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Whiplash is one of the most common injuries people get from a car accident. This is in part because the accident does not have to be at high speeds or involve more than one vehicle for the victim to sustain a whiplash injury. If you have incurred a whiplash injury from a car accident, you are entitled to compensation. Hiring a car accident attorney, like California based personal injury law firm Ellis Law, will ensure that you receive the full amount of compensation you need to recover from your injuries.
What is Whiplash?
Whiplash is one of the most difficult injuries to diagnose because of its effect on so many sensitive organs and bodily tissues. Additionally, if you were to seek medical attention in the form of an X-ray or MRI, there’s a slim chance anything would show up.
Whiplash occurs when your neck becomes injured due to a swift motion that pushes or pulls your head in a different direction than your torso (typically this ends up being a back-and-forth motion). The speed and force of the movement are where the injury gets its name, as it resembles the crack of a whip. Symptoms of whiplash include:
- Pain and stiffness in the neck
- Notably increased levels of pain with any movement of the neck or head
- Significantly reduced range of motion in the neck
- Headaches that originate at the base of the skull
- Pain and heightened sensitivity in the shoulders, arms, and upper back
- Numbness in the arms
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
Depending on the severity of your symptoms you may even experience blurred vision, tinnitus, and difficulty sleeping. Some people heal within just a few weeks, whereas others take months or even years to fully recover from the symptoms. Those who have had whiplash before re at risk of greater, more lasting effects than others.
What Happens After You Get Whiplash in a Car Accident?
If you have experienced whiplash due to a car accident, know that you are owed compensation for your injury. Further, the duration of the pain from your whiplash has a direct effect on the amount of compensation you receive. Certain whiplash injuries become much more than that, having lasting effects on the vertebrae of the spine and neck (at times, the effects of whiplash are so severe that you will have injured nerves, ligaments, muscles, or even your spinal cord).
If you have lasting symptoms of whiplash, it is possible that your injuries began as whiplash and slowly developed into something else. In all instances, you need an attorney to provide you with the proper guidance to solve your trial and earn you the compensation you need for the appropriate medical treatment.
The average whiplash personal injury claim – although there is a wide variation of results per case – tends to result in a payout of $2,500-10,000. However, in more serious cases, the defendant may earn up to $30,000. Still, despite all estimates, you should not endure this trial alone. Hire an experienced personal injury attorney to make sure you receive the proper coverage for your injuries and can experience a calm, swift recovery.
