Email
ChatPicture this: You’re commuting to work in your sedan, per usual. The journey is always the same – a little scenic, a lot boring. You’ve driven to work at 8:30am sharp for as long as you can remember, and you’re enjoying your morning coffee and podcast like you would any other day. When, all the sudden, someone fails to use their brakes properly and comes crashing into the back of your car! Your comfortable commute instantly feels far from familiar. Instead of getting to work on time, you’re speaking with EMS about your potential whiplash injuries. You indicate that you’re fine but will follow up with your primary care physician if needed. However, once you finally get to the office, you begin developing an intense headache. You find that you can’t turn your head side-to-side to read your work emails. You call it a day early and wonder what you should do next.
The scenario above is one our personal injury clients often find themselves in. Whiplash, a neck injury caused by forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, is not only common after a variety of personal injury accidents, but dangerous if left untreated.
Think of whiplash as the pain you feel after your head is knocked forward then back again. As you can imagine, this is a common injury our car and truck victims sustain. Have you been recently injured because of someone else’s negligence? Call us to discuss!
Today’s blog article outlines what personal injury victims should know about their whiplash injuries. This knowledge will not only help you assess your injuries and get medical help faster, but also help you talk to a personal injury lawyer at Bottaro Injury Lawyers about your accident.
1. Whiplash Symptoms are Often Delayed.
Like in the scenario above, many people do not experience whiplash symptoms until well after the accident. According to the Cleveland Clinic, whiplash symptoms, such as muscle weakness, numbness/burning/tingling, headaches, vision problems, and dizziness/vertigo may take hours or even several days to appear. Oftentimes, the immediacy and severity of whiplash injuries depends on how much your neck was compressed or extended in the accident.
So, what delays whiplash symptoms? Sometimes the shock and subsequent adrenaline rush associated with a personal injury accident, like a car accident, prevent us from feeling the full effects of whiplash immediately. Other times, your body is still processing the injury. Whiplash is a soft tissue injury (as opposed to a broken bone) and therefore inflammation and swelling may take time to develop. Additional inflammation caused by going about your daily life may trigger symptoms as well.
As soon as you start feeling symptoms, whether right after your accident or not, it is important to seek medical assistance.
2. Whiplash Can Alter Your Entire Life.
Whether you sustain a relatively minor or major whiplash injury, the effects can change your entire life. Because whiplash often causes pain, tingling, and numbness and limits your range of motion, you may not be able to engage in activities you need to. For instance, whiplash may cause people issues with standing, walking, sleeping, and completing basic activities at work (like moving your head to read emails!).
Whether you experience symptoms like these for a few days or a few weeks, you may have legal rights, like medical expenses and lost wages. That’s why it’s important to seek medical attention and call a personal injury lawyer after your personal injury accident!
3. You Should Seek Medical Attention After Sustaining a Whiplash Injury.
We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again – seek medical attention after your accident and again if whiplash symptoms develop. This is important for you to recover as soon as possible and minimize your chances of developing long-term complications of whiplash, like chronic neck and back pain, stiffness and long-term mobility issues, vertigo, chronic headaches and migraines, or even degenerative disc disease.
Based in Cranston, RI, we at Bottaro Injury Lawyers have been serving personal injury victims in RI and southern MA for years. If you or a loved one sustain personal injuries, such as whiplash, contact us to discuss the compensation you deserve.
From a personal injury law standpoint, it is important to seek medical care to document your injuries so an attorney can properly evaluate and build your personal injury claim. Questions about when to see a doctor or how to pay for one after injury? Call us to discuss!
4. Whiplash Recovery Can Vary, Depending on the Severity of your Injuries.
As personal injury lawyers, your seamless recovery is what we care about. Our job is to get insurance companies, medical providers, and collection companies off your back while you go through recovery.
Severe (Grades 3 and 4) whiplash injuries may require a variety and combination of medical interventions such as:
- Pain medications
- Immobilization (educe movement in your neck and/or back, think: C-collar)
- Exercise, physical, or chiropractic therapy
- Nerve stimulation therapy
- Never block treatment (such as radiofrequency nerve ablation)
- Spinal surgery
Less severe whiplash injuries can still change lives and warrant hiring a personal injury attorney to fight for your legal rights. Even lower-grade whiplash injuries often require a combination of treatments listed above. Call us today if you have questions about your injuries!
5. A Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help You Navigate Your Injuries with Insurance Companies and the Legal Justice System.
If you sustain whiplash, call an expert personal injury law firm immediately to build your case. Law firms like ours have experience communicating, negotiating, and litigating against big insurance companies on our clients’ behalf. Insurance adjusters often pretend to care about your injuries, while simultaneously find ways to pay you as little as possible (or not at all!). Questions about your personal injury case or whiplash injury? Call us to discuss how we can begin helping you today!
It’s Good to Know Mike Bottaro – 24/7 Top-Rated Personal Injury Help
At Bottaro Injury Lawyers, we care for people. Attorney Mike Bottaro and his award-winning legal team handle all types of personal injury cases throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts. We can even help on cases in other states as well. We pride ourselves on our honesty, integrity, and results. Contact us 24/7 in any method you prefer for a fast, free, and confidential consultation about your case. Text or call us at 401-777-7777 or fill out our free and confidential online form. We are here to serve and help you!
