Kansas City Whiplash Injury Attorney

Whiplash is a painful and debilitating condition that disrupts the injury victim’s life with extreme pain, stiffness, and limited range of motion. Unfortunately, insurance companies often show bias against whiplash injury victims in car accident claims due to common misunderstandings about the severity, impact, and cause of this debilitating condition. A whiplash injury claim in Kansas City requires significant evidence and a well-executed claim process to recover full and fair compensation. Let a Kansas City car accident lawyer build your compensation claim.

What Is Whiplash?

A typical human head weighs 8 to 11 pounds and is supported by only seven vertebrae and 20 small muscles in the neck. When a sudden shake or strong jarring motion causes the heavy head to move rapidly back and forth the neck may overextend, stretching and damaging the delicate structures in the cervical spine. Injury victims may feel only mild pain or numbness and tingling during the early minutes and hours after the injury, but as inflammation develops around the injury and compresses nerves, the pain and stiffness begin and symptoms escalate. Car accidents are the most common cause of whiplash injuries, but whiplash can also occur during falls, sports injuries, and acts of violence such as a punch or rough shake. Most whiplash injuries heal and the injury victim recovers, but some whiplash injury victims suffer long-term effects. A 20-year study shows that an alarming 72% of whiplash victims still experience shoulder pain 20 years later, 24% suffer from headaches, and 13.3% experience arm pain.

What Are the Symptoms of Whiplash?

When whiplash inflammation develops in the cervical spine between the base of the skull and the upper back the whiplash injury victim begins to experience symptoms such as:

• Pain and stiffness in the neck, upper back, and one or both arms
• Headaches
• Numbness and tingling in the arms
• Trouble swallowing
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Ringing in the ears
• Changes in vision
• Difficulty concentrating
• Anxiety and mood changes

Serious whiplash injury makes it difficult or impossible to work and accomplish routine daily tasks without severe pain. Whiplash is temporarily debilitating, causing limited mobility and movement. Whiplash treatment typically includes a cervical collar, steroid injections, pain medication, and anti-inflammatory medications.

What Can I Recover In a Whiplash Injury Claim?

Whiplash injury expenses can quickly mount if the injury victim cannot return to work at the same time they need medical treatment, medications, and home assistance. Unfortunately, insurance companies sometimes dispute whiplash claims based on factors such as minimal damage to a car after an accident, despite studies showing that whiplash can happen in low-speed car accidents. It may take medical expert witness testimony and strong evidence to make a compelling claim to recover the following:

• Past and future medical expenses related to the injury
• Past and future income loss
• Out-of-pocket costs
• Compensation for pain and suffering
• Compensation for loss of enjoyment of life

The amount of compensation available in a successful whiplash injury claim against the liable party depends on the severity of the injury and the total costs of financial damages. Talk to a Kansas City injury lawyer to determine the value of your claim.

How Can a Kansas City Whiplash Injury Lawyer Help My Case?

Taking a claim for whiplash to the at-fault party’s insurance may result in denial without experienced representation at your side. Call the Kansas City whiplash lawyers at Miller & Hine so we can develop the right strategy to move forward on your claim for the best possible results.