Whiplash is a common injury resulting from minor to severe auto accidents. You may recover compensatory damages for whiplash injuries when an accident involves a negligent driver.
If you’ve been in an auto accident and have already suffered whiplash injuries, you should seek immediate medical attention. Then call our office for information about filing a personal injury claim.
What is whiplash?
Whiplash is common among victims who are involved in rear-end collisions. The term whiplash is a non-medical term that refers to the rapid backward and forward motion that can occur during an auto accident. Rapid movement can cause damage to the soft tissue of the neck.
What are the symptoms of whiplash?
A wide range of symptoms can occur with whiplash, including headaches or migraines, neck pain, back pain or stiffness, blurred vision, and difficulty sleeping. Sometimes, people don’t realize they have received a whiplash injury due to a delay in the onset of the pain and other symptoms.
While many people with whiplash injuries heal within a few weeks, some suffer chronic neck pain and other long-lasting complications.
What should you do following an auto accident resulting in a whiplash injury?
You can take several steps to strengthen your personal injury case following a car accident.
Start by calling the police to report the incident and document the event by taking photographs of the area, the cars, and even the people present. Next, seek medical attention. Even if you aren’t experiencing any symptoms, you want a record of the incident. Pain can take hours, days, or even weeks to impact an injured party.
Finally, hire a personal injury attorney to represent your interests as you spend your time recovering.
When can you file a personal injury claim for whiplash?
Victims who sustain whiplash from a car accident have the right to file a lawsuit if their medical expenses exceed the threshold amount. Whiplash treatment can be costly, and recovering damages can help pay for expensive care.
As a no-fault state, the first course of action for filing a claim in Massachusetts is to work with your own insurance. For extreme injuries, victims can file a lawsuit against a negligent driver. It is always a good idea to hire an attorney to represent your best interests when dealing with either your insurance company or the other party’s insurance company.
What can you recover in a personal injury lawsuit for whiplash?
You can recover both economic and non-economic damages in a personal injury lawsuit for whiplash. The financial impact whiplash can have on you and your family is part of your compensatory damages, which also and may include compensation for medical expenses, loss of earnings, and pain and suffering.
Working with a skilled personal injury attorney is the best way to ensure financial compensation for your whiplash injury. Contact our office today to discuss the merit of your case and the next steps in obtaining the compensation you need to help recover from your injuries.
