Pittsburgh Car Accident Laws: Can You Sue for a Whiplash Injury?
A car collision may cause you to suffer various injuries. One of the most common types of car accident injuries is whiplash, a type of injury resulting from trauma to tissues in the head and neck. Although some insurance companies may dispute the existence of a whiplash injury, Pennsylvania law allows you to file a lawsuit seeking compensation for financial and personal losses you sustain, including medical expenses, lost wages, physical pain, and emotional suffering.
Understanding Whiplash Injuries
A whiplash injury occurs when the head and neck suffer a violent, rapid back-and-forth or side-to-side motion like the cracking of a whip. Whiplash injuries frequently occur in car accidents, as the force of a collision can cause a vehicle occupant’s head and neck to jerk rapidly. Whiplash can cause various types of traumas to tissues and structures in the head, neck, and upper back, including strains, strains, microtears, microfractures, or nerve damage. The cumulative effect of these injuries can lead to chronic pain, stiffness, numbness, or weakness in the head, neck, shoulders, upper back, and arms.
Symptoms of whiplash injuries may subside in a few days or weeks, although some car accident victims can experience symptoms for months or years after a crash. Depending on the nature of a whiplash injury, treatment may include pain management, prescription pain medications, trigger point injections, exercise, and physical therapy.
How to Prove a Whiplash Injury
Because many cases of whiplash injury do not involve physical damage or changes to the body, proving that you’ve suffered a whiplash injury in a car accident can become challenging. You may need compelling medical evidence to demonstrate the existence and nature of your injury, including:
- Results of physical examinations
- Imaging tests that rule out other causes of your symptoms
- Medical records from your treatment and rehabilitation
- Testimony from your treating providers regarding the diagnosis of your injury, the limitations imposed by your injury, and your prognosis
Compensation Available for Whiplash Injuries
When you’ve suffered whiplash due to a car accident, you can pursue a legal claim to recover compensation for expenses or losses such as:
- Costs of all necessary medical treatment and rehabilitation, including hospitalization, surgeries, prescriptions, pain management care, or physical therapy
- Lost income from the time you miss work due to pain or limitations caused by a whiplash injury
- Reduced earning capacity if you need to transfer to a lower-paying modified-duty role or you become permanently disabled from working
- Physical pain and anguish
- Reduced quality of life caused by severe chronic pain or physical impairment that interferes with your daily tasks or ability to participate in activities you enjoyed
Contact a Pittsburgh Car Accident Attorney Today
If you suffered a whiplash injury in a car accident in Pittsburgh, you may have the right to seek compensation for your medical treatment, lost income, and other losses. Contact Ainsman Levine, LLC, today for a free consultation with our car accident lawyers to learn more about your legal options for seeking financial recovery from an at-fault driver.