neck injured in car accident what to expect from my attorney

What are the signs of a neck injury after a car accident?

How much you can expect to receive in a car accident lawsuit settlement that involves a neck injury depends on several factors. It is important to remember that the accident settlement process begins at the time of the accident and does not end until you receive compensation for your injuries or in a worst case scenario, when a final determination is made.

How is a neck injury settlement calculated after a car accident?

Nov 16, 2021 · Here are a few of the most common neck injuries: Whiplash: Whiplash injuries occur when your head and neck are jerked forward and backward in a sudden motion. A whiplash injury causes strains, tears, and damage to ligaments, muscles, nerves, and other connective tissues in the neck. Symptoms of whiplash may present immediately after the crash ...

What are the most common types of neck injuries in car accidents?

Nov 04, 2021 · Average Settlement For Car Accident Neck Injuries. The average settlement for car accident neck injuries is somewhere in the $10,000-$30,000 range, but baked into that number there are some neck injury settlements that are 7 figures, and others that are 3. This is because of the unique nature of each accident, injury, and individual.

What happens to your body when you get hurt in a car accident?

$250,000 settlement for aggravation of a pre-existing neck injury in a car accident. $300,000 verdict for a woman in a car accident who sustained disc herniations, required surgery and experienced a 60% loss of range of motion in her neck. $537,000 settlement for a man who required cervical fusion surgery following a car accident.

What is a neck injury worth?

How much is a neck injury worth? It will vary depending on the type of injury, but the average payout for a neck injury is between $5,000 and $50,000. Soft tissue neck injury claims are worth between $5,000 and $20,000 on average. Neck disc injury cases that result in surgery average over $200,000.Mar 2, 2022

How much is a neck fusion settlement?

The average nationally for cervical fusion settlements ranges from as low as $150,000 to a much higher average of over a million dollars.Jan 31, 2022

How do you prove a neck injury?

Medical records from before the accident will also be necessary as proof that your neck pain was not a pre-existing condition. Pharmaceutical records showing what medications you have taken for the pain. Imaging results such as X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs.May 20, 2019

How long does it take your neck to heal after a car accident?

Commonly, car accident victims experience pain in the neck or back. Even minor whiplash can linger for weeks, making it difficult for you to turn your head or move your neck into certain positions. Many minor injuries can often heal in six to eight weeks after the initial accident.Feb 14, 2022

How do you know if your neck surgery failed?

Symptoms of Failed Neck & Back Surgery Syndrome Some patients also will describe pain that worsens after surgery or returns shortly after. These symptoms can include neck, mid or low back pain possibly extending into the arms and/or legs. Patients may also experience numbness and tingling as well.

Is cervical fusion major surgery?

A single-level cervical fusion involves two adjacent vertebrae in the cervical spine being fused together. While it is a relatively safe and routine procedure, it is still major surgery. Patients are correct to ask many questions before committing to it, including how neck mobility might be affected.

Are neck injuries hard to prove?

The challenge of neck injuries is that they are not visible and hard to prove they exist to the naked eye. Many are quick to believe a bad back, but a bad neck may not be. Neck injuries can grossly affect your quality of life and ability to perform your work duties at full capacity.

When should I worry about neck injury?

Seek medical care if your neck pain is accompanied by numbness or loss of strength in your arms or hands or if you have shooting pain into your shoulder or down your arm.Jul 31, 2020

What proof is needed for whiplash claim?

For a whiplash claim, you will need as much evidence that you can provide, this could include photos, witnesses' details from the incident or statements, as well as any medical reports involving your injuries.Apr 16, 2021

Does whiplash show up on xray?

The difficulty with diagnosing whiplash is that it does not really show up on an X-ray, CT scan or an MRI scan. The diagnosis is usually made by asking the patient how they feel and then proceeding from there. People usually have pain in the back of their neck and they find that the pain is worse when they move.

What happens if you hit the back of your neck?

Whiplash is also known as neck sprain or neck strain. This common type of neck injury happens when the neck jolts backward or forward, sharply and suddenly. Whiplash due to a motor vehicle collision or another injury can strain your muscles or damage soft tissues in your neck.Oct 7, 2020

How long does whiplash neck pain last?

Most people who have whiplash feel better within a few weeks and don't seem to have any lasting effects from the injury. However, some people continue to have pain for several months or years after the injury occurred. It is difficult to predict how each person with whiplash may recover.Feb 11, 2022

At what speed can you have a whiplash injury?

Whiplash can occur at just 5 MPH but is more common in moderate and high-speed auto accidents with additional injuries.

How do I know if my car accident neck injury is serious?

You have pain that does not fade after a few days or is severe; shooting pain in the extremities; weakness or numbness in the arms or legs, and dif...

What is fair compensation in a personal injury lawsuit for pain and suffering?

For many personal injury claims, pain and suffering compensation is often less than $15,000. However, the severity of the injury is a massive facto...

What is the typical payout for a soft tissue injury?

A soft tissue injury settlement may be between $10,000 and $15,000. For more compensation, the soft tissue injury must usually be permanent.

How much is a neck injury settlement?

With severe injuries involving paralysis, settlements can be in the millions of dollars. For whiplash, herniated and bulging discs, settlements typ...

What is a typical car accident neck injury settlement amount?

The average settlement from neck injuries after car accidents is somewhere in the range of $20,000-$25,000. It's important to understand that each...

What is the average settlement for a car accident neck injury?

There is not one answer as to what an average settlement value for neck injuries are due to each situation having so many diverse factors. However,...

At what speed can you have a whiplash injury?

Whiplash can occur at just 5 MPH but is more common in moderate and high-speed auto accidents with additional injuries.

How do I know if my car accident neck injury is serious?

You have pain that does not fade after a few days or is severe; shooting pain in the extremities; weakness or numbness in the arms or legs, and dif...

What is fair compensation in a personal injury lawsuit for pain and suffering?

For many personal injury claims, pain and suffering compensation is often less than $15,000. However, the severity of the injury is a massive facto...

What to do after car accident?

Be ready to hand over extensive information and documentation to your lawyer. Anything that you believe may substantiate your pursuit of compensation is critical to your case. Your attorney will also be able to tell you which forms and paperwork he or she needs.

What is settlement process?

The settlement process varies from state to state. Unfortunately, other drivers on the road display negligence no matter where in the country you’re driving. That means that each state must be prepared to receive, study, and rule on car accident reports and settlements. Your lawyer will be able to help guide you through the settlement process and will act as your trusted partner as you work toward a resolution.

Why do you call the police?

It helps protect YOU from the other parties, their insurance companies, and their legal representatives. Even if you’re unsure of whether you’ll pursue compensation, documentation could make or break a future case.

What happens to the neck and back after a car wreck?

The neck and back contain nerves, muscles, bones, ligaments, and other tissues. During a car wreck, your body undergoes intense acceleration and deceleration. These motions can cause severe neck injuries.

How much does a neck injury settlement cost?

For the most part, neck injury settlements tend to be in the range of $10,000 to $100,000. But more severe cases can run into the hundreds of thousands or millions. Surgery almost always increases the neck injury settlement amount. Another attorney reports the average verdict for a herniated disc is $360,000.

What happened to the Lyft driver?

A Lyft car passenger suffered a neck injury when another driver hit his vehicle. The passenger said the crash caused his neck injury. GEICO provided the other driver’s insurance and paid $25,000 in bodily injury coverage to settle the matter. Also, the Lyft driver’s vehicle had underinsured motorist coverage.

What is whiplash in car accident?

Whiplash is a soft tissue neck injury. Whiplash happens from the head whipping back and forth during a car crash, leading to ligament and tendon damage. This may be considered a ‘minor’ injury by some insurance companies, but whiplash can be very painful.

What is the difference between a herniated disc and a bulging disc?

Whiplash is also common. A herniated disc is a severe spinal injury. The disc in your spine ruptures in an accident. When it bursts , the liquid in the disc leaks and irritates the spinal nerves. A bulging disc is another type of severe spinal injury.

How much insurance is available for a car accident?

How much insurance coverage is available? If it is a regular accident, the insurance coverage may be limited to $25,000, $50,000, or $100,000. However, if the driver is working at the time of the accident, his employer must carry more insurance coverage.

Can whiplash be seen on X-rays?

Also, whiplash cases often depend on the property damage involved. Whiplash injuries are invisible on X-rays, so the insurance company wants to see severe vehicle damage to ensure that you have a neck injury. Further, the sooner you complain about neck pain after an accident, the stronger your legal case.

What is neck injury?

Neck injuries range from minor whiplash -like strains and sprains to spinal disk damage and cervical fractures. In general, the more severe and long-lasting the injury, the higher the compensation in a personal injury insurance settlement or jury verdict. Additionally, "hard" injuries like a fractured bone (cervical fracture in the case of a neck injury) tend to result in larger settlements than soft tissue injuries like whiplash or pinched nerve (cervical radiculopathy). Learn more about how the nature and extent of injuries affects claim value.

What are some examples of neck injuries?

Here are a few real-world examples of personal injury cases involving neck injuries. Not surprisingly, a lot of these outcomes stem from car accident injury cases: 1 $9,500 trial verdict for neck injuries resulting from a minor rear-end accident. 2 $100,000 settlement for bulging discs requiring surgery after 60-year-old plaintiff was rear-ended. 3 $250,000 settlement for aggravation of a pre-existing neck injury in a car accident. 4 $300,000 verdict for a woman in a car accident who sustained disc herniations, required surgery and experienced a 60% loss of range of motion in her neck. 5 $537,000 settlement for a man who required cervical fusion surgery following a car accident. 6 $1,200,000 settlement for aggravation of pre-existing neck injury, requiring surgery, after plaintiff rear-ended in an accident with semi-truck.

Is a neck injury worth it?

A neck injury requiring spinal fusion or another surgical intervention will be "worth" more than a strained neck requiring a few weeks in a brace. Similarly, injuries requiring treatment by physicians—as opposed to chiropractors, or even physical therapists—are given more weight by many insurance adjusters. Learn more about how the "right" medical treatment increases injury settlement value.

What is the first step in a personal injury claim?

In a personal injury claim, the first step is to look toward's the at-fault individual's insurance policy for compensation. If there is little insurance coverage, that will be the maximum you will be able to recover unless you have Underinsured motorist (UM) coverage under your own policy.

How long does whiplash last?

Whiplash, for example, can have symptoms that lessen in six weeks or persist for months, and even years. If the injury requires extensive treatment, or will require future medical care, chances are a larger settlement will be granted to compensate the costs of upcoming medical treatment.

Can you settle a car accident case?

With back and neck injuries resulting from a car accident, settlement amounts frequently vary. Looking at the individual aspects of your case, such as the severity of your injury, if you'll need future treatment, and if the other party was negligent, can be good indicators of a settlement amount.

Can a neck injury be a herniated disc?

For instance, a neck injury can range from a minor strain to whiplash or a neck fracture. Back injuries can be a herniated disc or extensive spinal trauma. The worse the nature of the injury is, the more likely that a jury will award the victim a higher settlement. Likewise, the severity of the injury will impact the settlement.

Neck Injury Settlements & Strategy

Neck injuries are one of the most common vehicle accident injuries, second only to bruises and contusions. They are also one of the most commonly undervalued injuries in car accident settlements.

Mechanism of a Neck Injury

Mechanism of injury is the medical explanation of what happens structurally to your body during a traumatic event which caused your injury.

Be Careful with Seemingly Not Serious Neck Injuries

You need to be careful with neck injuries that do not seem serious. For your own sake, if you decide to wing it without a car accident attorney – which is a terrible idea for so many reasons – do not settle the case in the first 3-4 months.

Common Car Accident Neck Injuries

Tearing, sprains, or strains to the ligaments, muscles and tendons in the neck following a car accident are described as soft tissue damage. This type of injury is usually painful and often causes stiffness and tenderness in the neck. Whiplash is one form of soft tissue neck injury.

Whiplash Injuries

Whiplash injuries can be difficult to diagnose. Generally, the diagnosis is based upon your history (being involved in a car accident would be a strong clue) and symptoms.

Whiplash: The Sketchy Injury

The challenge is that for decades now, one of the most common neck injuries – whiplash injuries – has developed a reputation of being a claim raised by fakers and exaggerators. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of scholarly articles discussing the concern for untruthful or exaggerated whiplash injury claims.

Average Neck Injury Settlement

The outcome of every neck injury claim is different and depends upon a unique set of variables, so determining the average cost of a settlement is very difficult. In our settlements and verdicts page, we describe how even when lawyers use the same methodologies, they may reach different settlement averages for a similar case type.

How do car accident lawyers work?

Most car accident attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. (Learn more about how much a car accident lawyer costs .) If you decide to hire an attorney, you will need to sign a fee agreement, representation agreement, or some other document formally establishing the attorney as your legal representative.

What to do after a car accident?

Make the most out of your first meeting with a car accident attorney, and make sure this person is the best fit for you and your case. After a car accident, once you've made the decision to hire an attorney, you're probably wondering what the first visit will entail. There are two main reasons for this meeting.

Why do attorneys turn down cases?

Attorneys turn down cases for a variety of reasons, including: the attorney's workload. potential conflicts of interest. the scope of the lawsuit goes beyond the attorney's skills and experience, and. the attorney's firm may not have the financial resources to try your case, even though it has potential.

Do attorneys handle every aspect of a case?

Some attorneys may give the impression that they'll handle every aspect of your case, but many have inexperienced associates handle most of the work surrounding the case, with your attorney stepping in only when there's a trial or during settlement negotiations.

What is the first step in a car accident case?

The first step will involve you explaining the facts of the accident, and the damages you've sustained.

What documents do you need to file an accident claim?

You'll also need to provide any documents you have relating to the accident, such as medical bills, car repair estimates/invoices, photographs, police reports, e-mails and letters from insurance companies (and copies of any insurance claims you've filed related to the accident).

What happens if you don't hire an attorney?

Even if you haven't hired the attorney, your first meeting is protected by attorney client privilege. Not to mention that if you withhold information that hurts your case, it will come back to haunt you.