With a coffee in hand and your favorite tune on the radio, you look forward to completing the day’s agenda. However, another motorist on the road suddenly strikes you from behind, leaving you with injuries. Now, your agenda for the day is looking very different.
Among the various types of injury you may suffer in a car accident, whiplash remains one of the most common. Here is a glimpse at what whiplash involves and what your rights are if you have suffered this type of injury as a result of another driver’s negligence.
How does whiplash occur?
Whiplash is an injury that affects your soft tissues, such as your neck’s ligaments, vertebrae and muscles. It is often a cervical strain, hyperextension injury or cervical sprain.
This type of injury typically occurs in rear-end car accidents because, in these types of crashes, the impact is forceful enough to cause your head to move violently back and forth. Whiplash can occur even if you are not moving at a high rate of speed in your car.
Whiplash consequences
You may not immediately recognize whiplash injuries, but several days after your crash, you may experience the following symptoms:
- Difficulty concentrating
- Memory challenges
- Balance problems
- Headaches
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Back pain
- Dizziness
Seeing a specialist in the medical field may be a wise move for the treatment of your injuries. For instance, you might want to consult a chiropractor, neck and back pain specialist or neurologist. The treatment you receive for your whiplash may range from a neck brace to physical therapy or even massage therapy, depending on your particular situation.
Your rights after suffering whiplash in an accident
If another driver’s carelessness has caused you to suffer whiplash, you have the right to file a personal injury claim against this person, seeking the reimbursement of monetary damages. Competent proof of negligence is necessary to establish liability in your case. Once this happens, a judge will adjudicate claims for financial damages.
If you prevail in your personal injury case, you might receive a monetary award that may help you to cover your medical bills and other accident-related expenses. Monetary compensation cannot undo the events leading to your whiplash injury, but it may help you to experience a sense of justice following such an ordeal in Texas.