Learn how to preserve your right to compensation for whiplash injuries
Whiplash is a very common type of car accident injury. It is most often caused by rear-end accidents, because the impact of this type of accident can cause the victim’s head to snap back and forth violently on their neck. This stretches the neck beyond its normal range of motion, resulting in damage to the muscles and tendons in the neck. Whiplash injuries are often accompanied by mild traumatic brain injuries, since the same whipping motion that hurts the neck can also cause the brain to bounce around inside the skull.
Unfortunately, whiplash is often regarded as a “fake” injury by insurance companies. With relatively little physical evidence to support this soft tissue injury, it is easy for victims to exaggerate or even fake a whiplash injury. This means that individuals with legitimate injuries need to be very careful to take the proper steps to help strengthen the evidence in their claims, or else risk missing out on the compensation they need and deserve.
Here are three crucial steps you must take after a whiplash injury if you want to secure compensation:
- Go to the Doctor. Whiplash injuries are “late-appearing” injuries that may not be immediately apparent after a car accident. Victims who are not aware of this sometimes don’t recognize that the pain they begin experiencing hours or days later is actually related to their car accident. It is very important to visit the doctor as soon as you realize you are injured. This will not only create documentation of your injury that you can use in your personal injury claim; it will also ensure you get proper treatment for your injuries. If whiplash is not properly treated, it can lead to complications down the road.
- Follow Your Doctor’s Advice. Your doctor may prescribe pain medication, recommend rest, or refer you to physical therapy. You need to follow their advice and complete the entire treatment. Otherwise, you open the door for the defense to argue that your injury and/or your pain was not as severe as you claim. This would result in reduced compensation for pain and suffering.
- Hire an Attorney. Because whiplash injuries can be difficult to prove, you will definitely want an experienced whiplash injury attorney on your side. The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker makes an excellent choice. As the #1 car accident firm in southern California, we have successfully handled countless whiplash cases and secured significant compensation for the victims.
To learn more, call us at 800-333-0000 for a free initial consultation.
