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Whiplash & Whiplash Injury St. Louis

Whiplash & Whiplash Injury St. Louis

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    • What is Whiplash?
    • How Long Does Whiplash Last?
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    • The Most Common Causes of Car Accidents
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  • Whiplash St. Louis Blog

whiplash

The High Cost of Whiplash After a Car Accident

November 6, 2020 by Christopher

Here’s whiplash can be more serious than you think, and how costly it can get if the impact was serious, or if you don’t treat it in a timely manner.

Whiplash is one of the most common injuries in a car accident. The problem with it is that it can often be overlooked because the symptoms might appear late. It’s a kind of injury that some victims consider to be minor discomfort, only to notice that it gets worse with time.

Here’s whiplash can be more serious than you think, and how costly it can get if the impact was serious, or if you don’t treat it in a timely manner.

whiplash

What is Whiplash?

Whiplash is a name given to a certain type of trauma to the neck or spine that involves a rapid back-and-forth movement of the head when your car crashes into something. It’s a common type of injury in rear-end accidents since your head will inevitably move forward, with nothing else absorbing the shock. 

Unfortunately, whiplash cannot be prevented by the use of the seatbelt, but properly adjusted headrests and functioning airbags can reduce the impact your neck or back is taking

What Are the Complications of Whiplash?

One of the issues with whiplash is that it might be noticed later, with many of the victims thinking they don’t really need a doctor’s visit. This can adversely affect your health and your car accident claim. It is always a good idea to go to see a doctor after an accident, even if you think you feel ok after an accident.

If left untreated, whiplash can lead to degenerative problems with your back and neck. You might experience stiffness and chronic pain, and even more serious back problems that might affect your nerves or bones. Other side effects of an untreated whiplash are migraines, depression, and sleep deprivation. 

As you might suspect, whiplash doesn’t appear to be so harmless anymore once you start feeling its effects every single day, for months after the accident. 

Treatments for Whiplash

To give you an idea about the settlement that should cover a whiplash injury, here are some of the treatments a victim if whiplash might need:

  • Physical therapy
  • Operation
  • Medication
  • Rest 

How Much Is the Average Settlement for Whiplash?

Depending on how serious whiplash is, and how much medical treatment it needs, whiplash can get you a more or less substantial settlement. In order to calculate the amount you will get, you have to include your missed working hours, all medical bills, pain and suffering, property damage, all the economic and non-economic damages you have suffered. Because each case is unique, it is important to have an experienced attorney review your claim to help you determine the full amount you are entitled to.

Speak With an Experienced Attorney

Speak with a St. Louis whiplash attorney as soon as possible to ensure your legal right is protected.

FREE Consultation

Speak with an experienced attorney 24/7

Click to Call: (314) 361-4242

Filed Under: Whiplash St. Louis Blog Tagged With: whiplash

5 Steps to Take When Filing a Whiplash Injury Claim After a Car Accident

August 5, 2020 by Christopher

Whiplash can cause a lot of pain, nausea, confusion, and in some cases memory loss. Here are 5 steps to take when filing a whiplash claim after a car accident.

Whiplash is a soft tissue injury to the neck. Although it may seem like a small deal, it’s far from it. It can result in a lot of pain, nausea, confusion, and in some cases in memory loss.

To make matters worse, whiplash doesn’t always present immediate symptoms. When your condition is caused by a car accident and you have the right to get compensated, it’s essential to take these 5 steps to be successful: 

man with chronic pain after a car accident

1. Go to the Doctor

Even if you believe you’re fine after the accident and may have gotten away scot-free, it’s still a good idea to seek immediate medical attention. Whiplash and other conditions may not present symptoms right away, and you could be making matters worse by not seeing a professional.

It will also make for a stronger case. The more you wait, the more opportunities you give the insurance company to poke holes in your claim and think of other events that may have lead to whiplash or at least made it worse.

2. Choose the Right Doctor

After a car accident, you may not be able to see your own doctor, especially if you want to file a compensation claim. For one thing, your doctor may not be very experienced with trauma injuries like those resulting from a car accident. 

There are a lot of practices that not only specialize in such injuries but can also help you put together a case for the insurance company by preparing all your relevant medical documents.

3. Start Gathering Evidence As Soon As Possible

Apart from your medical files, you’ll also likely need other pieces of evidence to create a strong case, such as:

  • Photos from the scene 
  • Witness testimonies
  • Surveillance footage
  • Medical history records
  • Driving records, etc.

Some of this evidence is time-sensitive, such as the photos of the scene. Skidmarks can fade away, witnesses can be hard to track down after the fact, so it’s best to start taking photos of the scene right after the accident if possible.

4. File an Injury Claim As Soon As Possible

The longer you wait, the harder it will be to argue your case. Even you may start to forget the details of the case, which can create inconsistencies in your story.

5. Don’t Talk to the Insurance Company – Talk to a Lawyer Instead

The at-fault party’s insurance company will try to contact you over the phone to talk about your case. It’s important to understand that nothing is off the record and anything you say will be used against you by the insurance company.

Instead of discussing the case with the insurance company, reach out to an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney for assistance in building your case and negotiating your settlement. It’s your best shot at winning your whiplash claim and getting properly compensated for all of the expenses you are legally entitled to.

FREE Consultation

Speak with an experienced attorney 24/7

Click to Call: (314) 361-4242

Filed Under: Whiplash St. Louis Blog Tagged With: whiplash

How To File a Whiplash Car Accident Injury Claim & Recover Compensation

May 6, 2020 by Christopher

Whiplash is a common potential injury in a car crash, as it occurs when your neck and head are forcefully jolted back and forth.

If you are the victim of a car accident and suffer from whiplash as a result, you may be legally entitled to seek damages from the at-fault party, and cover your medical treatment this way. And the way to do that is through an insurance claim with their carrier. Here’s how to file a successful insurance claim for whiplash to get compensated:

man with chronic pain after a car accident

1. File a Police Report

You should start filing the insurance claim by calling the police and having them create a report of the events. Police reports are seen as unbiased accounts of events since they have no gain about who gets compensated or how much. This can help you a lot during your claim.

2. Call a Lawyer

Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes you can make in any insurance claim is to not work with a lawyer. Car accident attorneys can help make sure your rights are protected, and that you can continue to seek your whiplash treatment without fear you won’t be able to pay for it.

3. Stick to the Facts

When filing an insurance claim, whether it’s your company or the at-fault driver’s, an insurance adjuster will want to talk to you about the accident. In a way, you’ll be giving a statement, so it’s really important to be careful about what you say.

Your safest bet is to always stick to the facts: the date, time, and place of the accident, and the fact that you are receiving medical treatment. Do not offer any information about your whiplash, or what kind of treatment, how you’re feeling, as these can be later interpreted by the company and hurt your claim.

4. Don’t Admit Fault, or Allude to It

During the claims process, it’s best to let the evidence speak for itself, so you should never admit fault or even partial fault. Remember Missouri has a comparative fault system, and if you agree that you are 30% responsible for the crash, you can only recover 70% of your damages.

5. Speak With an Attorney Before Agreeing to an Independent Medical Exam

The adjuster may request you see their physician for an independent medical exam, but legally speaking you are not necessarily required to do so. Your medical bills and records are generally enough for the insurance company to make a decision regarding your claim, and their request for an additional exam is just a fishing expedition. If the insurance company is requesting that you see their physician, discuss this with your attorney.

Speak With a St. Louis Whiplash Lawyer

Whiplash injuries can require a lot of treatment, and if you don’t want to have to pay for it out of pocket, contact a St. Louis car accident lawyer right away for help with your insurance claim.

FREE Consultation

Speak with an experienced attorney 24/7

Click to Call: (314) 361-4242

Filed Under: Whiplash St. Louis Blog Tagged With: Car Accident Claims, whiplash

Why Even Low-Impact Auto Collisions Can Lead to Serious Injuries

October 4, 2019 by Christopher

It’s possible to feel perfectly fine right after the collision, but later on to experience severe symptoms.

two st louis men reporting a low impact car accident

See if this scenario sounds familiar: you get into a small collision with another driver. Call it a fender-bender or low-impact accident, it doesn’t matter. There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong, so you just exchange information with the other driver and go on your merry way.

This is a big mistake. These low-impact collisions have the potential to cause serious injuries.

The Only One Who Clears You Is a Doctor

Even if the car accident is minor, you should still go to the doctor for a medical check-up. It’s possible to feel perfectly fine right after the collision, but later on to experience severe symptoms.

Take whiplash as an example. It occurs when the muscles or tissue of the neck are overextended, and the impact of the car accident doesn’t need to be very violent for this injury to occur. What’s more, whiplash generally does not present any immediate signs, so you could very well feel perfectly fine after the accident. At most, you can expect some neck discomfort.

But the serious effects can creep up after a few days:

  • Loss of neck motion
  • Headaches
  • Tingling in the neck and shoulder
  • Fatigue
  • Dizziness
  • Blurry vision
  • Insomnia

And there are other examples of injuries with slow side-effects. Because of this, always get a medical check-up right after even minor car accidents.

The Insurance Company May Push Back

If you file a compensation claim for your car accident and mention you’re asking for compensation for a serious injury, the auto insurance company may have some objections. They may claim that the collision wasn’t severe enough to ever cause these health issues, launching a full investigation into your claim and delaying the process by a lot.

This is why the initial check-up is so important. It shows, without a doubt, when your injuries appeared – right after the car accident. If you wait to get checked, the insurance company may reasonably think some other event may have caused the injuries, in which case they are not legally obligated to award any settlement. They will ask what you did right after the accident, how you felt, how you acted, etc.

What If You Didn’t Get Checked?

Even in this case, you can still prove your injuries are connected to the car accident, though in all honesty, it makes matters more complicated. But with medical experts and a review of your medical file, you can still have a case, though it’s advised to get the help of an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney.

The insurance company can use every trick in the book to downplay your injuries or show that they are not connected to the car accident. Lawyers are aware of these tricks and know what to do to prevent them from succeeding. In the end, speaking with an experienced lawyer will benefit your case greatly.

If you have been injured in an auto accident, get in touch with our legal team 24/7 at (314) 361-4242 for a FREE consultation.

Filed Under: Whiplash St. Louis Blog Tagged With: Injured in a Car Accident, whiplash

Back and Neck Pain After a Rear End Collision

June 11, 2019 by Christopher

The impact of a car accident can have a great negative effect on the neck and back.

Both of these areas are crucial, yet very sensitive to force or sudden movement. When your car gets hit, the moment of the impact causes everything inside the vehicle, including yourself, to move. However, because there is no room inside the vehicle to move, that can mean extra pressure is put on your neck and back.

st. louis man with neck pain

You may experience some pain in these areas immediately after the collision. If you do, it’s imperative to seek treatment as soon as possible.

The First Step

The first thing you need to do after a car crash is getting medically checked. Even if you don’t think you got injured, it’s best to let a doctor see you and determine your medical condition. Some injuries may not show any immediate signs, and you won’t begin to feel any pain until some time has passed since the accident.

This is exactly what happens in the case of whiplash, which often affects the neck and spine. Unfortunately, if left untreated, these injuries can cause even more issues in the future.

While the signs of whiplash can differ from patient to patient, some common symptoms include:

  • Dizziness;
  • Fatigue;
  • Nausea;
  • Stomach issues;
  • Concussion.

It’s vital to know these signs and identify them as whiplash as soon as they first appear. Sometimes, they can appear even a few weeks after the collision, but once they show, the pain will not go away on its own. If left untreated, the pains are known to grow stronger, to the point where it can become unbearable. An initial doctor’s visit after the collision could potentially save you from this scenario.

File a Compensation Claim

Because these injuries appear after the accident, many people can experience difficulties in getting compensated for their treatment. The insurance company may claim that your neck or back pain could have been caused (or worsened) by some other event in your life.

However, if you work together with a St. Louis car accident lawyer, you can build a strong case and successfully get sufficient damages to cover the cost of your medical treatment.

Essentially, you will have to link your injuries directly to the car accident and show that the other driver is responsible for them. Because the injuries only appear long after the collision, this may complicate things, but a good lawyer could handle it successfully.

Speak With an Attorney

Neck and lower back injuries aren’t just issues that affect your physical health – they often take a toll on your personal life, relationships with family and friends, and your overall quality of life. If these injuries were the results of a car accident where you were the victim, then you may be entitled to compensation for damages. Reach out to a St. Louis car accident lawyer to discuss your next steps. Give us a call today at (314) 361-4242 for a FREE consultation.

Filed Under: Whiplash St. Louis Blog Tagged With: back injury, neck injuries, rear-end accident, whiplash

Sideswipe Car Accidents

November 19, 2018 by Christopher

Sideswipe car accidents can cause severe damage to your health.

A sideswipe accident is one in which the side of a car scrapes the side of yours. While the danger of this type of collision is minor at low speeds, they can lead to severe injuries when the two cars are driving faster. Below, we tell you everything you need to know about sideswipe accidents and remind you of how important hiring a St. Louis car accident attorney is in the event of an injury.

scratch on side of car

How They Happen

There are three common ways in which this type of accident occurs. The first is lane changes, which happen thousands of times per day in St. Louis. If the driver that is making the move isn’t looking, it could lead to a sideswipe. The second is intoxication or distraction, which cause people to drift. Lastly, drivers often try to fit into tight spaces and misjudge how large their vehicle is, which leads to a side-swipe.

What Injuries They Cause

As we mentioned above, low speeds will likely yield little or no damage at all. Higher speeds, on the other hand, frequently lead to injury. The following are three of the most common examples.

Neck and Back – Collisions jerk your body around considerably, and it is often the neck and back that receive the resulting damage. A few specific examples are sprains and strains.

Whiplash – Another result of collisions is whiplash, which is a somewhat vague physical condition. It is characterized by pain, stiffness, and a variety of other symptoms.

Bulging Discs – A disc is a piece of soft tissue that lies between your spinal cord and bones. It is a rubbery substance that is meant to absorb shock while defending the crucial nerves inside of the spine. Sometimes, the impact of a collision knocks a part of a disc too far out of its bone casing, which leads to excruciating pain.

Avoidance Tips

Our avoidance tips are essentially the opposite of the causes we described above. Still, they are worth exploring their own.

Resist Distractions – When you take your eyes off the road, you tend to drift. Additionally, you will not be able to see someone changing lanes into you. The result is not taking a necessary evasive maneuver.

Stay Sober – Intoxication increases your risk of every type of accident, so it is best to stay sober behind the wheel.

Check Your Blind Spot – A common situation in which a driver sideswipes another is when changing lanes. The blind spot is an area where cars can “hide” and surprise you with collisions.

Be Defensive – Lastly, don’t try to fit anywhere that doesn’t look big enough. If you have any indecision, then wait until traffic clears up and you can safely get on with your day.

If you ever get into a sideswipe accident, we hope that the speeds are low. If not, you could be a victim of severe damage to your health. Fortunately, this result is not quite as tragic as it might seem. The reason is that you and a skilled St. Louis car accident attorney can collaborate to get you a favorable compensation package to pay for your medical bills, lost wages, and more.

Call 24/7 for a FREE Case Evaluation

(314) 361-4242

Filed Under: Whiplash St. Louis Blog Tagged With: whiplash

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