Car accidents are the cause of the majority personal injury claims in Florida. These types of accidents can result in a wide range of issues, from minor aches and pains to life changing injuries. One of the most common effects of car accidents is whiplash. While it may seem obvious to call an attorney if you or a loved one suffered major harm, is a whiplash injury enough of a reason to pursue financial compensation?
In this blog we will discuss what you need to know about this common car accident injury, and your rights if you were injured in a recent accident.
What Exactly is Whiplash?
Whiplash is an injury which is the result of quick and forceful back-and-forth movement of the neck. As this rapid movement resembles the cracking of a whip, the term whiplash is appropriate. Even though the movement is concentrated in the neck region, it can cause injury in many areas of the body, most notably the spine, the disks located in the spine, as well as muscles, ligaments, tissues and nerves.
Whiplash generally occurs as a result of a rear-end traffic accident, but can also manifest after a sports injury or other type of trauma, such as a slip and fall. Whiplash can also occur if the patient has been shaken violently, or even punched. Most people who find themselves with whiplash will heal completely within several weeks if they seek treatment, but it is possible to suffer from long-term complications and chronic neck pain. This is when a personal injury attorney may be appropriate.
How Do You Know You Have Whiplash?
Whiplash may not even manifest any symptoms for weeks following an accident, which sometimes causes doubt as to the genesis of those symptoms. Signs of whiplash typically include neck pain and stiffness, limited range of motion in the neck, headaches radiating from base of the skull, loss of feeling (or numbness and tingling) in the arms, pain of the upper back, pain in the shoulders, or increasingly severe pain when the neck is moved. Fatigue or dizziness which occurs hours, days or even weeks after the accident may also indicate whiplash.
Other Symptoms to Look Out For: Blurred vision, sleep problems, loss of focus or concentration, ringing in the ears, memory problems. depression and irritability.
Should You Call a Personal Injury Attorney?
Most people can treat whiplash and recover within weeks. For these individuals, long-lasting effects or chronic pain are rare. however, for those individuals whose suffering continues for months or even years after the accident, their quality of life may be significantly impaired. In these cases, you may need to get a more meaningful settlement from an insurance company, or may have to pursue reimbursement from the other party.
Drivers and passengers who experienced a high speed car accident, such as what may occur on the highway, are more likely to incur symptoms and effects of severe whiplash. If you have a history of lower back or neck pain prior to the accident, have suffered a case of whiplash in the past, or are a senior citizen, the chances are more likely that you may experience low term damage or pain.
if an injury from a car accident causes you to lose work or wages, or affects your ability to make a living in the future, call Probinsky & Cole today. We can assist you in getting the reimbursement you deserve, and in protecting your financial position in the future.
