Whiplash can result from many types of accidents, but the chances are good that, if you recently experienced this painful injury, it resulted from a Port St. Lucie car accident. Even a seemingly minor accident can cause significant damage to the soft tissues of the neck, leaving you with debilitating pain, headaches, and a cluster of other symptoms that affect your ability to work or function.
Treatment for whiplash can drag on, racking up thousands of dollars of medical bills. If unable to return to work, you may struggle to pay your bills and take care of your family. If someone’s negligence caused your accident, a whiplash Port St. Lucie personal injury lawyer in Port St. Lucie, FL can help you hold the at-fault party accountable and pursue equitable financial compensation for your injuries. We can also pursue a claim through your personal injury protection (PIP) insurance.
Contact the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today at 1-800-747-3733 for a no-cost evaluation of your case.
Understanding the Nature & Severity of a Whiplash Injury
In its primary form, whiplash is a soft tissue injury that results from hyperextension and hyperflexion of the neck. This injury can also result in sprains or strains to the neck vertebrae, known as the cervical spine. This can lead to bulging or herniated discs as well as damage to muscles, ligaments, and other soft tissues.
The symptoms of whiplash may include some or all of the following:
- Neck stiffness and pain
- Headaches
- Limited range of motion in the neck
- Increased pain with movement
- Muscle spasms
- Numbness in the neck, back, or upper extremities
- Weakness in the upper extremities
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
Although whiplash victims most often suffer the symptoms listed above, the following symptoms may also occur:
- Psychological symptoms (anxiety, depression, or anger)
- Hearing problems
- Nerve damage
- Blurred or double vision
- Sleep disturbances
- Concentration or comprehension problems
Because whiplash can manifest in so many ways, doctors may misdiagnose your condition and, as a result, you could accumulate significant medical bills without any marked improvement in your condition. The pain might even prevent you from going back to work or resuming your normal job duties.
Without an accurate diagnosis and comprehensive medical treatment, many whiplash injury victims continue to experience significant pain for years.
In addition to car accidents (particular rear-end accidents), you could suffer whiplash in slip and fall accident, an amusement park or roller coaster accident, or in the workplace. In almost all these examples, negligence is likely to blame. Whenever negligence leads to an injury accident, the victim can pursue a claim for their injuries and damages.
The Challenge of Winning a Whiplash Injury Claim Settlement
Prevailing in a whiplash injury claim or lawsuit poses three substantial challenges.
Whiplash Injuries May Not Manifest for Days, Weeks, or Months
The nature of whiplash means that you may not develop painful or debilitating symptoms until long after your accident. In fact, some accident victims settle with the at-fault party’s insurance company before they know they sustained a serious injury.
Medical Imaging Tests May Fail to Document a Whiplash Injury
Standard medical imaging tests often cannot detect or diagnose whiplash injuries. All they can do is help your doctor rule out other potential causes of your pain. Instead, your doctor must manually manipulate your head and neck to determine range of motion, strength, reflexes, and areas of pain or tenderness.
Insurance Companies Typically Try to Dispute Whiplash Claims
Because imaging technology cannot provide proof of a whiplash injury, insurance companies often attempt to deny settlement claims.
Fortunately, a whiplash injury lawyer understands how to handle these complex claims to obtain the best possible outcome for you.
Calculating the Settlement Value of your Whiplash Injury Claim
To determine the amount of damages for your whiplash injury claim or lawsuit, our team will add the cost of your medical care and treatment to date as well as any property damage (i.e., car repair or replacement, towing, etc.), and all lost income to date.
Using your doctors’ treatment plans and prognosis, we will determine the amount of medical treatment and care you will require in the future, along with physical therapy, rehabilitation, medication, medical devices, and any other services you may need.
Based on your prognosis, we will also include your future lost wages, benefits, and opportunity costs. We can also include pain and suffering and any permanent injury or disability you experienced.
Why Having a Whiplash Injury Lawyer Is Important for Your Case
Whiplash injury lawyers – like the legal professionals at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine – understand the challenges of your case.
Our legal team knows how to document your whiplash injury settlement claim. We will aggressively fight for your rights and pursue equitable compensation for your injuries and damages.
To support your claim, we will obtain your treatment records and medical expert testimony documenting your injury and prognosis. If someone else had fault for your injury, we will obtain relevant evidence and information to prove negligence, including some or all of the following items:
- Accident scene photos and videos
- Accident reports
- Witness testimony
- Safety records
Once we build your case, we will submit your claim to the insurance company and begin the negotiating process. We will protect your legal rights and, if necessary, take your case to court to pursue the settlement you deserve.
We encourage our clients never to speak to the insurance company or provide a statement, as this could compromise your right to seek compensation. You may not yet know the extent of your injuries and accepting an early settlement could leave you without a way to get the treatment you need.
When you trust our firm to represent you in a whiplash injury claim, you can rest assured that we will handle all the details and fight to achieve the best possible outcome in your case – so you can focus on your recovery.
Schedule a Free Case Evaluation with a Whiplash Injury Lawyer in Port St. Lucie
We offer a free consultation and case review for whiplash injury victims in Port St. Lucie. We will help you explore your options to determine the best course of action and explain how we can help you get the medical treatment and resources you need to put your life back on track.
Contact our office today at 1-800-747-3733, to schedule your consultation with a whiplash injury lawyer in Port St. Lucie FL.
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