Few things are more painful and debilitating than a neck injury. While other injuries may keep you on the couch for a few weeks, a neck injury hurts every time you move a muscle. On top of this, you may be missing work and losing income while your medical bills keep adding up. The good news is that if the accident wasn’t your fault, you have the right to recover from the person who caused it.
Litster Frost Injury Lawyers helps those who have suffered a neck injury in a car accident seek full compensation for their injuries. To begin the process, contact us for a free consultation to determine what your case may be worth. If you retain us, we’ll take on the job of negotiating with the insurance company and the driver who hurt you so that you only need to focus on getting better. Whether that means settlement negotiations or going to trial, we will guide you each step of the way and help you seek the financial compensation you’re entitled to. To learn more, schedule a consultation.
How To Prove A Neck Injury Claim
Proving a neck injury claim requires careful medical documentation. If you feel any discomfort at the time of the accident, don’t decline to be checked out by the paramedics. Whether or not you sought immediate medical attention, go in for a checkup as soon as possible, let your doctor know you were involved in an accident, and ask if and when you should return for a follow up visit to make sure no new symptoms have occurred.
In addition to the fact that you were injured, you’ll also need to prove that your injury was from your accident. This is why it’s so important to seek a fast medical evaluation even if you don’t immediately feel symptoms. The more time that passes before you see a doctor, the more chance there is that the defense could argue that your injury was caused by something that happened after the accident.
Neck Injury and Whiplash
Neck injuries are possible in even the most seemingly minor accidents with little to no property damage. They’re commonly referred to as whiplash because your head whips forward when your car stops suddenly. This places enormous strain on the muscles and tendons in your neck that could lead to serious damage. Even a driver who was wearing his seatbelt could be injured because a seatbelt only braces the body, not the neck.
Slow to Manifest
Neck injuries often have no visible signs. Unlike a broken bone, a bystander wouldn’t have any obvious reason to call an ambulance. Even people who suffer neck injuries may not know that they’re hurt due to adrenaline and the fact that not all symptoms of a neck injury immediately manifest. Further, someone who is in minor pain may feel that it’s just a temporary result of the collision that will quickly go away without treatment.
Especially when someone who suffers a neck injury didn’t realize they needed immediate medical treatment, neck injuries are often perceived by others as an overreaction or even a made up attempt to cash in on an accident. While there may be a small number of scammers out there, neck injuries are a very real problem that can cause lasting pain, require expensive medical treatment, and possibly result in a long-term disability.
Begin Building Your Claim Immediately
Idaho law gives you up to two years to bring a personal injury lawsuit for a neck injury. It can take time to put together the evidence and the paperwork you need to bring a claim, so you shouldn’t wait until the last minute. And as discussed above, the longer you take to bring your claim, the harder it could be to prove it. It is almost always in your best interests to get the process started as soon as possible even if you don’t yet know the full extent of your injuries.
Getting guidance from an experienced attorney early on can help ensure you get the medical evaluations and documentation needed if you later decide to bring a claim. Even if you’re not sure if you’ll have to file a lawsuit, proactively protecting your rights can increase your chances of success later on.
At Litster Frost, we offer free consultations with no obligation. We’ll let you know what steps you need to take, how much you may be able to recover, and what the important deadlines are. Contact us now by calling (208) 333-3330 to schedule an appointment and start building your case today. Litster Frost Injury Lawyers are Boise based and ready to help anywhere in Idaho.
