Did You Suffer Whiplash in a Car Wreck?

Our Wichita auto accident injury lawyers are ready to help

Whiplash is a common injury following car wrecks, often in rear-end accidents. It’s a painful muscular injury that can impact your daily activities. It can be serious enough to keep you from working. The auto accident injury lawyers at PISTOTNIK LAW know the impact that whiplash can have and fight to help you recover maximum compensation.

During a car wreck, your head can whip violently backward and forwards, much like the cracking of a whip. Muscles, ligaments, and tendons in the neck can be stretched. Symptoms may include pain in the back, neck or shoulders, stiffness, headaches, and dizziness. Symptoms may also get worse in the days after an auto accident.

Recovery from whiplash can be less than 30 days, or in severe cases, can take much longer. Treatment often involves rest, physical therapy and pain medication, but can include trigger point injections. You may also need to wear a neck brace or collar. You may need follow-up visits with a doctor to make sure you are healing properly.

How Do I Know If I Have Whiplash From a Car Accident?

Whiplash is a generic term for muscular or tendon injury. Whiplash symptoms can worsen if left untreated. It is common, when a person has neck pain, upper torso pain, and even shoulder pain, that medical personnel will label the injury as whiplash.  Other labels can include “pain”, sprain, strain, muscular pain, myofascial pain, and there are many other labels.  When you get a medical evaluation, a doctor can identify the injury and begin treatment before it leads to further complications.  After treatment starts, if the symptoms fail to improve, it is common for doctors to get additional testing like MRIs,  or CT scans, which can lead to a change of diagnosis to something more severe, like herniated discs.

During an examination, a doctor will check range of motion in your neck, monitor the degree of pain, and any tenderness. They may also check for headaches, dizziness, or numbness.

X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs may be used to rule out other conditions or to assess for more severe injuries such as fractures, dislocations, or damage to the spinal cord, especially if the symptoms are severe or persistent.

What Are the Long-Term Residuals of Whiplash?

If left untreated, whiplash can lead to long term symptoms. That includes chronic neck pain and stiffness, chronic headaches, nerve damage, reduced range of motion, and other problems.

How Is Whiplash Diagnosed and Treated?

Healthcare providers use the SOAP acronym which represents a widely used method of documentation for injuries.  This stands for subjective, objective, assessment, and plan. They’ll ask about the details of your car accident, the onset of symptoms, and the specific nature of the pain and discomfort.  Subjectively, they want your report of symptoms.

A doctor will also check the range of motion in your neck and shoulders, assess the degree of motion that causes pain, and check for tenderness in the neck, shoulders, or back.  Objectively, the exam notes the doctor’s findings.

While standard X-rays can’t detect whiplash, they are often used to rule out other conditions like fractures or dislocations. More detailed imaging tests, such as an MRI or a CT scan, might be used if your doctor suspects a more severe injury, particularly if you have severe or persistent symptoms.  Assessment means their impression or diagnosis regarding the medical  term for labeling your injury.

Plan refers to what the healthcare provider will do to treat your injury.  Treatment for whiplash may include:

• Over-the-counter pain medications or prescription medications.
• Rest and activity modification.  This may include off work recommendations.
• Physical therapy.
• Heat and cold therapy.
• Alternative therapies such as massage, chiropractic care, or acupuncture.
• Referral for more diagnostic tests like an MRI.

Do I Have a Case If I Get Whiplash From a Car Wreck?

You are entitled to financial compensation for whiplash injuries you received from an auto accident caused by another driver’s negligence. The insurance company likely will not take your injuries seriously. An experienced injury lawyer can pursue legal action for you and build a strong case that leads to a successful resolution to help you recover for your damages.

Even when the insurance adjuster accepts responsibility for the car wreck and admits their driver was at fault, the adjuster will try to minimize the extent of damages for injuries labeled whiplash.

Insurance adjusters are mostly interested in protecting their company’s financial situation. To keep profits as high as possible, they will try to keep payments as low as possible. There are many tactics that they use to try to limit your financial compensation.

Despite what an insurance adjuster might value a whiplash case at, remember you have a right to present evidence to a jury about how the injury has affected you, and ultimately the jury determines value.

Should I Get a Lawyer for My Whiplash Case?

Whiplash is a serious and painful injury, but it can be difficult to settle. A lawyer with experience, legal knowledge and resources can make a big difference. Strong cases built on evidence and medical opinion often force insurance companies to negotiate a settlement that is fair.

The insurance companies have trained adjusters and lawyers looking out for their best interests. That’s why you need an experienced car accident injury lawyer who will fight for you. Our firm knows how insurance companies operate and how to fight to help you recover fair compensation.

Our legal team gathers evidence and carefully reviews police reports and medical records. We locate and interview witnesses. If needed, we consult accident reconstruction experts and other specialists who can help us prove your case.

Our firm has been fighting for the injured since 1987 and has earned a strong reputation with insurance companies. They know that we are always prepared with strong cases and don’t stop fighting for clients until we get fair results. Our reputation allows us to negotiate a fair settlement.

If you have whiplash from a Wichita car accident, it’s important to get legal advice as soon as possible. Calling us soon after a wreck allows us to provide important advice on steps for you to take to maximize your case. Contact us to schedule a free consultation with our experienced auto accident injury lawyers.