Whiplash is one of the most common injuries accident victims sustain. This injury occurs when a person’s neck is suddenly jolted in a forward or backward direction. The term whiplash typically refers to injuries to both soft and bony tissue structures in the neck region.
The majority of individuals who suffer whiplash injuries recover fairly quickly without any chronic symptoms. Unfortunately, there are individuals who suffer whiplash injuries and continue to experience symptoms for many years following the accident.
How Does Whiplash Occur?
Whiplash injuries are sustained rapidly. Quite often, vehicles are rear-ended without notice. The impact from the collision causes a person’s neck and head to hyperextend. This happens as their torso is pushed forward by the seat and their neck and head fall backward. Afterward, the head and neck are thrown into hyper flex position.
Individuals who suffer from whiplash injuries can experience a variety of symptoms including:
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Shoulder pain and stiffness
- Back pain
- Constant headaches
- Ringing in the ears
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Jaw Pain
- Arm pain and weakness
- Trouble concentrating
- Limited range of motion
- Problems sleeping
In addition to physical symptoms, whiplash sufferers can experience numerous psychological symptoms as well. These often include depression, anger, anxiety, stress, and frustration. These individuals are at an increased risk of developing drug dependencies for medications used to treat their pain conditions.
Individuals who have chronic and continual symptoms for whiplash often utilize chiropractic treatment, physical therapy, and immobilization to treat their condition.
Whiplash, Strains, And Sprains
Damage to soft tissue is very common in automobile accidents, particularly where vehicles are rear-ended. These injuries occur when ligaments, tendons, or muscles in the neck and back are struck suddenly. This causes sudden and forceful tearing that can take a while to heal.
After an accident, a doctor may tell you the pain you feel is the result of strains or sprains in the neck and back or whiplash. All of these are forms of soft tissue injuries. Soft tissue injuries can occur in any area of the body including ankles and wrists, deep tissue bruising, or even stress fractures.
Whiplash, in particular, can be debilitating simply because it occurs around the neck and upper back area. When a doctor diagnoses you with whiplash or another soft tissue injury, they may recommend that you go through long-term rehabilitative therapy. They may also prescribe medications like pain pills and inflammatory medication for an extended period.
Depending on the severity of your injury, the treatment plan may be extensive and expensive. You may be unable to work due to pain or limited movement, which will result in lost wages. It is important that you focus on healing and getting better rather than fighting with insurance companies for compensation.
At the Aaron Law Group, our legal team can take this burden off your hands. We will work for you by filing all the necessary claims forms and documentation to your insurance company. If necessary, we will gather evidence, witness statements, and other pertinent information to build a solid claim and file it in court to help you obtain the maximum compensation you are entitled to.
Whiplash And Other Soft Tissue Injuries
Although you can sustain soft tissue injuries in a variety of ways, car accidents are a very common cause. If you believe you have sustained whiplash, or you have been diagnosed with a soft tissue injury following an accident that was caused by the negligence of another person, it is important for you to contact a whiplash attorney as soon as possible. Do not wait, call today.
What To Do After You Are Rear-Ended
If you are rear-ended by another vehicle going down the road, pull your vehicle off to the shoulder or a nearby parking lot. It is important that you are in a safe location before leaving the car.
Next, contact the police to file a report of the accident and exchange personal information with the other driver. You will want to get the driver’s name, contact information, insurance company name and policy number, and the VIN from the vehicle. All of this information will be necessary to file a claim for repairs. You will want to obtain a copy of the police report while at the scene of the accident. If you request this at a later time, it can take several weeks to arrive.
Write down the time, date, and location of the accident and take photographs of the scene. Photograph the damage on your vehicle, then pick up any loose parts from the car and remove as many broken pieces from the road as you safely can. Gather the names and contact information from individuals who witnessed the accident. This will enable you to contact them in the future for witness statements if you need them to support your claim.
Although you may not feel like anything is wrong immediately, you will want to go to the emergency room to be checked. Even though whiplash is a condition that comes on slowly, screenings may be able to notice any swelling or damage in tissues or bones in your neck and back area or any signs of a concussion.
Next, contact the Aaron Law Group to assist you in filing a personal injury claim. We will contact your insurance company and filing claims when necessary. Doing so will ensure you file accurately and on time so you can receive the maximum compensation possible for your repairs and injuries.
Who Is Responsible For My Accident?
In a car accident that causes whiplash or another soft tissue injury, there can be more than one defendant. Sometimes the responsible party includes:
- The car owner
- The car driver
- The car manufacturer
- The car parts manufacturer
- The car repair shop
- The road construction company
If more than one vehicle is involved in the accident, you may have multiple responsible parties. The accident could have been caused by a car, truck, bus, or motorcycle or even a combination.
In Nevada, you are entitled to file a claim against some or all of the responsible parties in the accident. This can be a complex claim, so it benefits you greatly to contact an accident lawyer who will assist you in filing your claim.
What Compensation Is Recoverable For A Whiplash Accident?
In Nevada, there are numerous things you can claim for damages when filing a lawsuit in a whiplash case. Some of the most commonly requested items are medical bills and auto repair costs. Medical bills can be one of the highest costs for accident victims, especially in situations where therapy and surgeries are required.
Accident victims are able to recover compensation for lost wages and pain and suffering. Pain and suffering cover both physical pain and mental anguish that results from your injuries. Car accidents, especially those involving whiplash, can take a toll on your mind and body. It is important to consider these aspects completely when filing your claim. Contact the Aaron Law Group today to speak with a skilled personal injury attorney about your injuries if you were not at fault for the accident.
How Much Medical Treatment Is Enough After An Accident?
Quite often, car accident victims do not think the injuries they sustained are too severe. It isn’t until they return to work or their normal schedule that they realize the impact they can have. Some of the strongest cases start out this way, especially when it comes to whiplash and soft tissue injuries.
The amount of medical treatment, as well as when the treatment should begin and end, is a very subjective decision. Only doctors are able to provide this information to you. Unfortunately, when it comes to filing a claim for the compensation to cover these expenses, it can only be done once treatment is completed. After the case has reached a settlement, claimants are unable to go back and ask for more reimbursements, even if treatment is clearly necessary.
Delays and gaps in your treatment can send the wrong message to insurance companies. They will often try to argue that you didn’t need the treatment if it took you an extended period of time to start it.
This can be extremely insulting, especially for victims dealing with debilitating pain conditions. Regardless, it doesn’t matter what the insurance company thinks because they aren’t medical professionals. Always listen to your doctor in these situations.
Your doctor knows what will be the best treatment regimen for you and often makes recommendations that allow you to overcome the injuries. It is crucial to continue treatment until your doctor releases you.
Although this may slow up the settlement process, it is important that you have all the necessary medical bills in front of you to determine the amount of compensation you want to demand. Remember, you only get to settle the case one time so any bills or expenses that arrive afterward are your own responsibility.
How To Prove Whiplash In A Car Accident Case
It can be quite challenging to show that you suffered whiplash or another soft tissue injury during an accident. Whiplash is not typically noticeable on an x-ray and there aren’t any lab tests that can demonstrate its effects. Instead, you will have to have other ways to demonstrate that you have the condition and what type of impact it is having on you.
In a trial, juries are charged with deciding what value should be placed on your claim. The insurance company considers the information beforehand when decides if they want to settle the case instead of going to trial.
It can be extremely helpful to work with expert witnesses in whiplash cases. Expert witnesses can be individuals who have specialized training and qualifications. These individuals are able to provide technical information to juries regarding whiplash, its effects, and symptoms.
Medical experts are able to help juries understand this condition in various ways. First, they are able to explain how the impact of the accident resulted in the injury. They can give a detailed report about the force of the accident and the strain it had on muscles and tendons in your neck and back.
They can further explain pain associated with the injury. They are able to more thoroughly explain to others how the condition occurred and why it is so debilitating for individuals who have it. Medical experts are able to articulate the road to recovery that you are now forced to go through because of this injury and your inability to function the same way you did before the accident.
By providing the jury, or even the insurance company, a better understanding of the condition, its causes, and its effects, you are better able to recover a full and fair award. Working with the Aaron Law will help your case immensely in this manner. We work with some of the most reputable expert witnesses in the state of Nevada. It is crucial that your case demonstrates what you are going through in order to receive the maximum amount of compensation possible.
Statute Of Limitations For Whiplash Cases
Like any other car accident, individuals have two years from the day of the accident to file a lawsuit for whiplash. With this condition in particular, which can have a slow onset, it is important to receive medical attention after the accident and continue going to all follow-up appointments.
This enables you to monitor any physical and psychological changes that may come up during your recovery process. Additionally, having a solid record regarding these changes will help you when it is time to file your claim.
Whiplash Injuries Can Result In Surgery, Lost Wages, And Years Of Treatment
Victims of rear-end accidents do not always experience sudden pain from neck injuries. Instead, they become very painful over time and turn into debilitating conditions. Without an experienced accident attorney on your side to help prove your neck pain, you may end up with extensive medical bills and loss of income.
This situation can quickly grow into needing surgeries and further medical treatments and force you out of work. At the Law Offices of Aaron Law Group, we are prepared to help you recover all the necessary compensation to cover long-term physical, emotional, and financial needs. We have worked in the personal injury field for more than 26 years and have helped thousands of Nevada residents get the fair compensation that they are entitled to for the injuries that they suffered at the hands of another person. We are available to help you too. Call us today at 702-550-1111 for a free consultation with a qualified and skilled Las Vegas personal injury attorney.