When you’re involved in a car accident, especially if you have been rear-ended, you may suffer from whiplash. While it is a common injury in these types of events, it can leave you in serious pain that disrupts your ability to live a normal life.
You shouldn’t be left to cover the expensive medical costs associated with treatment when a negligent driver has caused you harm. For whiplash legal help in Washington, you can count on the attorneys at Jacobs and Jacobs Personal Injury Law. We are committed to helping car accident victims with whiplash get the justice and compensation they deserve. Contact us today to discuss your case with a Washington State whiplash lawyer.
Understanding Whiplash
Whiplash is a common neck injury associated with rear-end collisions, though it can happen in other types of car accidents. It gets its name from the sudden whipping motion that is caused to the head as it jerks violently backward and forward.
With whiplash, the muscles and ligaments in the neck are strained beyond their normal range. It can be incredibly painful, resulting in neck pain, stiffness, limited range of motion in the neck, and headaches. Other symptoms may arise with whiplash, including pain in the upper back, arms, or shoulders that may cause tingling or numbness.
Car accident victims who suffer from whiplash often experience fatigue and dizziness as well. While whiplash can be treated with pain medications, physical therapy, alternating between hot and cold compresses, and rest, some may be left with lasting complications. These may include chronic pain in the neck, head, or shoulders, difficulty concentrating, irritability, tinnitus, anxiety, and depression.
Prompt diagnosis of injuries after a car crash is necessary to start treatment and have a better chance of preventing long-term symptoms from whiplash. It also provides medical documentation that is necessary for making a car accident claim, allowing you to seek compensation for your medical expenses and other financial losses from this injury.
Legal Rights and Options in Whiplash Injury Claims
After a car accident that someone else caused, you may recover compensation from the at-fault party. Washington State follows an at-fault insurance model, which holds the at-fault party liable for paying damages to the injured parties. However, these cases can be much more complicated without the legal support of a whiplash claims attorney in Washington.
The state’s rule for pure comparative negligence also allows for shared fault in car accidents. It is common practice among insurance companies to find ways to blame injured victims to reduce the compensation award. For example, if you were rear-ended, the tail end of your vehicle may be dented but it may still be drivable. You might be inclined to assume you’re fine, but after a day or two, you may be in serious pain, prompting you to go to the doctor.
Any delayed medical treatment can be viewed by insurers as their way out of paying you what you deserve. They can argue that you got hurt after the accident. Additionally, rear-end accidents are almost always the fault of the driver in the rear. That won’t stop them from trying to claim your negligent actions caused their policyholder to crash into your car.
There are endless ways they will try to spin the case in their favor, and when they can assign some of the fault to you, this reduces the amount you receive. Although pure comparative negligence allows you to seek compensation even if you are 99% at fault, the percentage assigned to you may significantly decrease your compensation award, leaving you stuck with a mountain of medical bills that you’ll be forced to pay out of pocket.
Additionally, even in cases where liability is crystal clear, the at-fault driver may only have the most basic required insurance coverage allowed by Washington State. Their policy may not be enough to cover your damages and you may want to consider taking additional action to recover the financial losses they’ve caused you to incur.
For these reasons, make sure you reach out to a car wreck attorney at Jacobs and Jacobs Injury Law Group. We offer free initial consultations to help you learn more about your legal rights and options.
Get Compensation for Your Whiplash Injuries in WA
Whiplash might be a common injury in a car accident, though a variety of unique factors can make the costs for treatment drastically different. Mild to moderate whiplash injuries may be easier to treat but it can be costly. If you sustain a severe case of whiplash, your compensation may be significantly higher since the lasting impacts of your injury may affect the quality of your daily life for years to come.
When it comes to seeking compensation for whiplash, it is important to calculate the full extent of your economic and non-economic losses. A Washington State whiplash lawyer can determine a fair settlement figure by totaling your medical expenses for your hospital visit, prescriptions, physical therapy, and other medical bills. They will also look at how much income you lost while you were recovering from your whiplash injuries.
In cases where whiplash is severe, the chronic pain and impacts that result from it may also be compensated for your pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life. Many accident victims try to file whiplash claims on their own, only to be taken advantage of by the insurance company. Contact a whiplash claims attorney in Washington at Jacobs and Jacobs Injury Law Group to make sure you get the full compensation you deserve.
The Process for Filing a Washington State Whiplash Claim
In the aftermath of a Washington State car accident, make sure you follow the right process for filing your injury claim.
Seek Immediate Medical Care
Many victims view rear-end accidents as an annoyance, and don’t realize how vulnerable they are to whiplash injuries. While this is surely not the way you planned to spend your day, we recommend that you either visit a hospital or urgent care center for a medical evaluation. If doctors determine that you have whiplash, it will be documented with medical records and you will be provided with a treatment plan.
Keep Comprehensive Documentation
Stay organized with your medical bills and receipts, keeping them filed in one place. In addition to documentation of your injuries and treatment, make sure you have a copy of the police report of your case, photos, and witness contact information. These items can all be used as evidence in your whiplash claim.
Follow Doctors’ Orders
If you are diagnosed with whiplash, you should follow the treatment plan provided by your doctor. This means attending all follow-up appointments, scheduling with specialists, attending physical therapy, and taking the full course of any medications you are prescribed.
Some people start feeling better after a week or two of taking their medications and stop using them. This may be all that the insurance company needs to claim that you aren’t as injured as you claim and they’ll use that to justify a lower payout.
Avoid Discussing Your Case
As people increasingly rely on social media to share their lives with others, it is in your best interests to avoid posting about your accident and your injuries on social media. While your case is open, you should refrain from discussing it with anyone, with the exception of an attorney. Insurers and their attorneys will often comb through your posts to find information that can be used against you.
Secure Whiplash Legal Help in Washington
Insurance claims can be difficult to manage on your own, especially while you are in significant pain. Knowing what to do and what actions to avoid can be tricky. At Jacobs and Jacobs Injury Law Group, we understand the intricacies of the law and the tactics used by insurers to reduce settlements. Let us help you fight for your full and fair compensation today.
Why Choose Jacobs and Jacobs Injury Law Group?
At Jacobs and Jacobs Injury Law Group, we are committed to serving our clients. By prioritizing your needs and focusing on you, we do our due diligence to pursue a favorable outcome. Our law group has a combined experience of over 100 years and we have an extensive track record of success in complex cases.
With a whiplash claims attorney in Washington, you will have someone who fully understands how the symptoms you’re experiencing can disrupt all areas of your life. We use our resources to hire expert witnesses to testify about the cause of the accident as well as your condition, including your diagnosis and prognosis. With these resources, we are capable of attaining settlements that properly serve the needs of the injured.
Contact us for a free case evaluation, where we will examine the facts of your case and determine if you have a valid claim for pursuing legal action. We outline all of your options, answer all of your questions, and will never push you to make a decision that does not align with your interests. Schedule this no-obligation consultation today to make the best decision to meet your needs.