Who pays for treating car accident injuries?

A doctor often diagnoses neck pain as whiplash after a car accident. Whiplash occurs most frequently in rear-end car accidents, which cause the neck to jerk forward or backward. Sometimes whiplash is not noticeable until a few days later or even a week after the accident. However, the pain can be excruciating. In many cases, minor whiplash pain will gradually disappear on its own.

When whiplash is more serious, it takes longer to resolve, depending on the degree of injury sustained by the soft tissues and ligaments affected in the neck. Because the soft tissue or ligament injury with whiplash is not visible in x-rays, documenting the injury is more difficult. For this reason, it is important to see a doctor as soon as possible when experiencing neck pain after an accident.

More serious neck pain injuries

Pain, stiffness, tingling, limited mobility and numbness are symptoms of whiplash. Yet, when these symptoms become prolonged, they may be signs of a more serious injury. They can indicate damage to the spine, such as the joints or discs. It is also possible your neck area has sustained nerve damage in the spinal column.

Receiving compensation for neck pain after a car accident

Even though New York is a no-fault insurance state, when injuries reach the serious injury threshold and another person was at-fault, you can sue for damages. Based on the extent of your injury, an experienced car accident lawyer can evaluate whether this is an option for you. Medical care can be expensive. However, filing a lawsuit can help offset the monetary hardship and emotional stress involved with an accident. If your attorney is successful through settling the case or taking it to trial, you may be able to recover compensation for medical bills, rehabilitation, lost wages along with pain and suffering.

Contact an car accident lawyer

Schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys at Sackstein, Sackstein & Lee, LLP. We can discuss the legal prospects of pursuing a case.