Have you recently suffered a whiplash injury in a San Diego accident? Is someone else responsible for causing the crash? If so, you have the right to demand compensation. Contact our San Diego whiplash injury attorney to learn about the benefits of filing a personal injury lawsuit for damages. With our help, you can maximize the financial settlement or award you receive. Call us today to schedule a free consultation. We’ll review your case and answer any questions you have.
Whiplash Injuries in San Diego
Whiplash is a soft-tissue injury that can result in severe neck pain and limited mobility. It occurs when your head moves back and forth rapidly, typically as the result of an accident or fall. Rear-end car accidents are the leading cause of whiplash in San Diego.
When your car is rear-ended, your seat absorbs the impact of the crash. The seat then presses into your back. This can place a great deal of stress on your cervical spine and cause pressure to move upward toward your head. Your torso then moves forward while your head slams back toward the headrest, causing your spine to come out of alignment. Your head then accelerates forward quickly, causing damage to your neck, spine, and soft tissue. Since your body is restrained by a seatbelt, your head can overextend easily.
There are more than 3 million reported whiplash injuries in the United States every year. Factors that may increase your risk of suffering whiplash include:
- You’re a woman (women are 5 times more likely to suffer whiplash than men)
- You’re between the ages of 30 and 50, or
- You have suffered whiplash in the past.
Common Whiplash Symptoms
Whiplash is a unique injury. Some victims will experience symptoms immediately after an accident. Others will not notice signs of whiplash until days, weeks, or even months later. It’s important to seek medical attention if you experience any of the following symptoms of whiplash after an accident:
- Neck pain or stiffness
- Limited range of motion in the neck and shoulders
- Numbness or tingling
- Headache
- Blurred vision
- Ringing in the ears
- Balance issues
- Pain, numbness, or tingling extending to the shoulders, back, or arms
- Irritability
- Depression, or other mental health issues.
Who long do symptoms of whiplash typically last? It depends. However, 75 percent of whiplash victims do experience symptoms for more than 6 months. About half of all whiplash victims experience pain and symptoms more than 20 years after their accident.
Causes of Whiplash in San Diego
Whiplash is most frequently associated with car accidents. While rear-end crashes are the leading cause of whiplash injuries, there are also other causes of whiplash. These include:
- Boating accidents
- Bus accidents
- Recreational vehicle accidents
- Rideshare accidents
- Slips and falls
- Assault and abuse, and
- Sports accidents.
Crash Speed and Whiplash Injuries
Whiplash is a common injury following a car accident. You may be surprised to learn that speed is not necessarily the most important factor when assessing the risk of whiplash. Studies have shown that passengers can sustain whiplash in crashes at speeds as low as 5 MPH. In fact, most whiplash injuries occur when cars are moving at speeds less than 15 MPH.
This is not to say that high-speed crashes won’t result in whiplash injuries. High-speed collisions can also cause victims to suffer from whiplash. The greater the force upon impact, the more severe the whiplash injury may be.
Damages Available to Whiplash Victims in San Diego
The costs of whiplash should not be underestimated. Medical costs can add up quickly. Since the symptoms of whiplash can stick around for a while, most victims need long-term follow-up care. Recovery can take a while, which can affect your ability to work. As a result, the average whiplash victim is forced to miss about 8 weeks of work. Your loss of income can make paying your medical bills and taking care of day-to-day expenses a challenge.
Filing a personal injury lawsuit can help you cover your costs. At Injury Trial Lawyers, APC, our attorneys will aggressively pursue compensation on your behalf. We will demand economic and non-economic damages, including those for:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Disability
- Emotional trauma, and
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
Call our San Diego whiplash attorneys today to get started on your legal case. We’re here to help you recover the money you deserve.
Why It’s Important to Get Help With Your Whiplash Injury Lawsuit
A whiplash injury can really disrupt your life. Recovering money from a personal injury claim can help to make things a little bit easier. However, the last thing you need to do is deal with the stress of a lawsuit. Hiring a lawyer to represent you and handle your case is one of the best decisions you can make. Here’s why it’s important to hire a lawyer and how our San Diego whiplash attorneys can help.
Recovery Takes Time
The symptoms of whiplash can stay with you for months. Severe cases can cause you to suffer from chronic pain for years. The best treatment involves medication, time, and a lot of patience. Spending time focusing on your recovery will allow you to get better as soon as possible. If you try to handle a personal injury claim on your own you are taking valuable time and energy away from that recovery. Hiring an attorney gives you time to focus on yourself and increases the chances of maximizing the amount of money you get.
Insurance Companies Don’t Want You to Hire an Attorney
Insurance companies will do whatever they can to limit the amount of money you get after an accident. They may deny responsibility or try to trick you into accepting a lowball offer. They do not want you to hire a lawyer. Why? They know they’ll be forced to pay a lot more money when you are represented by a skilled attorney. At Injury Trial Lawyers, we will not allow insurance companies to take advantage of your pain and suffering. We’ll gather the evidence we need to support your case and demand that they extend a fair settlement offer.
Determining the Value of Your Case Can Be Tough
How much is your whiplash injury case worth? What kind of damages are you entitled to receive? Insurance companies want to answer these questions and undervalue your case. Hiring an attorney will prevent them from doing so. Our San Diego whiplash injury attorney will thoroughly investigate your case to:
- Determine all possible causes, and
- Identify who is to blame.
We’ll also work with experts to make sure that the full extent of your injuries is understood. We don’t just want to look at your expenses today, but also determine how your injury may affect you in the future. Taking these simple steps will help us to ensure that your case is valued properly and that you get the money you deserve.
Call Our San Diego Whiplash Injury Attorney
Have you suffered whiplash because of a San Diego accident? Is someone else to blame? If so, you may be entitled to compensation. Our San Diego whiplash injury attorney is here to help you maximize the financial award you receive. Contact our office today to schedule a free consultation. We’ll explain your rights, review your case, and answer any questions you have.