Car accidents happen instantaneously, but their impact can last a lifetime. One of the most common injuries resulting from car accidents is whiplash. This type of injury, often caused by rear-end collisions, can lead to severe neck pack, headaches, and long-term complication if not treated properly. If you’ve suffered from whiplash after a car accident in Sandoval County, it’s essential to take the right steps to ensure your health and protect your legal rights.
by Meaghan T. Baca, Esq.
What is Whiplash?
Whiplash is a type of injury caused by a rapid jerking of the neck either forward and backward or side-to-side. This sudden forceful movement causes the neck to move beyond its normal range of motion. Imagine this motion like the cracking of a whip. The whipping of the neck can cause tearing in the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, which support the neck and can lead to damage to the intervertebral disc, spinal nerves, or even spinal cord.
What are Symptoms of Whiplash?
Some symptoms of whiplash include neck pain, neck stiffness, shoulder pain, low back pain, dizziness, pain in your arms or hands, numbness in your arm or hand, sleeplessness, tiredness, and trouble or pain turning your head.
What To Do If You Think You Have Whiplash?
Whiplash symptoms might not appear immediately after the car accident. It could take hours or even days for the pain and stiffness to manifest. Immediate medical evaluation can help diagnose whiplash early on and prevent further whiplash complications.
What to Do?
Seek Immediate Medical Treatment
Visit a doctor
Go to an emergency room or urgent care directly from the scene of the accident. Remember, symptoms of whiplash can take several hours to manifest. Being seen by a doctor soon after the accident can save you lots of pain and discomfort in the future.
Follow up with your primary care doctor
A primary care doctor knows your health status best and can better anticipate what sort of treatment will work for your body. Having your primary care doctor prescribe and manage your whiplash treatment is important to your health and will help you establish your whiplash claim with the at-fault driver.
Treatment for Whiplash
There are several available treatments for whiplash that you can discuss with your primary care physician. Some types of whiplash therapies to discuss include chiropractic care, physical therapy, acupuncture, medical massage, and pain management.
Follow Up
It is crucial to your recovery and personal injury claim that you follow your doctor’s and therapist’s treatment plan and recommendations. Gaps in treatment or failure to follow the doctor’s orders can result in delayed recovery, worsening symptoms and can easily jeopardize your personal injury claim with the insurance company.
Access to Medical Treatment
If you do not have health insurance or if you do not have enough money to make your medical co-pays, our attorneys at Cassidy Baca, P.C. can help you find a medical provider that is right for you. For more information, call us for a free car accident consultation at (505) 717-2992, or click here to read our article on paying for medical treatment after a car accident.
Document Your Whiplash Symptoms
Detailed documentation of your symptoms can provide critical evidence for your personal injury claim. In the moment, pain from a whiplash injury can be obvious, but six months or more after the accident it may be hard to recall exactly what pain and symptoms you were previously experiencing. Keeping a daily log of your pain points, pain levels, and physical limitations will help you recall how you were feeling and, and it will establish the extent and impact of your whiplash injury when making a personal injury claim.
Report the Car Accident to New Mexico Law Enforcement
Reporting the car accident to New Mexico law enforcement as soon as it happens memorializes the accident as it occurred. Responding police officers will gather critical evidence from the car accident such as statements from both drivers and any available witnesses. Again, your memory of what occurred will likely be best immediately following the accident. As such, it’s important that you give your statement to the police right away.
The New Mexico Crash Report will also help your personal injury attorney and the auto insurance company investigate your car accident claim.
Gather Evidence
Evidence can help establish liability and support your injury claim. The more evidence you have, the stronger your auto accident case will be. Take pictures of the accident scene, property damage to all vehicles involved, and photos of any visible injuries you have. Photos of New Mexico car accident scenes can be particularly impactful. Further, collect contact information from any potential witnesses who can provide statements about how the accident occurred.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
Contacting an injury attorney in Sandoval County is crucial to maximizing your claim. Navigating the legal process after a car accident in Sandoval County can be complex and overwhelming. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you understand your rights and pursue fair compensation. By hiring a personal injury attorney, you free yourself of legal stress which allows more time and energy for you to heal.
At Cassidy Baca, P.C., we offer free personal injury consultations. To schedule a free consultation with one of our personal injury attorneys experienced in car accident cases, please call (505) 717-2992
What to do After an Accident in New Mexico?
Your actions right now may play an important part in determining the results of your auto accident case. Take the following steps to help ensure your case is preserved.
Seek Medical Attention
Check yourself for injuries and get to safety as soon as possible.
Contact the Police
Call 9-11 right away to report your accident. Request an ambulance if you are in pain, or immediately follow-up with your doctor or an urgent care visit.
Gather Evidence and Contact Information
Take pictures, exchange information with the other driver, and cooperate with any police investigation.
Document Your Injuries
Scheduling a visit with a medical doctor right away is important.
Take a Break
Don’t post on social media, and don’t speak with an adjuster without your attorney present.
Contact an Experienced Accident Attorney
The experienced accident attorneys at Cassidy Baca, P.C. are ready to help you understand all of your legal options after an injury.
An Experienced Accident Attorney is Waiting to Help You Now
Dealing with the aftermath of a car accident and whiplash injuries can be challenging. By following these steps, you can protect your health and legal rights, ensuring you receive the health care and compensation you deserve. If you or a loved one has suffered from whiplash after a car accident in New Mexico, don’t hesitate to seek professional legal help.
Are you worried about how to pay for your medical bills after an accident?
Read our article on medical treatment and ways to pay for medical treatment after a car accident in New Mexico.
Speak with an Experienced Whiplash Lawyer in Albuquerque Right Away
At Cassidy Baca, P.C., we help car accident victims obtain fair compensation. Contact us today for a free consultation and let us help you navigate your personal injury claim.
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Speak with an Experienced Severe Injury Lawyer in Albuquerque Right Away.
If you have been severely injured in an auto accident, car crash, or truck collision in Sandoval County, contact our Albuquerque Injury attorneys for a free case evaluation today.