Whiplash is a neck injury most commonly caused during traffic accidents. Whiplash claims can be filed in the case where you have been the victim of an accident, and thus suffer from this injury. This claim, if successful, pays for your medical treatment, lost salary, and legal costs.
Whiplash is damage to the neck and its muscles as a result of sudden shaking of the head back and forth in a very short space of time. This injury gets worse depending on how hard the head shook, and also depends on the age of the victim. It can either take several days to be cured, or in some cases it can even turn out into a permanent disability. The amount of compensation you can claim depends on the severity of the injury you suffer from.
If after an accident you suffer from stiffness or pain in the neck, legs, and shoulders followed by headaches or dizziness, you are likely to be suffering from whiplash. Ignoring this and letting the statute of limitations expire will make you ineligible of filing any personal injury claim later on. Usually, claims have to be filed within three years of the accident.
The first thing you need to do after seeking treatment is to hire a lawyer. While most of these cases do not go to court, it is important to have a lawyer for advice and doing all the necessary paper work. Your lawyer will most probably work on a “No Win No Fee” agreement basis where you do not have to pay the fees unless you win. This is usually a claim where it is a part of the settlement with the other driver’s insurance company. Your lawyer will file a claim for you seeking payment for your medical bills, or other bills including lost salary, and legal fees charges.
Usually these cases are very simple, and as long as you are not the one at fault, the other driver’s insurance company will settle on an agreement with you as quickly as possible.
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