Even at a relatively slow speed, a car accident places tremendous stress on the body. In a collision, the motorist’s body continues moving forward at the speed the car was traveling until the seatbelt locks, snapping them instantly back against the seat.
During this collision process, the heavy weight of the head forcefully whips back and forth or from side to side, overextending, stretching, and tearing delicate muscles, tendons, and nerves in the cervical spine of the neck. This causes an injury known by medical professionals as cervical acceleration-deceleration syndrome—better known as whiplash.
Contact a car accident attorney in Laredo today to pursue financial compensation for a whiplash injury — call (956) 489-1300.
How Does Whiplash Impact a Car Accident Claim In Texas?
Dealing with whiplash after a crash is painful and temporarily debilitating. Whiplash causes extreme pain, stiffness, and loss of range of motion. Because whiplash interferes with the nerves conducting messages back and forth from the brain, it causes additional symptoms, such as headaches, ringing in the ears, vision problems, anxiety, and changes in mood and personality.
Whiplash is treatable with medical intervention. Treatment often includes medications to combat inflammation, pain medications, a cervical collar, and physical therapy. Most whiplash injury victim fully recover their range of motion and mobility.
Unfortunately, whiplash is an often misunderstood condition. Car accident claims in Texas are made against the at-fault party’s insurance. Unfortunately, insurance companies often deny or undervalue whiplash injury claims. Recovering compensation for whiplash may require experienced legal representation to make a strong claim through evidence and assertive negotiations for a settlement.
Why Do Insurance Companies Commonly Deny Whiplash Injury Claims?
A whiplash injury requires medical treatment and may keep an injury victim from returning to work until they’ve recovered their range of motion and their other painful symptoms have eased. These are significant financial losses suffered by the injury victim in addition to their pain and suffering. Unfortunately, insurance companies often deny compensation claims for whiplash injuries based on the following:
- Whiplash is primarily a soft-tissue injury that does not appear on most medical imaging tests
- Whiplash can occur even in low-speed collisions with little damage to the vehicle, so insurance companies may claim the victim cannot have suffered an injury in a minor crash
- Whiplash injury victims may not seek medical care immediately after the accident because whiplash commonly has delayed symptoms, developing hours or days after the crash, as inflammation impacts nerves
Despite common insurance company denials, whiplash injuries are valid, painful, and temporarily debilitating. One medical study reveals that a significant percentage of whiplash victims report symptoms as long as twenty years after the accident date, with symptoms such as headaches, shoulder stiffness, and arm pain.
Documenting Evidence of Whiplash From a Car Accident
Whiplash injuries are just as real and painful as bone fractures and other car accident injuries, even if they aren’t as visible on X-rays. A Laredo spinal cord injury attorney can help a whiplash victim make a compelling claim for their injury-related damages, like medical expenses, lost wages, and compensation for pain and suffering. By compiling evidence, such as medical bills, employee statements showing lost earnings, eyewitness statements, and medical expert testimony, a car accident lawyer can make a strong claim for an injury victim’s full and fair compensation.