If you know anyone or if you have been have been involved in a vehicular accident recently and sustained minor to major injuries, you need to know your legal rights and gather all necessary information to secure fair compensation for all your injuries. Whiplash injury claims can range from $1000-$10,000 depending on the level and severity of your injury. It can even go higher especially if the other party involved is a big company that doesn’t want to deal with minor legal issues like whiplash injury
Whiplash injury usually comes to light the day after the accident. After you have slept and the shock has left you – that’s usually when the stiffness and the pain of your neck occur. The most common of the symptoms are pain or minor discomfort to the neck a few hours after collision, minor discomfort on your shoulders or back regions. By the following day, this will usually develop into more serious discomfort and pain, sometimes even immobilizing the victim from moving out of bed.
Having to suffer all these symptoms because of another person’s negligence really calls for whiplash injury claims. Your financial standing may be at risk because of your immobility so it essential that you secure your financial position first. If possible, take pictures of yourself, the damage to your car and the road surfaces. It is important that you get a picture of all the bits and details of the accident. These images will be a great help when your lawyer presents your case to the court.
Make sure that you get all the contact details of the third parties involved – full name, phone number, home and office address, brief description of what happened, vehicle plate numbers involved, weather conditions and if there’s any, witness statements. Also, include the location of the accident, date and time; including all parties’ insurance details. By law, everyone involved must supply contact details on request, however, if anyone involved does not willingly give any contact details, calling the police is recommended for their assistance. Always get the rank and PC number if you ask for police assistance for future correspondence.
If you feel discomfort and pain soon after the accident, call your doctor and ask for an appointment immediately – the latest should be the following day. You can also visit your local hospital for a diagnosis if the pain becomes worse and unmanageable throughout the day. Always keep any medical documentation from the hospital or your doctor on your whiplash injury. Do insist on a medical report of some kind – this will be useful supporting documentation for evidentiary purposes during your whiplash injury claims.
If you were working when the accident happened, then report the details to your employer. Your company’s health and safety representative should compile an accident report on the circumstances. It is also important to find yourself a reputable lawyer, attorney or solicitor to help you on your compensation claim. There are legal companies found on the internet that are specializing on whiplash injury claims. All they need from you are the documentations of the accident. Just remember though, no matter how much you trust a company, never send original copies.