If you have been in a car accident and have been diagnosed as having whiplash, you may be wondering if there is a chance of collecting compensation for your injuries, as well as the damage to your vehicle and associated costs. If you do file a whiplash claim or a lawsuit for your whiplash injury, you will want to know what is involved in the process and how the entire case will work. While each case is different, and your attorney will be able to better provide specifics, there are some things that normally are present in every injury claim such as this.
The first step in a personal injury claim for whiplash is having a medical professional diagnose you as having whiplash. Unfortunately, this can be difficult as many times a whiplash injury will not show up on normal imaging scans. Your X-Ray may not show a problem, but you are still experiencing pain and stiffness and other whiplash symptoms. Doctors now have ultrasound and other tests that they can do to show soft tissue damage in the neck area, which will give your attorney something to work with when and if you go to court.
If you were treated at the hospital for a whiplash type injury, or symptoms that could be whiplash, you may have simply been prescribed painkillers and anti-inflammatory medications. You should follow up with your general practitioner for more comprehensive tests such as X-Rays or other scans. Some car accident injuries can cause neurological injury and your whiplash symptoms may be a sign of even more serious injury. Do not take these symptoms lightly. You may expect to experience pain and stiffness after a car accident, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have them checked out.
When you make a personal injury claim, such as a whiplash injury, the insurance company may feel the need to have a medical expert to examine you. Depending upon how the policy is set up, and what their particular rules are, you may have to get a second opinion from this medical provider. However, you should consult with your personal injury attorney first to make sure that you are being treated fairly and that the medical provider selected is qualified and unbiased and will make a proper diagnosis of your injuries.
A personal injury attorney is vital in car accident injury cases involving whiplash, because whiplash can be difficult to diagnose and may not show up on X-Rays. The Lawyers at The Law Offices of Ledger & Associates have years of experience helping victims of car accidents collect compensation for their claim and ensuring that they are being treated fairly by the insurance company. If you are considering a whiplash lawsuit or injury claim, contact the California personal injury attorneys @ LedgerLaw.com for a consultation about your case.
