The Commonality and Risks of Whiplash

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Whiplash Injury

Whiplash is one of the most common injuries that can occur in a motor vehicle accident, especially a rear-end collision. There are an estimated 3 million cases of whiplash reported in the U.S. alone every year. The injury may not manifest until a few days after the accident, which is why is it important to ensure that as soon as the pain begins you are working with a legal professional on the case.

The longer that you wait to file a claim against the person whose fault the accident was, the more difficult it may be to prove your claim. You can file a legal claim against someone who causes a motor vehicle accident to cover medical bills, compensate for present and future lost wages, punitive damages for pain and suffering, and for any other costs associated with the whiplash; some cases may be so severe as to require physical therapy, for example.

But what is true whiplash? Stereotypical depictions of the injury often allude to the fact that it can be easy to pretend: in the event of a minor car accident, it is not uncommon for people to claim that they have suffered whiplash, when in fact it is not true. True whiplash is a serious condition, however. While commonly used to describe motion of and injuries to the neck, its medical definition describes a motion traveling down one’s spine, and does not, in fact, refer to neck motion.

Because there are some 3 million cases of whiplash every year, it is no surprise that whiplash is one of the most costly injuries associated with common motor vehicle accidents. Neck injuries from rear-end collisions alone—not counting any other type of accident—account for nearly $30 billion in legal costs and costs associated with the injury. This is in part due to the fact that whiplash can lead to other more seriously debilitating conditions, such as the degeneration of a spinal disk, including disk bulges, herniations, and disk protrusion.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of a car accident and suspect you may be suffering from whiplash, the most important step is to seek legal counsel. Do not go through it alone. Contact an experienced Lake County car accident attorney today.