Have you ever watched those scenes in movies where a car gets hit from behind, and the driver of the front car is shown in slow motion as they go forward and then backward? A collision from behind results in ‘whiplash’, also known as cervical muscle strain. The sudden jolt injures the soft tissues in the neck and causes cervical muscle strain that may lead to headaches, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, and fatigue. So, what should you do if you are ever in an accident involving a rear-end collision that resulted in whiplash? Read on to find out what you need to do.

Medical Treatment

If someone hits your car from behind, and you have constant pain in the neck due to the whiplash, you need to seek medical treatment immediately. The symptoms of cervical muscle strain do not show until some time later. You might not feel any symptoms right after the collision.

However, you still need to go to a physician and explain the facts about the accident. They usually know what to look for in patients who suffer after collisions. Timely treatment leads to a timely recovery. It’s important to get all the required tests done and go with the treatment plan your physician advises. If you end up claiming for personal injury, the insurers are usually quite skeptical about whiplash injuries, for which you will need all the medical records as evidence.

Record

Take pictures of your vehicle to keep a record of the damage done. You should also take pictures or make videos of the scene to ensure that you have evidence of the accident. Always have a backup of important evidence.

Should You Pursue A Claim?

When you’re in an accident, it is usually quite overwhelming. Most of the personal injury claims stem from immediate injuries after the accident. If you have bruises or bleeding, it should be documented in your first aid report. You won’t experience the symptoms of whiplash until after some time has passed. When the police arrive at the site of the accident, always demand the receipt with the identification number. This will get you the police report later on. A whiplash almost always results in soft tissue damage of the neck. You can have mild to severe symptoms in a few days. You are entitled to compensation even if you experience mild symptoms because you suffered from pain and you may have lost a day or two’s work as well.

You should certainly pursue a claim after a whiplash injury from a collision. To do this, make sure that you make a good case by collecting evidence, have the right documents, get help from great lawyers, and make sure that you do all this as soon as possible because time is of the essence.

Documentation

Have all your documentation in one place. Here is what you need to make a personal injury claim:

• Identification documents
• Police report
• Witness statements (if any)
• Accident reconstruction report
• Photos and videos were taken at the scene of the accident
• All medical reports
• Medical bills, repair invoices, receipts of payments
• Evidence of any leave from work due to the injuries

You need to start collecting the document as early as possible because if you wait for longer, you sometimes leave things out and your claim becomes weak.

File a Car Insurance Claim

Many insurance companies have deadlines, that is why you should immediately file for car insurance. At this point, you should only tell them that you had an accident and currently you are getting medical treatment for the same. If they ask about the severity of injuries, respectfully decline to answer, as you can not provide evidence right at that moment.

Should You Hire An Attorney?

You are not required to hire an attorney to file a personal injury claim. This means you can claim for the personal injury by yourself. However, the experienced legal team from Injury Attorneys pointed out that having a lawyer to help you with the whole process of claiming for personal injury will increase your chances of receiving just compensation. Many people forget critical documentation or do not provide the right evidence. This is where attorneys can help you collect all the right evidence and ensure you are compensated for your injury.

File The Claim For Personal Injury

When you file the claim, you need to stick to the facts. Do not give your insurer opinions or speculations, just plain facts. Get information about the medical treatment that you require, but not the severity of the injuries. Remember that whatever you say can be used against you, so do not admit your fault. The claims process will proceed with highlighting all the evidence, thus mapping out the whole story. If your insurer asks you to see their doctor, you do not need to follow that. You can go to any physician of your preference.

Whiplash injuries are usually ignored because they show no immediate symptoms. However, this does not mean that you can not claim for personal injury. Hire an attorney, or file for the claim yourself, but always remember to collect the evidence. Remember to take pictures of the vehicle and record all the medical evidence. This is the only way your claim will compensate you for the injury caused.