What To Do After A Whiplash Or TBI

Motor vehicle accidents can result in life-altering injuries. If you’ve been involved in a car crash, whiplash is one of the most common injuries you can sustain. This kind of injury may go unnoticed but get worse over time. Most people don’t even realize they have it until the neck or back pain becomes unbearable. By this time, the situation may have gone out of hand and require costly medical intervention.

That’s why it’s really important to respond accordingly and know what to do both medically and legally if involved in a motor vehicle accident. Getting the treatment you need and seeking legal help to ensure you get adequate financial recovery is important if you don’t want to end up paying the bills out of pocket.

What causes a whiplash?

During a car crash, the speed and suddenness of the collision make it impossible for someone to control the movement of the head. The neck can be moved side to side or backwards and forwards in a sudden force. This causes the soft tissues inside the neck to overextend beyond their usual limits. This extreme stretching and tearing of the neck is what results in whiplash. Whiplashes are painful and can result in long-lasting damage. Additionally, the signs may not manifest immediately. While the victim may experience neck, back, and shoulder pain, the symptoms may get worse over time and sentence one to a life long suffering.

What’s a TBI?

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can occur after a car accident where the victim suffered a blow to the head. Many car accident victims suffer traumatic brain injuries after hitting a windshield, a steering wheel or the dashboard of the car with the head. Just like whiplash, the symptoms of a TBI may not manifest immediately after the accident occurs. Immediately after the accident, victims may experience neck pain, headache, dizziness, and nausea. However, over time, TBI can cause seizures, severe headaches and even send the victim into a coma.

Seek medical attention for whiplash and TBI

If you or a loved one has been involved in a motor vehicle accident and you suspect TBI or whiplash, seek medical intervention immediately. The physician will check for signs of whiplash or a TBI by performing X-rays, MRIs or CTs. Severe TBI and whiplash cases can affect the victim’s daily living. Many accident victims have been unable to return to work or function after such cases not to mention the high cost of treatment that puts the families in financial strain.

Will you be eligible for compensation?

The amount of compensation that you may be eligible for will depend on the level of severity of the traumatic brain injury or whiplash. Catastrophic TBIs can result in a maximum of $1million in compensation. You’ll need to consult a personal injury lawyer who will gather all the relevant details of the collision and work with experts to ensure all your medical symptoms are properly documented. At Howard Yegendorf personal injury law firm, we offer all the legal help you need to handle a serious personal injury case.