The worst thing that happens if whiplash is left untreated is often the development of chronic pain. Researchers have conducted many studies on the potential long-term effects of whiplash. A study published in the medical journal Pain suggests that between 10% and 42% of those who suffer whiplash injuries develop chronic pain symptoms.
Whiplash is an injury that often doesn’t show symptoms right away – it can take time for the body to register muscular pain after a significant adrenaline response to an accident. However, if and when symptoms do appear in the days following an accident, it is worth seeking medical attention to prevent additional harm and create evidence for your potential personal injury case.
- The Importance of Seeking Medical Treatment for a Whiplash Injury
- You May Qualify to Recover Damages for Your Whiplash Treatment and Other Losses
- Let Our Firm Build a Personal Injury Case for Your Whiplash Injury
The Importance of Seeking Medical Treatment for a Whiplash Injury
Most importantly, seeing a doctor about your neck pain after an accident can rule out other possible injuries, such as a herniated disk or spinal fracture. If it turns out that you sustained a whiplash injury, the physician can take steps to aid your recovery and reduce your risk of developing chronic pain. Treatment may include:
- A short period of rest
- Stretching exercises
- Muscle relaxants and pain medication
- Alternating hot and cold compresses
As indicated by the study from Pain, addressing emotional and psychological factors—such as fear of reinjury—has also been shown to significantly reduce pain symptoms in those who experienced whiplash.
Preventing further pain is not the only benefit of receiving prompt medical treatment for a whiplash injury. Doing so can also be a crucial step toward holding the person who harmed you financially accountable.
Creating a Medical Record of Your Whiplash Could Help You Recover Compensation
Whiplash can occur in a few different ways, including while playing sports. However, these injuries frequently result from rear-end automobile collisions. Such accidents may occur at high speeds, exerting significant force on the neck muscles that creates the conditions for severe whiplash. However, even in a low-speed collision, the forces may be sufficient so as to result in a serious whiplash injury.
When another person rear-ends your vehicle, they are often at fault for the accident and may be liable for your damages. However, waiting to get medical treatment for whiplash or other injuries could undermine your right to seek compensation. When you discuss the accident with your doctor right away, it:
- Creates a medical record of the whiplash injury and its severity
- Connects your injury to the collision
- Limits the liable party’s ability to question the severity and timing of the injury to reduce their responsibility
All of these factors are vital to the success of a personal injury claim or lawsuit. Medical records often serve as strong evidence to support financial recovery.
For a free legal consultation, call 516-932-0400
You May Qualify to Recover Damages for Your Whiplash Treatment and Other Losses
If your whiplash injury occurred in a car accident or a similar incident because of another person or entity’s negligence, you should not be left with the bill. Rather than leaving the whiplash untreated or living with medical debt, you could be eligible to seek compensation in a personal injury claim or lawsuit.
Outside of your own insurance coverage, New York State law allows you to seek compensation from the party who caused your damages in cases of severe injury or financial loss. Doing so will require:
- Outlining the liable party’s duty of care toward you
- Demonstrating how they failed in that duty
- Connecting their negligent actions to your accident
- Proving your resulting injuries and damages
Each of these steps requires time, resources, and money you may not have to spare while healing from your injuries. If you are looking for powerful legal representation in your personal injury case, our law firm is ready to take care of you by providing it.
An Injury Attorney Can Help You Seek Financial Recovery
The legal system is generally intimidating to those unfamiliar with it, which is why seeking guidance from a lawyer is often beneficial. While you give your whiplash injury the time and attention it needs to heal, our team will be working to recover damages for you. With our law firm representing you, you won’t have to worry about:
- Collecting enough substantial evidence to support your claim
- Discussing the incident with eyewitnesses, insurance adjusters, or the at-fault party
- Building a case that establishes the at-fault party’s liability
- Accurately estimating the value of each recoverable damage you suffered
- Negotiating with the insurance adjuster and determining when a settlement offer is appropriate
- Knowing when it is time to consider filing a lawsuit, and all the technical aspects of prosecuting a lawsuit, from initiating it through presentation of a case at trial to a judge and jury
When you hire a lawyer from our firm, we are at your service. Our team will handle all of these tasks and more to set you on the path to financial recovery.
Let Our Firm Build a Personal Injury Case for Your Whiplash Injury
Don’t wait to find out what happens if a whiplash injury is left untreated. Our personal injury attorneys are here to help you, by compelling the party responsible for the injury to cover your medical costs and all other damages to the full extent possible.
You should not have to avoid seeking medical treatment due to financial hardship. You should not be left at a loss due to the careless or reckless conduct of the at-fault party. You should be compensated in full for all the harm done to you. Achieving that result for you is our mission.
At Friedman & Simon, L.L.P., we represent injury victims on Long Island and throughout Greater NYC. Our staff is prepared to meet wherever is most convenient for you and will discuss your case in your preferred language, whether English, Greek, Spanish, Kannada, Tamil, and Bengali. Call today and let us begin our free review of your case: (516) 932-0400.
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