Whiplash Injuries and Auto Accidents

Author: 30klife June 24, 2018

Some people ignore the discomfort and pain in their neck after impact in a car accident.  However, the discomfort in your neck could be the beginning of a condition called whiplash. Whiplash can become a very serious medical condition if not treated on time. Call (832) 463-1003 to speak to an attorney.

Houston Whiplash Lawyer

The simplest definition of whiplash is that it is a condition attributed to neck injuries sustained in a car accident.  It occurs when a person’s vertebrae is pushed out of position after an impact. This can limit the spine’s ability to absorb any kind of shock or blow to the shoulders, head, or neck.  However, it is also true that whiplash does not have to involve an injury to the intervertebral disks.

Whiplash Symptoms

Generally, after a few hours or within 24 hours of the accident, you may start feeling stiff in the neck, which eventually evolves into chronic pain. You may feel the pain when you rock your head from side to side or forward and backward.  Muscles around your neck may also start feeling hard or knotted, further limiting neck mobility.

You may also experience symptoms such as dizziness, chronic headaches that seem to originate from the base of your skull, blurred or double vision, and chronic fatigue. The dizzy sensation in the initial stages of whiplash may make you feel the strong urge to vomit.

Recovery

Doctors have found that many cases of whiplash are minor and resolve themselves in time frames that range from days to weeks.  Doctors often wait until the initial pain is over before they start giving their patients exercises to strengthen the neck muscles and eliminate the remaining effects of whiplash.

Whiplash is a minor injury but if it is not treated properly, the condition can extend for years.

Settlement for Whiplash Injury

A settlement can be determined by considering whether or not whiplash made an existing condition worse. Generally, the settlements for whiplash-related injuries depend on the severity of the injury.

Before you receive compensation you must prove that you suffered from whiplash because of a car accident. You can do this by providing proof of medical treatment. This is why not seeking medical treatment can be used against you by insurance companies. Medical treatment includes things like:

• X-rays
• CT scans or MRIs
• Chiropractor records
• Doctors notes and medical charts describing the injury
• Your testimony about the treatment

You need to go for follow up treatment if your doctor advices you to do so. If you don’t, insurance companies may claim that your injury got worse because you did not follow the doctor’s instructions. A lawyer can help by obtaining a medical expert to review all your medical records and testify on your behalf.

If your whiplash injury is minor, your lawyer can help you add up your economic damages.  This may include medical bills and lost earnings. You also need to consider non-economic damages, which include getting compensation for pain and suffering.  Your lawyer will organize all your medical records to ensure that you get adequate compensation.