Some might think a whiplash injury isn’t severe. However, it can become quite consequential when dealing with cervical and upper spine injuries. As with any injuries that might occur due to the negligence of others, whiplash injuries can result in accruing medical bills, lost earnings, long recovery times, and much pain and suffering.
If you are involved in an accident or had a hard fall and start to feel pain or stiffness in your back, limited mobility when turning your head or neck, or neurological symptoms like muscle weakness, abnormal sensations, and headaches, you should seek help from a medical professional. Once it’s been determined that you have a whiplash condition, consult a skilled whiplash injury attorney to get compensation for any financial losses and deterioration of your quality of life due to your whiplash condition.
Most incidences of whiplash occur when involved in a car accident or a slip-and-fall event. When someone rear-ends your car, or you slip on something and fall hard to the ground, the force of the impact causes your neck to involuntarily move or twist in such a way that the movement causes extreme compression or extension of the neck. This compressed or overextended state of the neck may push ligaments and muscles beyond what they can tolerate causing strains or sprains to them.
You can get whiplash at any age when involved in these incidents. However, people over 65 can have more severe consequences if they suffer from whiplash. Because they’re more prone to age-related muscle and bone deterioration, their cervical spinal injury can result in more than just stretched ligaments and muscles. They are more susceptible to torn ligaments and muscles and more severe spinal issues like herniated discs or fractures.
After you have been involved in a personal injury incident and you start to notice symptoms around your neck, shoulders, upper back, and head, you’ll want to see a medical professional immediately. Unfortunately, while a doctor is conducting physical exams and tests to confirm your whiplash injury, this incurs costs that you may not be able to pay, nor should you have to pay if your injuries were someone else’s fault.
For example, doctor’s office visits can cost between $300 to $600 every time you go. Determining the severity of the whiplash injury may require diagnostic imaging tests, such as X-ray, MRI, and CT scans. Typical X-ray costs can range from $260 to $460, while MRI and CT scans can be more expensive. Now that the doctor has diagnosed you with whiplash, you’ll have to pay for treatment options to recover.
First, you’ll have to wear a C-collar for about two or three weeks that will immobilize your neck and head to protect your injury from excessive movement and keep your neck muscles from bearing the weight of your head. The C-collar will cost you about $50. Then you’ll need pain and anti-inflammatory medication to ease your suffering. You can expect to pay about $100 for prescription analgesics or NSAIDs while paying about $150 for muscle relaxants. Also, add the costs of hot and cold compresses to ease swelling and pain.
To add to the costs, you’ll need physical therapy to regain mobility and help relieve whiplash-associated symptoms. Expect to pay about $80 a session for physical therapy. Depending on how long you need it, the sessions add up. Imagine the costs if you have more severe whiplash injuries and require more expensive treatment options to relieve chronic pain. Examples of advanced and costly treatment methods include nerve block medication, radio frequency (RF) nerve ablation, or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy. If none of these treatments can ease your chronic pain, the last resort treatment option will be spinal surgery which costs about $20,000.
Another factor that you must take into consideration is any loss of earnings that may occur during your recovery period, especially if your condition is severe enough to require surgery. The days you had to miss from work due to your injury caused by someone else shouldn’t have to be taken in the form of sick or vacation days. Your Sacramento whiplash lawyer may be able to include lost income when negotiating compensation.
Pain and suffering may also be a cost to recover. Even though pain and suffering isn’t an absolute dollar amount, your attorney can calculate pain and suffering damages and negotiate the claim on your behalf. Your Sacramento lawyer may use the multiplier method, which multiplies your financial damages like medical bills and lost earnings with a number between one and five. The multipliers one through five indicate the degree of pain and suffering you endure.
Sometimes symptoms of whiplash injuries don’t manifest themselves until later. Because of this, the severity of your whiplash injuries and when they occurred might be hard to prove. You’ll need the advice and representation of a lawyer to navigate the legal complexities of your circumstances and obtain financial relief as you recover from your cervical spine injury.
Your Sacramento whiplash attorney will be able to collect documentation and evidence that backs up your whiplash claim. Your attorney can use this information as leverage during negotiations to get you the maximum compensation you should receive.
Jonathan M. Kashani is the founder of Kash Legal Group, specializing in personal injury law with a commitment to providing personalized client services and high-quality legal representation. He holds a Juris Doctorate with honors from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law and is admitted to practice in all state courts of California and the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
Whiplash injuries can be just as severe as any injury sustained in an automobile accident or a hard fall caused by someone else’s negligence. As you seek help for your cervical spine injuries from a medical professional, you should also consult the whiplash lawyers at Kash Legal to help relieve your financial burden while recovering.
Injured victims can count on the attorneys at Kash Legal to provide the most effective and resolute legal guidance they need. Rely on them to support your claim and negotiate on your behalf to get compensation for your whiplash injuries. Call Kash Legal at (888) 527-4128 or complete our contact form to arrange a free consultation.
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