Whiplash Injury

If you’ve suffered whiplash after a car accident, you know how painful these injuries can be. Being unable to move your head without extreme pain makes many activities impossible and can keep you from doing your job. Moreover, the cost of treating a whiplash injury can drain your finances.

Scott C. Gottlieb, Injury Law Attorney can help you pursue fair compensation for your injuries. We have a proven track record of impressive results and do not charge any fees unless you recover compensation. Call our Binghamton whiplash injury lawyer today or visit our contact page for a free consultation.

What Is a Whiplash Injury?

The Mayo Clinic defines whiplash as a neck injury caused by rapid, forceful back-and-forth movements that resemble the cracking of a whip. These movements put intense strain on the bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and other tissues of the neck and upper back. These injuries often lead to pain, stiffness, and even nerve damage. Whiplash injuries sometimes manifest several days or weeks after a crash and can be hard to trace back to a car accident. Proving a whiplash car accident caused your injury is one reason you need a lawyer.

Whiplash Symptoms After a Car Accident

The Mayo Clinic says some common car accident whiplash symptoms include:

• Stiffness and pain in your neck
• Neck pain that gets worse when you move or turn your head
• Reduced range of motion in your neck
• Headaches, particularly at the base of your skull
• Pain or tenderness in your arms, shoulders, or upper back
• Numbness or tingling in your arms
• Unusual fatigue
• Dizziness
• Blurry vision
• Ringing in your ears
• Sleep problems
• Feeling unusually irritated for no apparent reason
• Problems focusing
• Memory issues
• Depression

What to Do for Whiplash After a Car Accident

Recovering compensation for a whiplash injury can be challenging. Here is what to do to guard your rights and lay the groundwork for a strong claim:

• Document the crash scene – Take pictures of the accident, your visible injuries, and the damage to every vehicle involved. Look for potential eyewitnesses or nearby surveillance cameras to back up your case.
• See a doctor immediately – You should always see a doctor as soon after a car accident as possible to minimize the risks of undetected injuries. If you notice unusual symptoms days or weeks after a crash, see your doctor right away. Waiting too long to start treatment may worsen your injuries and cause problems in a personal injury case.
• File a no-fault claim – File a no-fault claim with your auto insurance company, or if you were a passenger in someone else’s vehicle, with the auto insurance company that insures the vehicle you were in.
• Do not make any social media posts – Stay off social media until your case is over. No matter what your privacy settings are, insurance companies have ways to access your information. They’ll look for anything they can use to argue you are not as injured as you say you are.
• Do not make any statements to the at-fault party’s insurance company – You do not want to give the insurer for the negligent party any potential evidence against you. If their insurer contacts you, tell them they can talk to your lawyer.
• Hire an attorney – You have the right to take legal action if another driver causes you to suffer a whiplash injury. A whiplash car accident lawyer will handle the legal work and deal with the insurance companies while you heal.

How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help?

It is sometimes challenging to prove you sustained a whiplash injury and should receive compensation for it. Working with a personal injury attorney makes your job much simpler. Your lawyer can gather evidence, document your losses, file your claim, handle the insurance companies, and prepare your case for trial, if necessary, while you recuperate at home. That way, you can avoid putting yourself through an unnecessary ordeal after sustaining a significant injury.

Scott C. Gottlieb, Injury Law Attorney, can protect your rights after a collision. Call our office today or visit our contact page for a free case review with a whiplash injury lawyer in Binghamton, NY.