When you sustain an injury because of someone else’s intentional act, recklessness, or negligence, you have the right to seek compensation for your losses. Whiplash is a common accident-caused injury. Some victims may be incapacitated temporarily, but others experience life-long effects.
Partner with a Massachusetts personal injury lawyer from DiBella Law if you are suffering from accident-related whiplash. During our 20-plus years serving injury victims, we have delivered millions in client compensation. Your attorney will fight to get you the financial award you need to recover your losses and support your future care needs.
Causes and Effects of Whiplash
Whiplash, as explained by the Mayo Clinic, is “a neck injury due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, like the cracking of a whip.” Though most often associated with rear-end car accidents, whiplash can also result from other accidents. For example, whiplash can be caused by falls, participation in sports, intentional acts of violence, or other trauma.
Symptoms and Effects of Whiplash
There are different levels of whiplash, and the higher the level, the more serious the injury. Symptoms typically appear within hours or days of the traumatic event. Victims experience limited range of motion, pain that spreads to the arms, and other symptoms, some of which may heal with exercise and medication after several weeks–or never heal fully.
The Cleveland Clinic identifies the levels, or grades, of whiplash, which range from Grade 0 (no injury) to Grade 4, which comprises “severe pain and signs of serious or dangerous neurological effects.” A Grade 1 injury produces pain and stiffness, but Grade 2 is where other symptoms besides pain occur.
Serious whiplash injuries can include:
- Radiating pain–to the head, face, shoulder, and back
- Muscle spasms
- Bruising, swelling, and sensitivity in the affected area
- Muscle weakness and numbness
- Burning, or a pins-and-needles sensation
- Headache
- Vision problems
- Dizziness
- Fractured neck vertebra
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Collecting Damages for Whiplash
A whiplash injury can debilitate victims, leaving them with chronic pain or permanent physical disabilities. Victims will likely need time away from work–and the paycheck–as they recover. A personal injury lawyer in Massachusetts can help victims seek compensation for their injuries.
Car Accident
Massachusetts follows a no-fault system for car accidents. This means victims must carry personal injury protection (PIP) in their mandatory car insurance policies, and the PIP covers their accident-related injury costs. However, Section 6D of Massachusetts General Law allows a third-party lawsuit if your expenses and pain and suffering exceed a determined threshold.
There is danger in avoiding treatment after car accident injuries, especially when these injuries affect the head, neck, or back. Whiplash is often dismissed as a minor injury. However, a lack of treatment can make the injury far more debilitating and put the effectiveness of your injury claim at risk.
This principle applies no matter how your injury occurs. If you are hurt at work, while engaging in sports, or through a fall on someone else’s property, get prompt medical care. Also, be sure to report the accident to a person in charge, ensuring its official documentation.
Comparative Fault
No matter what type of accident causes your injury, you can sue for damages only if you are 50% or less to blame for the occurrence under Massachusetts General Law §85. If you still hold some blame for the accident, your percentage of fault is deducted from your total calculated compensation. For example, if you are 10% to blame, you collect 90% of the total calculated amount.
An Experienced Personal Injury Attorney in Massachusetts Will Work to Secure the Best Outcome
The team at DiBella Law will manage your case with efficiency from the start of our legal partnership to your case resolution. We understand the pain and loss injury victims sustain and will do our homework and design a case strategy to meet your individual needs. Count on your Massachusetts personal injury lawyer to work tirelessly to secure the most favorable outcome attainable.
Your attorney will analyze the accident to collect evidence proving the at-fault party’s negligence and to support your settlement demand. The DiBella team will consult with your medical team to document the extent of your injuries, treatment requirements, and the accompanying and anticipated costs. We will calculate wages lost during recovery, know how pain and suffering are calculated in a personal injury claim, and factor relevant factors when determining a settlement amount.
Leave all communication with the at-fault party’s insurance company to your attorney. Sometimes, insurance representatives look to minimize your injuries, inflate your level of fault, and convince you through intimidation or false generosity to accept a settlement far lower than your losses warrant. Your attorney will expect these challenges and be prepared to shoot them down, protecting you from losing the settlement you truly deserve.
Put Your Case in our Capable Hands
Taking a case through the legal process can be stressful for victims. The team at DiBella Law will work to make the experience as easy as possible for you. We will stay in regular communication with you as your case proceeds, keeping you updated and answering your questions.
Most likely, your case will settle out of court, as most personal injury claims do. However, your personal injury attorney in Massachusetts will be more than ready to fight for you in court. Our goal is always to serve your best interests, and if the other side does not offer a just settlement, going to trial may be the best approach.
We've offered crucial support and guidance to individuals who have suffered injuries, ensuring their financial and emotional well-being.
Let the DiBella Difference Work for You
Lots of law firms make big promises. DiBella Law backs up those promises with the DiBella difference. We give free case consultations, and once we take your case, we collect no fees until you collect a settlement or verdict award. Even more, we are so confident in your customer satisfaction that we offer a 30-day, no-risk legal partnership. Our case results speak for our success. You deserve the exceptional representation a Massachusetts personal injury lawyer from our firm will provide. Let the DiBella Difference work for you.
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