Vehicle collisions are unpredictable and the severity of your injuries dependent on so many factors.
Depending on the circumstances of your accident, some of the most common injuries individuals suffer from are neck strains – also known as whiplash. Whiplash injuries frequently occur in rear-end accidents as occupants are generally thrust forward in a very unsafe manner.
However, a car accident is not the only scenario in which whiplash can occur. Whiplash injuries can also occur in instances involving:
- Contact Sports: Football, soccer, hockey, martial arts, etc.
- Physical Abuse: Assault can produce head and/or neck trauma.
- Child Abuse: Children are susceptible to neck/head trauma when physically abused.
- Slip and Fall Accidents: A slip and fall accident can lead to serious head or neck injuries.
Let your New Orleans attorneys at the Cardone Law Firm provide you the information you need regarding your whiplash injury.
What is whiplash?
Whiplash is a neck injury that occurs due to a violent back-and-forth movement of the neck. In a whiplash incident, the intervertebral joints (located between vertebrae), discs, ligaments, cervical muscles, and nerve roots may become damaged due to impact.
What are some of the symptoms of whiplash?
The full effects of whiplash may not be felt at first but symptoms will generally begin to develop within 24 hours of the initial trauma. Signs that you have suffered from whiplash may include:
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Headache
- Shoulder pain
- Back pain
- Hand or arm numbness
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
In certain instances, if the trauma is severe, individuals may suffer from additional health issues such as:
- Blurred vision
- Depression
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering
- Irritability
- Ringing in the ears
A severe whiplash injury may also result in a brain injury or concussion.
How is whiplash detected after an accident and is it treatable?
A whiplash injury cannot necessarily be seen with standard x-rays. In order to effectively diagnose the damage, additional tests, such as a CT scan, may be needed. In terms of treatment for whiplash, there is no specific plan but there are various tools that may be used to relieve victims of pain, including:
- Pain relieving medication
- Light exercise
- Physical therapy
- Massages
- Injections
If you or a loved one have suffered a neck injury as the result of a personal injury accident, Cardone Law Firm can be of service to you. Our trustworthy and dependable New Orleans personal injury attorneys are ready to work hard to help you recover the necessary care and financial compensation you need to get back on your feet as soon as possible.
How Much Is My Whiplash Injury Worth?
There is NOT a set value given for every neck injury or whiplash claim. The amount of recovery you are able to secure is dependent on a number of factors, the defendants level of liability in the claim, and can even be affected by the venue (location) where your claim is made.
Generally, the more severe the neck injury you have suffered, the greater the compensation will be. Injuries such as fractured neck bones tend to result in larger settlements in comparison to soft tissue issues.
Factors that can determine how much you are able to secure in financial recovery include:
- The severity of your injury and the medical costs associated with the treatment of said injury.
- Lost wages and whether or not you will be able to return to your previous workload/position.
- Non-economic damages will also be taken into consideration and can include emotional pain and suffering, mental anguish, and other subjective factors.
- The defendant’s legal liability and your role in the incident.
These losses are then added up and then multiplied by a factor of between 1 to 5 depending on the severity of your injuries and the accompanying damages you have suffered.
Settlements and Verdicts Cardone Law Firm Has Secured for Victims of Neck and/or Back Injuries
- $875,000 – Settlement received in a head-on collision producing severe back injuries.
- $500,000 – Settlement received for a victim with back and neck injuries sustained in a rear-end collision.
- $375,000 – Settlement achieved in a low impact car crash producing neck and back injuries.
- $250,000 – Pedestrian received neck and back injuries from being struck by a vehicle.
- $180,000 – Settlement received for victims of an 18-wheeler accident who suffered neck and back injuries.
- $140,000 – Settlement for rear-end car collision producing severe back and neck injuries.
- $130,000 – For a victim of an 18-wheeler crash that produced severe neck injuries.