Whiplash is one of the most common injuries people sustain in car accidents, workplace accidents, and other types of accidents. These injuries can cause various symptoms, from mild soreness to severe pain, immobility, and other lifelong complications.
Discuss Your Case With a New Mexico Whiplash Attorney
If you have suffered an injury to your neck, including whiplash, it’s essential that you reach out to an attorney as soon as possible. At Hunt Law, our experienced litigators have successfully obtained millions in compensation. We will immediately begin investigating your case, gathering evidence, and fighting for the total amount of compensation you need and deserve. Contact the Northern New Mexico whiplash attorneys at Hunt Law today to schedule your initial consultation.
What Is Whiplash?
Whiplash is an injury that occurs when a person’s head is thrust forward and backward quickly. It is sometimes also referred to as a neck sprain or neck strain. When a person is diagnosed with whiplash, they don’t have a single injury. Instead, they have a small group of injuries that can cause strain on the ligaments, muscles, and tendons in the neck and shoulder.
Sometimes the damage is so severe that it also impacts a person’s back. The treatment depends on the patient’s specific symptoms and the doctor’s diagnosis. Doctors usually recommend rest, physical therapy, and the occasional use of a brace to take the strain off of the victim’s neck. Common symptoms include the following:
- Pain in the neck that becomes worse with movement
- Pain in the upper back and shoulder
- Stiffness of the neck
- Headaches and dizziness
- Loss of range of motion in the neck
- Vision disturbances
- Nausea
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Sleep disturbances
- Depression
- Memory problems
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
Common Causes
Whiplash accidents can occur anytime a person’s head is quickly and forcefully thrown forward and backward. As a result, many accidents and incidents can cause whiplash, including:
- Auto accidents (particularly rear-end collisions)
- Physical assault or abuse involving someone being punched or shaken
- Contact sports, such as football
- Slip and fall accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Semi-truck accidents
How Do Car Accidents Cause Whiplash?
Car accidents are one of the leading causes of whiplash. In a rear-end car accident, the passenger or driver may propel forward from the force of the collision and then be thrust backward as the car’s brakes take hold. In other cases, whiplash can occur when a vehicle is hit from the side, causing the victim’s neck to snap to the left and right.
The Lasting and Painful Effects of Whiplash
In severe cases of whiplash, the doctor may recommend ongoing rehabilitative therapy. Unfortunately, because it isn’t treated with surgery or prescribed medication in most cases, insurance companies often try to diminish the severity of whiplash. Nonetheless, this injury can cause significant long-term effects, such as difficulty moving your shoulders or neck.
Some victims of whiplash become dizzy, nauseated, have constant headaches, or lose mobility in their necks, making it difficult or impossible for them to work. It can be challenging to predict how each person will heal and whether they’ll have lasting symptoms. Generally, a person may be more likely to have chronic pain if their first symptoms were intense, began rapidly, and included:
- More limited range of motion
- Severe neck pain
- Pain that spreads to the arms
Victims who have had whiplash before, have existing low back or neck pain, are of older age, or experienced a high-speed injury are at greater risk of suffering severe, ongoing symptoms.
Compensation After an Accident
Victims can file a claim against the negligent party who caused the accident that resulted in their injuries. For example, if a drunk driver rear-ended a person, causing him whiplash, the injured individual can pursue compensation from the drunk driver. Pursuing a personal injury claim can be complicated. Depending on the facts of your case, you may be pursuing compensation from the insurance company, the driver, or both.
For example, in car accident cases, victims may be able to pursue compensation through the at-fault driver’s insurance policy or a personal injury lawsuit. Insurance companies are notorious for undervaluing whiplash claims. An insurance adjuster may try to deny your claim, stating that you weren’t injured.
The adjuster may offer you an initial settlement amount far too low, hoping you’ll accept the offer quickly. Unfortunately, injury victims often deal with extensive expenses, making it tempting to accept a low offer. At Hunt Law, our attorneys have extensive experience negotiating aggressively with insurance companies for the best settlement offer possible.
What Is My Claim Worth?
The exact amount of compensation you can obtain after a whiplash injury depends on multiple factors. Generally, the more severe and long-lasting a victim’s injuries, the more, the higher the value of the claim. A fair settlement will include enough money to cover all of the expenses related to your whiplash injury, including expenses you’ve already paid and those you’ll pay in the future.
The attorneys at Hunt Law will work diligently to determine the total amount of compensation to which you’re entitled. We frequently work with medical and financial experts to determine our clients’ future medical expenses. Under New Mexico law, victims of personal injury accidents may be entitled to the following:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Future estimated medical expenses
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Compensation for pain and suffering
Contact a Whiplash Attorney in Northern New Mexico
If you have suffered a whiplash injury in an accident, you are not alone. The attorneys at Hunt Law will evaluate your case and determine a legal strategy to obtain the compensation you deserve. Whiplash can be a serious injury, and it’s important that you work with a skilled attorney who can prove the full extent of your symptoms and financial damages. Contact the skilled personal injury attorneys at Hunt Law today to schedule your free initial consultation and learn more about your legal rights.