According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the leading cause of death across the United States is car accidents. There are more than 6 million car accidents every year across the United States. Out of those 6 million, 3 million people suffer an injury. The most common injury being whiplash. Whiplash injuries can be difficult to prove because the signs do not show up immediately.
What is a whiplash injury?
This is an injury that happens when the head suddenly moves backward and then forward and it usually happens during rear-end collisions. The sudden motion causes your next ligaments and tendons to stretch and tear resulting in whiplash. It is a serious injury and displays symptoms such as immobility and chronic pain.
The main symptom of whiplash is pain in the neck and shoulders. You may also experience pain in your arm and back. For mild symptoms, you can take over the counter pain relievers and ice. You might have to seek further treatments such as prescription medication and physiotherapy if the pain persists.
Why should you seek medical care for whiplash?
The moment you file a car accident claim with your insurer they will ask if you received treatment and where you got it from. This is why it is very important that you seek medical attention after a car accident regardless of how minor it was or if you believe you did not suffer any injuries. It is not uncommon for car accident victims to not realise that they are injured at the scene of the accident. They are usually in shock and this may mask any injuries that they have sustained. Whiplash injury symptoms usually present themselves a day or two after an accident. Some of the symptoms include:
- Pain that cannot be explained. you might feel pain in your lower back your hand shoulder neck or arms. If you experience this kind of pain, make sure you visit a doctor and explain to them that you are in a car accident.
- Experiencing numb spots. You might experience numbness in your shoulders hands or arms. This is usually an indication of a more serious injury and you should not ignore it.
- Unusual symptoms such as blurred vision, irritability, sleeplessness and dizziness can be symptoms of a whiplash injury.
How to prove fault in your car accident claim
If you plan to file a car accident lawsuit against the at-fault driver you have to prove that they were negligent. Below are four elements that you need to prove to show negligence:
- Duty of care. Every driver on the road or other road users a duty of care so this element is easy to establish.
- Breach of Duty. there are many ways that a driver can breach the duty of care. this includes but not limited to over speeding drunk driving or distracted driving
- Causation. The other driver or do you a duty of care and they breached that Duty and other results you suffered an injury.
- You suffered damages. The fact that you sustained injuries from the accident is in a is proof enough that the driver was negligent.
To solidify your claim even further, you need to provide evidence such as police reports, video evidence and witness statements. An experienced car accident attorney in New Bedford can I obtain footage from nearby security cameras or traffic cameras.
Receiving a settlement offer for your whiplash injury
If you decide to accept a settlement offer from your insurer, you will not be able to file a car accident lawsuit later on. It is therefore important to understand the full value of your claim before you accept a settlement offer. Insurance companies usually know the value of your claim but they hope that you don’t, which is why they will give you a lowball offer. They will also prey on the fact that you are facing financial pressure so you might be desperate enough to quickly accept an offer without consulting a car accident attorney. We cannot stress enough how crucial it is that you consult a car accident attorney near you. Afterall, it is risk-free since most personal injury lawyers do not charge initial consultations.
Our new Bedford car accident attorney is happy to help
Contact us today at 508-999-0800 to schedule your free initial consultation. We will review your case and give you the best possible options.
