Whiplash injuries are common occurrences in collisions. Even a minor car accident can leave you with stiffness and pain in your neck and shoulders. Whiplash is thought to be an injury for which you don’t need medical care, but that’s not always the case. Depending on the amount of force that impacted your neck muscles, you could require extensive medical treatment.
If you have sustained a whiplash injury, it’s essential to have a clear idea of the injury’s severity and what your legal options may be. Learn more about why this injury occurs, the kinds of treatments you may need, and whether you can file a personal injury claim against the liable parties.
What Is Whiplash?
Whiplash is a neck injury that occurs when your head moves forcefully and rapidly backward and forward. This strains the neck muscles, ligaments, and even cervical discs. Because whiplash impacts mostly soft tissues, you may not even notice you were hurt until hours or days have passed.
Once the swelling begins, you can experience whiplash symptoms that include:
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Dizziness
- Pain that gets worse with neck movement
- Headaches
- Numbness or tingling in the arms
- Loss of range of motion in the neck
- Fatigue
Depending on the severity of the injury, you may also experience:
- Trouble focusing
- Double vision
- Ringing in the ears
- Memory issues
- Sleeping problems
- Irritability
- Depression
The most common cause of whiplash is rear-end crashes, but any type of collision could cause it. Severe whiplash is often the result of speeding accidents.
Whiplash Diagnosis
If you’ve been in an accident and have developed symptoms of whiplash, going to your doctor to get an official diagnosis should be the first step. They will perform a physical examination and get a sense of the severity and type of symptoms you’re dealing with.
It’s possible that you’ll also have to undergo imaging tests. Whiplash doesn’t show up in X-rays and MRIs, but these exams help to rule out other potential causes of your symptoms.
Whiplash Treatment
Treatments will typically begin very conservatively and with a focus on pain management. You may need to rest for a day or two and apply heat and cold packs to the area to address the swelling.
If there’s worry about the injury having impacted your spinal cord, your doctor may recommend immobilizing the area as part of the treatment process. You may have to wear a cervical collar, which holds your neck in alignment with the rest of your spine.
Most people only need over-the-counter medications to address pain, but in severe cases, your doctor may prescribe painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, and even muscle relaxers. You may also need to participate in physical therapy sessions to regain your full range of motion.
In the most severe cases, especially those that involve fractured vertebrae, it may be necessary to undergo spine surgery. This can stabilize the impacted areas of the spine.
Legal Options After Suffering a Whiplash Injury
If you have sustained a whiplash injury because of another party’s conduct, filing a personal injury claim could give you the chance to recover your losses. These claims require demonstrating that the other party was wrongful or negligent.
Illinois is an at-fault state for collisions, but you can be partly responsible for the crash and still recover losses. You must hold less than 51% of the blame. If you surpass that, you will be barred from recovery. This gives the other party plenty of incentive to try to pin as much of the blame on you, so hiring a personal injury lawyer is the best option.
Your lawyer will begin by investigating the accident, gathering evidence to demonstrate who was responsible. They will calculate your full losses so they can come up with a fair compensatory amount and then begin negotiations. Personal injury lawyers know how to effectively negotiate with insurance adjusters to get you the fairest possible deal.
If negotiations don’t go as planned and the company refuses to make reasonable offers, you may have to go to trial. You should never do so without experienced legal representation.
Contact Our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers at Powell and Pisman Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
After suffering a whiplash injury, you may be able to file a claim to receive compensation. This is not a simple process, so the right step is to hire attorneys to assist you. At Powell and Pisman Injury Lawyers, we provide the dependable legal support you need to get through this difficult moment in your life.
We can aggressively negotiate on your behalf so you can recover all of your losses. Contact us at Powell and Pisman Injury Lawyers at (312) 635-5400 to schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys.