Whiplash Injury
Whiplash is a type of soft tissue neck injury. Whiplash may involve injury to the spine, joints, ligaments and discs between the bones, cervical muscles and nerves in the neck region.
The entire neck region can be damaged by whiplash.
Whiplash is an injury referred to by many names. Some of those include:
- Neck strain
- Neck sprain
- Cervical injury
- Cervical acceleration-deceleration (CAD)
Whiplash can be much more serious than most accident victims think. If you believe you’re suffering from whiplash, it’s important to seek medical care as soon as you can.
Table of Contents
How Does Whiplash Happen?
Whiplash is commonly associated with rear-end car accidents. In this type of accident, your head can be thrown back and forth quickly, causing the neck to move in ways that it shouldn’t. However, whiplash can also stem from other types of accidents.
After car accidents, assault, and sports accidents are the most common ways victims sustain whiplash. Even a slip and fall accident can result in whiplash.
Are Whiplash Injuries That Common?
Over three million Americans sustain whiplash injuries every year. Studies show that about 1.5 million of those victims will have some form of ongoing, chronic pain from the whiplash injury. About 10% of whiplash victims become permanently disabled–and about 9 million Americans currently suffer from chronic neck pain caused by low-speed rear-end crashes.
In other words, serious whiplash injuries are much more common than insurance companies want you to think.
Can Whiplash Be Treated?
Yes. Whiplash is most commonly treated with pain medication and therapeutic exercise techniques. The exact treatment plan depends upon the severity of your whiplash injury.
Treatment might include:
- Rest
- Muscle relaxers
- Restricting neck movements by wearing a neck collar
- Applying hot or cold compresses to the neck region
- Physical therapy
- Acupuncture
- Massage
A doctor’s comprehensive treatment plan will likely include a combination of these treatment protocols. Your prognosis will depend upon a number of factors, including your age, overall health and severity of the injury.
What Are the Signs, Symptoms, and Warning Signs of Whiplash?
Whiplash is one of those injuries that you might not spot right away. Many motor vehicle accident victims don’t begin to feel any pain for days after an accident.
It’s still important to stay on the lookout for signs of whiplash.
Some common symptoms of whiplash include:
- Neck pain
- Headaches
- Weakness in the arms
- Tingling in the arms or hands
- Tenderness or pain in the upper back or shoulders
- Tinnitus, which is a ringing in the ears
- Dizziness
- Stiff neck
- Memory loss
- Difficulty concentrating
- Nervousness or irritability
It’s important to see a doctor right away if you’ve been in an accident–even one that seems minor. You might not feel these symptoms or days, or even weeks, after an accident.
If you wait, the insurance company might try to claim that the accident didn’t really cause your whiplash. This is a common scare tactic used by insurance companies to avoid paying fair compensation.
Our personal injury lawyers in New York City, NY are all-too-familiar with this trick, so give us a call for help getting what you deserve.
How Much Money Can I Get For My Whiplash Injuries?
Many people think that whiplash is a minor injury. While that can be the case for some, many whiplash injury victims suffer severe, lasting symptoms.
Your whiplash injury case might not involve catastrophic injuries or wrongful death–but the injury still has the potential to impact your life dramatically. Whiplash limits your ability to move your upper body. You might not be able to work while you recover–and you might have a much longer road to recovery than you’d initially think.
Contrary to what the insurance company would like you to believe, you have the right to hold the at-fault party fully accountable for your losses. In other words, you deserve fair compensation for all of your losses. Our attorneys will fight to get you the maximum amount of compensation possible.
That might include money for:
- Medical bills
- Future medical bills
- Physical therapy
- Chiropractic care, massage therapy and acupuncture
- Pain management specialists
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Diminished quality of life
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma
- Property damage
- And more
We retain experts to help us estimate the costs that you have yet to incur. We also work hard to account for the intangible losses you’ll suffer as a result of the injury–like the inconvenience of being unable to pick up your own groceries or play with your children.
How Can a Lawyer Help Get Damages for My Future Losses?
When you’re hurt in an accident, you deserve compensation both for your current and future needs. It can be hard to tell whether you will recover quickly or suffer lasting or chronic pain after a whiplash injury. However, doctors and experts have ways of predicting your prognosis.
Most whiplash injury victims are more likely to suffer from ongoing pain if:
- The initial symptoms were sudden and intense
- The symptoms included things like severe neck pain, extremely limited range of motion and pain in the arms
- You have had whiplash before, are older or were involved in a high-speed crash
At Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers, we work with respected experts to get you the full amount of money you deserve. That includes the estimated whiplash-related losses you’ll suffer in the future.
To learn more about what we can do to help, call our NYC car accident attorneys for a free initial consultation today. Our New York City personal injury lawyers represent clients in Staten Island and across the five boroughs.
Time Limits on Filing Your Whiplash Injury Claim in New York, NY
Under New York’s no-fault insurance laws, if you suffer a whiplash injury in a car accident, you have to first file a claim with your own car insurance company for damages. That’s true even if the accident was due to the negligence of someone else. Every insurance company imposes different time restrictions.
You have to notify the insurance company about the accident as soon as you can. After that, the policy will provide information about the time limits for filing a formal claim for damages.
You may also have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver under NYC personal injury laws. The New York statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit is three years. Personal injury cases take time to prepare and getting legal advice will maximize your chances of success.
The clock begins ticking as soon as you discover you have whiplash. That’s why it’s important to get help quickly. Our lawyers at Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers will get to work immediately to make sure you don’t lose compensation because of a technicality like missing a deadline.
Arrange a Free Consultation With a Respected Car Crash Lawyer in NYC Today
Are you experiencing neck or back pain after an accident in New York City? Whether you’re just beginning to experience pain or have already been diagnosed with whiplash, you may have the right to financial compensation.
At Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers, our skilled NYC car accident lawyers have over 40 years of experience fighting to protect accident victims’ rights. Contrary to what the insurance company would have you believe, whiplash is not always a minor injury. Many whiplash injury victims struggle for months or even years after an accident.
To learn more about how we can stand up to the insurance companies and get the compensation you need, call an experienced NYC whiplash injury lawyer today. Your consultation is always free, so there’s no risk in asking for help.
Other Car Accident Cases We Cover
- Parking lot accidents
- Lane change crashes
- Multi-vehicle accidents
- Passenger negligence
- Red and yellow light accidents
