What Is Whiplash Injuries?
Whiplash is a neck injury generally caused by the forceful and rapid back and forth movements of the neck during a car accident, mostly a rear-end accident. A whiplash injury affects the soft tissues surrounding the neck, such as ligaments, tendons, nerves, or muscles, as well as the bones in the spine and disks. Whiplash injuries are relatively common in car accidents, and nearly 3 million Americans suffer whiplash injuries each year. Whiplash injuries can cause headaches, neck pain, stiff neck, muscle spasms, limited neck motion, fatigue, anxiety, and other symptoms. Whiplash injuries are not limited to the neck only, and pain can spread to the back, shoulders, and arms.
Whiplash can also cause neurological symptoms like amnesia, concentration problems, insomnia, mood swings, etc. Patients can achieve full recovery within weeks. There are cases where people suffer from chronic symptoms like pain and other complications for a very long time. In fact, 1.5 million Americans suffer from chronic whiplash symptoms or long-lasting complications that affect their daily lives and work. Consult an experienced lawyer to ensure you receive the settlement you deserve to cover your medical fees or wage loss.
When Should You Contact a Lawyer?
Whiplash injuries are pretty common injuries associated with motor vehicle accidents. Missouri is an at-fault state, which means the responsible auto-driver is bound to settle any settlement claim. The responsible driver’s insurance agency pays the compensation in most cases. These agencies try to devalue or undermine the extent of your injury to get away with low compensation. It is fairly difficult to get a fair settlement for a whiplash injury due to the following reasons:
- Whiplash injury spreads beyond the neck to the shoulder, back, and arms. The insurance company or legal representatives may try to blame the current pain on a pre-existing condition or a minor neck strain or sprain.
- Many times the whiplash can not be determined by imaging tests like MRI. These tests can specify injury to the soft tissues surrounding the neck, but that may not necessarily establish your injury as whiplash. It can be regarded as a mere soft tissue injury. Whiplash can be determined by a physician’s diagnosis. Here, the insurance company can devalue the doctor’s diagnosis.
- The insurance company may try to negate your rightful claim for your injury and long-term care costs, as not all whiplash injuries result in chronic disorders.
However, there are legal measures to get fair compensation if you suffer a whiplash injury from a vehicle collision. The dedicated lawyers at Craig J. Concannon, P.C. will build a strong settlement case to help you get fair compensation. Craig J. Concannon is a law firm providing experienced legal advice for personal injury cases in Clayton, St. Louis, St. Charles, O’Fallon, and Chesterfield.