Whiplash is a common neck injury suffered in motor vehicle accidents. If you are diagnosed with whiplash after a car accident, you may experience neck pain and stiffness that can be severe. This injury may interfere with your daily life and ability to do your job. As a car accident victim in Las Vegas, you may qualify for financial compensation for the losses caused by a whiplash injury.
What Is Whiplash?
Whiplash is an injury that affects the soft tissues of the neck, such as the tendons, muscles, and ligaments. It is caused by a rapid back-and-forth motion of the head and neck, such as from the force of a rear-end collision. A fast backward and forward “whipping” motion can stretch, pull, and tear the soft tissues located in the neck.
What Are the Signs of Whiplash?
Immediately after a car accident occurs, you should check yourself and others for injuries. Consider whether you feel any pain, numbness, or tingling anywhere in your body. If so, seek medical attention immediately.
While every case is unique, common signs of whiplash include:
- Neck pain
- Stiffness or loss of mobility in the neck
- Diminished range of motion
- Shoulder pain and stiffness
- Headaches, often starting at the base of the skull
- Numbness or tingling in the arms and hands
- Back pain
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Fatigue or trouble sleeping
- Irritability
- Trouble concentrating
The symptoms of whiplash may arise immediately after a car accident, but in many cases, this injury can take a few hours to show signs. This is why you should always see a doctor right away for testing and injury diagnosis, even if you initially feel uninjured.
How Long Does Whiplash Usually Last?
How long a patient will deal with the symptoms of whiplash depends on many factors that are unique to each individual, such as the severity of the injury and the efficacy of treatments. In most cases, whiplash heals within a few days to about two weeks. However, it can take some longer to recover – several months or even years, in rare cases.
What Are Common Whiplash Treatments?
In general, the goal of whiplash injury treatment is to relieve the victim’s pain and other symptoms until the injury can heal on its own. Pain management options may include rest, hot or cold compresses, medications, and muscle relaxants. In some cases, a patient may require special exercises or physical therapy to restore range of motion in the neck.
Can You File an Injury Claim for Whiplash After a Car Accident?
In Nevada, under the state’s fault law, the person or party at fault for causing a car accident can be held responsible for paying for the victim’s medical bills and property repairs. All drivers are required to carry automobile insurance so that they can pay for the damage they cause to others in at-fault accidents.
If you sustain a whiplash injury in an auto accident, you may have the right to file a claim with the other driver’s car insurance company. You or your car accident attorney in Las Vegas will have to prove that the other driver is at fault using clear and convincing evidence to qualify for compensation.
Hiring an attorney to represent you during a car accident case in Las Vegas can help you recover a fair monetary award for losses such as past and future medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and property damage. Your attorney can handle negotiations with an insurer while you focus on healing from your whiplash injury.