CHICAGO WHIPLASH LAWYER

Chicago Whiplash Injury Attorney

Whiplash injuries are some of the most commonly reported injuries from car accidents, but people can suffer whiplash from other types of accidents too. Although whiplash is generally considered a minor injury, accident victims can suffer from chronic pain, insomnia, dizziness, and other uncomfortable symptoms for weeks or even months. This can lead whiplash injury victims to take time off work and go to several doctor’s appointments. A combination of lost wages and medical expenses can cause significant financial stress for many whiplash victims. That’s why you need a Chicago whiplash lawyer from Curcio & Casciato on your side.

If you or a loved one has experienced whiplash due to someone else’s negligence, you may have grounds to recover significant financial compensation. Chicago personal injury lawyers and Chicago catastrophic injury lawyers at Curcio & Casciato have been representing clients who suffer whiplash for over 60 years. Call a whiplash injury lawyer today at 312-321-1111 to file a claim and potentially recover compensation.

Chicago Whiplash Lawyer

What is Whiplash?

Whiplash is a minor spinal cord injury that most commonly occurs from rear end car accidents. During a rear end accident, a driver’s head usually moves violently forward and backward from the force of the collision. This level of force snaps a person’s neck and torso like a whip. This motion results in soft tissue injuries in the neck, which is what we call whiplash. In severe car accident cases, people can suffer damage to their cervical vertebrae and nerves.

What Are Common Causes of Whiplash?

Car accidents aren’t the only cause of this type of neck injury. Other common causes of serious whiplash injuries include:

  • Sports accidents
  • Work-related accidents
  • Domestic violence or aggravated assault
  • Horseback riding
  • Slip and fall accidents
  • Nursing home falls
  • Bicycle accidents
  • Amusement park rides
  • Any kind of blow to the head that causes an intense back and forth motion

If you have suffered a whiplash injury due to one of these accidents, you may have grounds to file a personal injury claim. Be sure to contact a Chicago auto accident lawyer, Chicago slip and fall accident lawyer, Chicago nursing home fall accident lawyer, Chicago bicycle accident lawyer, or a Chicago amusement park injury lawyer today for more information.

Whiplash Symptoms

Common symptoms of whiplash include:

  • Neck pain
  • Limited range of motion in the neck
  • Headaches that radiate from the base of the skull
  • Blurred vision
  • Pain in the shoulders, arms, upper back, and lower back
  • Tingling and numbness in the arms
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue
  • Nausea
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Ringing in the ears after a car accident
  • General irritability
  • Cognitive issues such as memory loss and difficulty concentrating

In addition to physical trauma, a person might also experience psychological symptoms. These include PTSD, travel anxiety, flashbacks, and avoidance of travel.

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How Long Does it Take for Whiplash Symptoms to Appear?

Whiplash symptoms may not always appear immediately after a car accident. Most people who have sustained whiplash will notice initial symptoms appear within 24 to 72 hours following a car accident.

You should schedule an appointment with your doctor as soon as you notice symptoms of whiplash. If your numbness, weakness, or other symptoms spread to your arms or shoulders, you should seek treatment immediately. You should also seek urgent care if movement of your head is restricted or severely painful.

What Does Whiplash Feel Like?

If you’ve suffered whiplash, you will likely feel lots of soreness and pain from the upper back all the way up to the top of your head. You may feel exhausted and dizzy as well.

Without timely treatment, neck injuries like this can get progressively worse. The pain and discomfort that comes from whiplash can limit or even restrict someone’s ability to perform everyday activities, such as working or driving.

Whiplash Treatments

If you think you may have whiplash following an accident, you should seek medical care right away. Sometimes, over-the-counter medication and at-home care are enough to treat a minor whiplash injury. Meanwhile, serious cases of whiplash injuries may require prescription medication, physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, or specialized pain treatment. You’ll want to see a professional to insure the pain is just whiplash, as there are several car-wreck-related types of spine injures.

To lessen the pain of your whiplash injury, your doctor will likely recommend one or more of the following treatments:

  • Rest
  • Heat and cold therapy (such as a heating pad or ice pack)
  • Over-the-counter pain medication
  • Prescription medication (provided by your doctor)
  • Muscle relaxants

Your doctor may also recommend a foam collar in order to stabilize your neck. These collars should only be used for the first few days following the incident and only for up to three hours at a time.

How Long Does Whiplash Last?

The symptoms of a whiplash injury can last anywhere from a few days to several months. The average recovery time for whiplash injury symptoms is typically a few weeks, with most accident victims having fully recovered within three months.

whiplash attorney

Can Whiplash Cause Permanent Damage?

Can whiplash cause permanent damage?

In rare cases, whiplash victims can suffer long-term, serious consequences as a result of their car crash. Long-term health consequences are most commonly associated with people who don’t receive adequate medical care or people who suffer damage to their cervical vertebrae and nerves. These people may experience chronic neck pain, headaches, dizziness, cognitive issues, and neck mobility problems.

Can I File a Personal Injury Lawsuit for Whiplash?

Yes, if your case of whiplash was caused by someone else’s negligence (e.g. a drunk driver or a distracted driver), you can certainly file a personal injury claim in order to demand compensation for your medical bills, physical trauma, lost wages, etc. A Chicago whiplash lawyer at Curcio & Casciato can review the facts of your case and help you fight for a just settlement.

Filing a Whiplash Injury Claim

In order to make a whiplash claim, there are a few steps you should take to ensure your case is valid. The first thing to do following the accident is to exchange information with the other party and file a police report. This information includes their name, contact information, insurance provider and policy number. You should also make a note of their license plate number. If the incident was a hit-and-run and the guilty party fled the scene or otherwise refuses to provide insurance details, call the police immediately. They will be able to file a report and provide you with a crime reference number. 

Contact a Chicago hit and run lawyer for more information.

At the scene, make sure to take photographs of the area where the accident occurred, as well as any damage done to all cars involved. If one or more people watched the auto accident happen, ask them for their contact details as well. Their independent and unbiased witness to the accident can significantly strengthen your case.

The next step is to reach out to your own insurance provider. Report the accident and any car occupant injuries. As the driver, you have a responsibility to inform your insurance company within 24 hours following the incident, even if you were not the one responsible.

Once you notice symptoms of whiplash, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Inform the healthcare professional of your symptoms and take their advice in regards to treatment and recovery. Having this in your medical records can also strengthen your whiplash injury case.

Finally, seek strong legal representation from Curcio & Casciato. Each Chicago whiplash lawyer at our law firm offers free consultations for personal injury victims. Once you provide our attorneys with details of your car accident, we will help you determine if filing a whiplash injury case is the best course of action. If that is the best course of action, our experienced Chicago whiplash lawyers will walk you through the whole legal process and help you recover adequate whiplash injury compensation.

Damages for a Whiplash Injury

If you suffered a whiplash injury due to someone else’s negligence, a Chicago whiplash injury lawyer can help you recover financial compensation for the following damages:

  • Medical bills
  • Physical therapy bills
  • Physical pain and suffering
  • Emotional trauma related to the car accident
  • Lost wages
  • Loss of earning capacity

Chicago whiplash injury attorneys can help you calculate lost wages, calculate pain and suffering, and calculate other types of damages in your claim.

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Call a Chicago Whiplash Lawyer at Curcio & Casciato Today

Without an experienced whiplash injury attorney, whiplash victims could suffer weeks, months, or years of chronic pain and suffering without a just settlement. The Chicago car accident lawyers and Chicago truck accident lawyers at Curcio & Casciato believes that all personal injury victims deserve enough compensation to restore their lives to the way it was before the pain, medical bills, and lost wages. Sometimes a settlement from an insurance company is not enough to do that.

If you have suffered whiplash injuries and other physical trauma from a car accident and you’re ready to pursue compensation, call a Chicago whiplash lawyer at 312-321-1111 today. We offer a free consultation to all new clients.