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Whiplash Injuries
The most common cause
of whiplash is a motor vehicle accident in which a vehicle is struck in
the rear, or rear-ended, by another vehicle. It can also occur when a car
suddenly stops after striking a fixed object, such as a pole, a wall, or
another car. A whiplash lash injury can also result when one car is
broad-sided by another vehicle.
Each year, whiplash effects more than 3 million people and costs Americans
about $23 billion. Although whiplash injuries pose a low threat to life,
they occur more frequently and often result in long-term consequences.
More than 25 percent of all rear-end collisions that occur in the United
States result in a whiplash injury and 66 percent of all insurance claims
for bodily injury include a whiplash injury. Of the 6 million injuries
suffered per year due to automobile accidents, approximately 50 percent
are whiplash injuries. Of these, 500,000 to 900,000 people will develop
chronic pain.
When a person suffers a whiplash injury, significant damage to the
ligament, discs, and joints can result. This damage and the pain that goes
with it can even occur in a low-speed crash. In fact, research shows that
if you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, regardless of whether the
vehicle is totaled or sustains no damage, you have a one-in-three chance
of suffering chronic pain due to a whiplash injury. Studies also show that
those who have the worst whiplash injuries are those who were totally
unaware of and unprepared for the crash.
What is most troubling about whiplash is that a person can be in
persistent pain and have no other specific medical findings after being
examined. For example, on examination, a joint may look normal, but
nevertheless, be a great source of pain. Unfortunately, this pain could
last a lifetime. A person who suffers a whiplash may not have any symptoms
for hours or even days after the accident. Once the symptoms occur,
however, they gradually worsen. The most common symptoms of whiplash are:
In addition to these symptoms, many whiplash patients show other symptoms
that often times seem unexplainable including:
No lawyer can tell you at the beginning of your claim how much your case
is worth until he or she has all the medical records, bills and wage loss
analysis in hand. However, by calling
800-437-2571 anytime and
explaining the specific circumstances of your accident and injuries, one
of our experienced personal injury attorneys, may be able to give you a
“ball park figure,” or if you prefer, may also use our convenient
Free Case Evaluation
submission form.
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