Personal Injury Claims Among Friends & Family: A Delicate Situation
Posted in: Ohio Personal Injury
KNR Legal Blog
Although it may not be as severe as other injuries like traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, and spinal injuries, whiplash can still lead to medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, to name just a few.
If you’ve been hurt in an Ohio car crash that was not your fault, it is in your best interest to consult an experienced Ohio car accident lawyer at Kisling, Nestico & Redick.
Call our team today at 1-800-HURT-NOW to learn more about your legal options and increase your chances of a favorable case outcome. Initial consultations are always free; we only get paid when you recover compensation.
Whiplash is a neck injury that results from the sudden jolting of the neck and shoulders, just like during a car accident. Unlike most injuries, whiplash may not be noticeable until days or weeks after the crash. This is because adrenaline and cortisol flood your body following a crash. These hormones will eventually leave your body and make the pain apparent.
Whiplash can be caused after a rear-end collision, as the force of one vehicle causes the passengers in the other to lurch forward suddenly. Seatbelts can hold their bodies in place but offer little security for their necks. These injuries don’t always occur in high-speed incidents either: any speed of collision resulting in a back-and-forth motion could damage the soft tissues in passengers’ necks. However, the faster the vehicles traveled, the more severe the damage is likely to be.
So, you may not know you have whiplash after a car accident. Therefore, it’s important to visit a doctor immediately, even if you think you’re fine. A doctor can perform a physical evaluation and inform you of whether whiplash is present.
Whiplash injuries can range in severity. While some victims of whiplash face mild pain and discomfort, others experience more severe pain that impacts their ability to complete daily tasks and lead a quality life.
You may experience a dull, aching pain in the front or back of your neck, or even both if you’re suffering from whiplash. Your neck may feel stiff, like it’s difficult to turn to the side.
Sometimes, a whiplash may cause a sense of cervical vertigo, a spinning or dizzy sensation. Whiplash can misalign your vertebrae, which can contribute to cervical vertigo. These dizzy sensations might worsen when you move your head.
After a severe injury, you’ll likely feel tired, even if you’re getting plenty of sleep. If you’re suffering from whiplash, your body is likely working to recuperate, using energy to heal and recover. Neck pain may make it difficult to get comfortable and get restful sleep.
As mentioned, whiplash occurs when there’s a violent back-and-forth motion, which damages the neck’s soft tissues. That motion can irritate and inflame the nerves in the brain stem and spinal cord.
It might not be that apparent, but like with other traumatic injuries, someone suffering whiplash is likely to also experience brain trauma. That trauma can be exacerbated by the other symptoms you’re experiencing.
Although whiplash typically occurs in the neck, it can also be a lower back injury when your body moves sharply to either side or forwards and backward. That force could hurt your lower back muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
An unexpected symptom of whiplash is tinnitus, which could be directly caused during the crash if your head hits a window or hard surface. Tinnitus might indirectly result from injuries to the jaw.
Whiplash can affect the nerves in the spinal cord, resulting in a pinched or compressed nerve. Also referred to as “cervical radiculopathy symptoms,” you’re likely to experience tingling, weakness, or numbness in your arms, shoulders, hands, or fingers. You may feel it in your legs as well, depending on the depth of your whiplash.
When you seek medical attention after a car accident, a doctor will conduct a physical exam and check out your neck, back, and arms. The doctor may ask you to perform various tasks to determine how your range of motion, strength, and reflexes have been affected. X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans may be performed as well.
Fortunately, minor cases of whiplash heal on their own with a bit of rest. If your whiplash injury is severe, however, you may require treatment. Your treatment will likely include a combination of over-the-counter pain medications, icing and heating, physical therapy, massage therapy, stretching exercises, and/or a neck brace.
Getting medical treatment after a car accident is a must. However, there is still a chance for whiplash symptoms to remain after most other symptoms have cleared up. If your pain lasts between six to 12 months or beyond, you may suffer from chronic whiplash.
There could also be complications to your recovery, especially if you’ve had whiplash before, the victim is older, has a pre-existing back injury, or if the injury happened during a high-speed event.
Regardless of the severity of your whiplash injury, it probably affected your life in any number of ways. You may be able to recover compensation for your damages, like the time you missed from work, your medical bills, and your pain and suffering.
It’s a good idea to contact an Ohio car accident lawyer who can assist you in determining liability for the accident and holding the responsible party accountable.
Depending on the circumstances, they may be able to file a car accident claim on your behalf. A personal injury lawyer can negotiate and communicate with the liable party’s insurance company so you can focus on recovering.
If you’ve sustained a whiplash injury in an Ohio car accident caused by another party’s negligence, reach out to Kisling, Nestico & Redick as soon as possible. You can count on our Ohio car accident lawyers to help you secure the full and fair compensation you may be entitled to.
Call KNR at 1-800-HURT-NOW today or contact us online to set up a free consultation.