cases the examinations are negative but from time to time we find something that even the patient was unaware of. Since the onset of symptoms related to neck and back sprains can be delayed, it makes sense.
I guess the take home lesson here is that no matter how badly damaged your vehicle is, you could still be injured and need to get it checked out by a doctor. If you are not hurting, fine. You probably aren't injured. However, even a little pain or discomfort warrants a closer look, no matter what your vehicle looks like.
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