Bartlett Whiplash Lawyer

Car accidents can lead to various injuries, and one that is often referred to as minor but is severe is whiplash. These injuries make life uncomfortable and can lead to chronic pain. While recovering from his injury, you will have mounting medical bills and cannot work. 

Making matters worse, your injury is someone else’s fault, another driver hit you, and now you are left picking up the pieces. You must speak with a personal injury lawyer in Bartlett, TN, from Gatti, Keltner, Bienvenu & Montesi PLC to discuss your legal options

Car Accidents Can Lead to Whiplash

Car accidents can cause severe injuries to everyone, but whiplash is often overlooked because it is so prevalent. Some neck soreness is usually deemed normal by a victim, but whiplash is far from ‘normal”. The three most common car accidents that lead to whiplash are:

• Head-on collisions: Many accidents lead to fatalities, but survivors often experience whiplash. The impact of two vehicles hitting each other’s front ends leads to the driver’s and passenger’s necks jolting forward, causing whiplash.  
• Rear-end collisions: the most prevalent cause of whiplash is when a rear driver crashes into a stationary or slower-moving lead vehicle.  
• T-bone collisions: the driver who is struck is susceptible to whiplash because they are usually traveling slower than the other vehicle. 

While car accidents are the most prevalent reason for whiplash, other traumas can also cause these injuries. A sports accident, fall, or physical abuse are common causes of whiplash injuries. GKBM is a personal injury law firm that can help with any accident leading to whiplash.  

Causes of Whiplash

Any force that causes the neck to snap back and forth can lead to whiplash. Most often, these injuries happen during rear-end collisions. Symptoms of whiplash often appear days later when your adrenaline subsides. You will experience a stiff neck as the first sign of the injury, but other signs include:

• Dizziness
• Lethargy 
• Pain when turning your neck 
• Headaches starting at the neck’s base
• Tingling sensation in your arms
• Lack of range of motion in the neck 
• Shoulder, arm, and upper back pain 

Less common symptoms include ringing in the ears, blurry vision, concentration, and memory problems. You must receive medical attention when you experience these and other symptoms for a proper diagnosis. 

Treatment for Whiplash Injuries

Whiplash is complex, and you can recover independently or require medical intervention. Some whiplash injuries get better with rest, neck exercises, and over-the-counter medication within several days or weeks. Severe cases require ongoing care and surgery.

A drug intervention can include:

• Prescription or over-the-counter pain medication 
• Antidepressants
• Muscle relaxants 

You must wear a cervical collar and attend physical therapy and daily exercise to improve your condition. More invasive treatment involves lidocaine injections to numb shoulder pain and heat to ease muscle strains. Medical professionals will determine the best course of treatment by reviewing imaging like X-rays and CTs and considering your symptoms. 

Your medical treatment will impact your bills and your car accident claim. Working with a whiplash attorney in Bartlett, TN, can help determine your injury cost and ensure you get compensation for them. 

Parties that Can Be More Susceptible to Whiplash

Whiplash injuries can impact anyone, but two groups are at higher risk of severe or lasting injuries. Women and older adults are at a higher risk of long-lasting injuries because of the structure of their bones and muscles. Some factors that can impact the severity of your injury include:

• Height 
• Muscle differences
• Spine structure differences 
• Vehicle construction 

If you are shorter than the intended headrest height, it can impact your whiplash injury. Men and women have different spinal and muscular structures, which can cause a whiplash injury to be more severe. Modern vehicle construction also impacts the likelihood of a long-lasting injury, especially headrests, since they are designed to prevent your head from going back too far. 

Proving Liability in a Whiplash Case

Tennessee handles personal injury cases on an at-fault basis which benefits the victim. Your Bartlett whiplash attorney must prove to the insurance company that you suffered an injury from the other driver’s negligence. You can obtain compensation for your injuries and losses by providing several factors to the insurance company. Several nuances exist regarding your compensation award, and you must ensure a Bartlett whiplash lawyer can mitigate these factors. 

Recovering Compensation For Whiplash

Medical bills play a vital role in your compensation recovery, but other factors must be considered. Time off work, out-of-pocket expenses, help around the house, and more are additional costs you incur for a car accident. You must save your receipts for medications, treatment, out-of-pocket expenses, and more. 

If you cannot work, you should compile your pay stubs and documentation for your missing wages. A whiplash injury can cause chronic pain and long-term suffering, which leaves you unable to meet the demands of your job. When you cannot work at the same capacity as before the accident, you can also seek compensation for lost earning capacity. 

Whiplash injury lawyers will inform you of everything you must keep track of to help you recover compensation. You must also keep a diary of your pain level, how it affects daily activities and how long the pain lasts. 

The Statute of Limitations in Tennessee

You must move fast after a car accident resulting in whiplash because Tennessee gives you one year from the accident date to file a personal injury complaint in civil court. While your injury will last beyond this, you must take legal steps to hold negligent parties responsible and recover compensation for your injuries. Negotiations will be vital, and many claims will resolve in pre-litigation. 

Missing deadlines can mean losing your ability to recover financial awards for your losses. 

Call a Bartlett Whiplash Lawyer Today

Gatti, Keltner, Bienvenu & Montesi PLC offer free consultations with our whiplash lawyers in Bartlett and the surrounding areas. We want to help injury victims in our community and secure their futures by providing exceptional legal representation. Car accidents have many consequences, including physical, financial, and psychological. 

We want to alleviate your struggles by getting you justice and compensation for your injuries. Contact our offices about your whiplash injury case today.