Unfortunately, the roadways of North Las Vegas can be crowded with distracted drivers and those who are unfamiliar with the roadway. This can lead to accidents. A common type of accident involving distracted drivers or those unfamiliar with the roadway is a rear-end accident.
The most common type of injury to be suffered in rear-end accidents is whiplash. If you have suffered whiplash due to an accident in North Las Vegas, a whiplash injury lawyer from Pacific West Injury Law can help you understand the process of seeking compensation for your injuries.
Seeking Compensation for a Whiplash Injury in North Las Vegas
If you have incurred a whiplash injury in North Las Vegas as the result of being rear-ended or in another manner that was caused by someone else’s careless or reckless actions, you can seek compensation for the expenses and quality-of-life impacts of your injury through the personal injury claims process. This process can involve:
- A demand for compensation made to the at-fault party’s insurance provider
- Settlement negotiations between the insurance provider and your attorney
- The filing of a personal injury lawsuit in civil court within two years of the date the accident occurred
Proving Who Was Liable
In order to have a successful outcome to your North Las Vegas whiplash injury claim, you must be able to prove liability. Liability is the legal responsibility for the harm you suffered as a result of the accident. In order to show that someone was liable for causing your injury, you must show that they:
- Had a duty of care to protect your safety and property from harm
- Took actions that were contrary to this duty
- The actions that were taken caused the accident that resulted in your injury and made you incur impacts and expenses
Obtaining Compensation
Nevada allows injured individuals to use the court system to seek compensation for both the expenses of the injury as well as the psychological impacts that it caused. These forms of compensation are known as economic and non-economic damages, and often include:
- Medical expenses, such as the cost of diagnostic scans, the services of your doctor, prescription pain relievers or muscle relaxers, and physical therapy involved in treating your whiplash
- Lost wages if your injury resulted in missed time from work
- Loss of future earning capacity if you have incurred complications that have caused the pain of your whiplash injury to severely and permanently limit your ability to earn an income
- The cost of repairing or replacing your personal property that was damaged when your injury occurred, such as the car you were driving if your whiplash injury was the result of a car accident
- Physical pain and suffering, and emotional distress
What Is Whiplash?
According to Mayo Clinic, whiplash is an injury to the neck that occurs when the head is snapped back and forth in an accident like the cracking of a whip. As noted, rear-end car accidents are among the most common causes of this type of injury. The symptoms of whiplash generally appear within a day or two and can include:
- Neck pain or stiffness that worsens with movement
- Loss of the range of motion in the neck
- Headaches that frequently begin at the base of the skull
- Tenderness, tingling, numbness, or pain in the shoulders, back, or arms
- Fatigue, sleeplessness, and irritability
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision or ringing in the ears
Complications of Whiplash
Whiplash usually heals within a few weeks. However, for some, the pain of the injury can last for months or even years after the injury occurs, resulting in a permanent loss of range of motion in the neck or arms.
As explained by Johns Hopkins Medicine, whiplash is an injury that is not well understood even in the medical community, as it often involves a number of different parts of the neck, including the muscles, tendons, discs, and nerves. Some of the factors that have been identified that indicate the potential for a worse outcome from the injury include:
- Having an injury that occurred at high speed
- Having had whiplash before or existing pain in the lower back or neck
- Being of an older age
How Whiplash Is Diagnosed and Treated
Whiplash is generally treated through the combination of a complete medical history, a physical exam, and sometimes the use of diagnostic imaging tests, such as X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans. However, it should be noted that often the soft tissue damage that occurs as the result of whiplash cannot be seen on the scans.
Treatment generally consists of the use of ice and a cervical collar during the first 24 hours after the injury, followed by gentle, active movement, ibuprofen, and muscle relaxers, physical therapy, and osteopathic manipulation. The choice of treatment options often considers the patient’s age and overall physical health, tolerance to specific procedures, and expectations for the course of the injury.
If You’ve Suffered a Whiplash Injury in North Las Vegas, Pacific West Injury Law Can Help
We are prepared to offer services to assist you in understanding the value of your case, proving liability, and seeking the maximum amount of compensation available through either settlement or litigation. For more information on how we can help, contact us for a free case evaluation by calling or by filling out our online form.