Understanding Whiplash And Making A Claim For Injury
Acute whiplash can occur if your neck extends or rotates beyond its natural range of motion. This injury can occur in anyone; however, it is most prevalent in those who have been injured in a car crash. The majority of whiplash cases occur to passengers in the lead vehicle, as they are typically travelling more slowly at the point of collision. If you have recently been involved in a car accident and are feeling discomfort around your neck, read on to find out more about the injury and who to speak to for help.
Common Symptoms Of Whiplash
Although the most common symptom of whiplash is a pain or discomfort in the neck, there are other symptoms associated with the condition:
- Lower back pain and stiffness around the abdomen
- Muscle spasms, typically around the neck and shoulders although also in the upper (thoracic) back
- Vertigo or dizziness that can make you feel nauseous
- Long-lasting headaches that don't go away after a few days
If you've recently been involved in a collision of any kind and are experiencing any of the above symptoms, it's very possible that you are suffering from whiplash.
Long Term Symptoms Of Whiplash
If your symptoms persevere for 6 months or longer, then you are likely suffering from chronic whiplash. Chronic whiplash means that the condition is recurring, and even if you don't experience symptoms all of the time, they are likely to resurface in the future.
Chronic whiplash is typically treated with a combination of painkillers and physiotherapy. The painkillers aim to reduce your level of discomfort while the physiotherapy is designed to restore some motion to the affected region.
What You Can Claim For Whiplash
Whiplash is a condition that can seriously affect your everyday life by limiting your range of motion and making simple tasks more difficult. As such, it's important that you get the compensation you deserve in order to ease the financial burden that can come from injury.
With whiplash cases, compensation is typically broken down into two separate areas:
- General damages – This compensation is based on the severity of your injury and how much the condition has affected your day-to-day life.
- Special damages – These damages cover the money you have spent in treating the injury, such as travel expenses, hospital visits and healthcare to treat the problem.
When it comes to making a claim, you may be surprised at how much compensation you can receive for your injury. It's extremely important that you speak to a qualified personal injury lawyer, who will be able to outline your likely compensation and build a case on your behalf.
Who Should Claim For Whiplash
Everybody pays car insurance to help cover the costs of car accidents and ease the financial burden on them. Although car insurance will help greatly in fixing your car and paying for damage to your belongings, it won't usually bring the justice you deserve for suffering an injury.
Even if your car insurance covers personal injury, you likely won't receive the sort of money you rightly deserve. The reason for this is that claims against insurance companies eat into their profits, so they aim to "under settle" as many cases as possible to protect their bank account. Typically, they will offer you significantly less than your injury may have won in court and rely on most people's lack of experience in independently assessing their claim.
As such, regardless of the circumstances of your collision or the nature of your claim, you need someone on your side who understands the ins and outs of the legal system. You need someone who can independently value your claim and give you the support you need in order to settle the case. You shouldn't feel awkward about claiming what is rightfully yours, so if you've been involved in a car collision that resulted in whiplash, you should contact a personal injury lawyer to receive impartial advice on how to proceed.
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