Steps To Building A Successful Whiplash Injury Claim
Car accidents often result in horrific injuries that can rob you of a lot, including your health and ability to earn an income. Among the most common injuries associated with car crashes is whiplash, a phenomenon that cause injury to the spine and neck after the car jolts forward suddenly in a collision.
Your ability to quickly identify a whiplash injury and take steps to document the extent of the injury is often vital to successfully filing an injury claim against the at-fault driver. Read on to learn steps you should take to prove that you sustained a whiplash injury after a car accident so you can improve your chances of getting compensation.
Seek medical attention
The first step in building a successful personal injury claim for whiplash is to seek immediate medical attention. Insurance adjusters tend to look at whiplash cases with a bit of suspicion, so waiting for several days before seeking treatment could lead to accusations that your injury wasn't serious or that it resulted from a separate incident.
It is advisable to see a doctor after a car accident even if you feel fine, as whiplash injuries aren't always immediately apparent. Ensuring that the first disclosure of your medical information comes from your doctor makes your claim more provable and credible.
It is also important that you see a credible doctor who can then refer you to a specialist such as an orthopedist or chiropractor, as this strengthens your claim.
Gather medical documentation
The next step is to establish a paper trail of medical documents to act as supporting evidence to your whiplash injury claim. Be sure to hang on to hospital admission forms, MRIs, CT scans, blood tests, doctor's notes and other documents that help prove the extent of the injury.
Additionally, you should ensure that you follow your doctor's instructions regarding chiropractic treatments, rehabilitation and other follow-up treatments. Future prognosis from your doctor, along with receipts from your chiropractor or other specialists you are referred to can help prove unbroken follow-up treatment. Failing to get consistent follow-up treatment after a whiplash injury is often a recipe for claim denial.
Finally, document all your medical expenses, including rehabilitation or prescription costs, mileage, lost wages, medical bills and consultation fees. Such documents will come in handy to ensure that you are reimbursed of all your out-of-pocket expenses if your claim is successful. With the help of a car accident lawyer like Klafter & Mason LLC, you can get speedy compensation from the potential payee of your claim and get on the road to recovery.