Even if you seem visibly injured on the outside, you may still have suffered physical consequences from the impact of the car crash. One common car accident injury is whiplash. When you have been struck from behind by a car traveling faster than you, the physics of the accident means that your head may whip forward while the rest of your body remains still. Snapping your head can injure your neck, back, and even your head itself.
Whiplash is more than just hurting your neck. First, any neck or back injuries that you might sustain can linger and permanently debilitate you. Second, whiplash can also injure you above your neck. Specifically, when your head snaps, your brain can move and impact your skull. The effect can be a traumatic brain injury that ranges from a concussion to permanent brain damage.
See a Doctor If You Suspect a Whiplash Injury
When you have been in a rear-end car crash, the important thing is to get medical attention, even if it is not at the scene of the accident. The effects of whiplash do not always show up immediately at the accident scene. Instead, it often takes days or weeks for you to begin to show symptoms. The absence of symptoms in the immediate aftermath of the accident does not mean that you have a clean bill of health. The injuries are still there and getting worse because they are left untreated. Therefore, you should make an appointment to check out if you think your head snapped forward because of the impact.
The longer you wait to see a doctor, the worse your medical and legal situations may be. Lingering injuries are harder to treat when you miss valuable time. In addition, delaying medical care allows the insurance company to question your injury. They may argue that your injury was made worse by your delaying medical care. They can also question the connection between your injury and the accident, claiming that your injuries were really caused by something else.
Whiplash can be an expensive injury to treat. Any surgery you may need is likely to be a complicated medical procedure with a long recovery time if you can get fully better. Further, the pain and suffering element of a whiplash claim can be significant because neck and back injuries are physically painful.
Roughly half of the people who suffer whiplash will end up with chronic pain. The discomfort will be debilitating and can keep you from living a normal life. Some cases of whiplash will persist for well over a month after the accident.
Whiplash Is a Common Car Accident Injury
Rear-end accidents are the most common type of crash (in 2019, one in every three car crashes were rear-end accidents), and whiplash is usually the most common type of car accident injury. The combination of the two factors means that insurance companies will try to underestimate your whiplash injuries. In reality, the insurance company knows how serious whiplash is, but it does anything that it can to underpay you.
Even minor whiplash injuries may be worth far more than you think. When whiplash has injured you and impacted your life, your damages can be significant. While we cannot give you an exact estimate of your potential settlement without knowing the facts of your case, serious whiplash injuries can result in six or seven-figure settlements. However, you must fight for every dollar that you get, whether it is from a settlement or a jury. We will work to maximize your financial recovery.
You Also Need Legal Help
Alongside getting the necessary medical help, you should also contact an experienced car accident lawyer. When you have suffered a whiplash injury, the challenge is getting the insurance company to accept the fact that you are injured and pay you the right amount of money.
Since whiplash injuries usually result from rear-end car crashes, proving liability is not as much of an issue. The car that hit you from behind will almost always be the one to blame. However, the insurance company may challenge the fact that you are injured. Some effects of whiplash may not show up on x-rays or MRIs. The insurance company will not usually take your word about your car accident injuries. They will demand that you show it on paper for them to pay. You will need an experienced attorney to tell your story and show the full extent of your injuries.
Call a West Virginia Whiplash Injury Lawyer
If you have suffered any type of injury in a car accident that was someone else’s fault, you are entitled to financial compensation. Contact the lawyers at Meier Law Firm today to discuss your case.
