Oklahoma Whiplash Car Accident Injury Lawyer

Whiplash is an injury that is often stereotyped as not that serious. However, this type of neck injury can be quite debilitating. Accident victims may suffer from ongoing pain, headaches, fatigue, and persistent anxiety due to whiplash.

Our Oklahoma whiplash injury attorneys understand how much this type of injury can affect your mobility, your ability to work, and your life. If you’ve been in an accident that was someone else’s fault and are struggling to cope with a whiplash injury, contact Cain Law now. Our knowledgeable personal injury attorneys will evaluate your case for free and explain all your legal rights.

What Is a Whiplash Injury?

Whiplash is actually a broad term. It describes the various types of conditions that occur when a person’s head and body shake back and forth quickly and forcefully. The rapid, violent motion causes hyperextension of soft tissue in the neck. The whip-like effect can damage muscles, tendons and ligaments. Whiplash is also sometimes referred to as a neck sprain or strain, although these terms also encompass other types of injuries. This injury is very common in rear-end car accidents, although other accidents can cause whiplash as well.

Whiplash often causes excruciating pain, sensitivity and stiffness that always requires medical attention. Unfortunately, many accident victims don’t realize they’ve sustained an injury until later, and so their recovery takes much longer. It can last for a few days up to several months, depending on the severity. A person with whiplash may be unable to work for an extended period. The pain that a person suffers when he or she engages in basic daily activities may become completely unbearable.

Still, insurance companies often try to treat whiplash like it is a minor injury. They attempt to pay as little as possible to victims or deny claims altogether. That is why it is important to work with a law firm that understands the serious nature of whiplash and will work tirelessly to pursue the compensation that you deserve.

How Do You Know If You Have a Whiplash Injury?

Whiplash is not an injury that people can easily identify. Symptoms may not fully develop until several hours or days pass after an accident. One day, you may feel like you are getting better, and the neck pain is going away.  The next day, you may find yourself feeling terrible pain.

For this reason, the most important thing you can do after a car accident (or an accident of any other kind) is to get medical attention. If you see a doctor immediately, you will ensure a prompt diagnosis of an injury such as whiplash, and you can start treatment right away. Your health will be better off in the long run.

Whiplash Signs and Symptoms

• Neck pain
• Headaches
• Sensitivity to loud noises or bright lights
• Trouble sleeping
• Immobility or stiffness
• Limited range of motion
• Pain when turning or twisting
• Pain between the shoulders
• Tingling or numbness

If you see a doctor shortly after a car accident in Oklahoma, the doctor will also document your injury. This documentation will be important if you pursue an injury claim or personal injury lawsuit. A doctor’s timely diagnosis and your treatment records can establish the connection between the accident and your whiplash injury. It prevents an insurance company from claiming that something other than your accident caused the whiplash, or your injury is not as serious as you claim.

How Long Do the Symptoms of Whiplash Last?

Most whiplash injuries will heal within six weeks from the time a person was involved in an accident. This isn’t always the case, though. Many people report continued neck pain more than 10 years after the original injury. Some people experience symptoms for the remainder of their lives.

Whiplash has many long-term consequences, such as:

• Headaches
• Pain and stiffness in the neck
• Extreme fatigue
• Anxiety
• Breathing disorders
• Cardiovascular conditions
• Digestive problems
• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic pain syndrome

It’s usually during the first three weeks that whiplash is most painful. The amount of pain a person feels during this time is an indication of how severe the injury is. People with immense pain often do not make a full recovery. Individuals who have pre-existing conditions such as neck pain, arthritis, and chronic headaches also have a hard time recovering fully from whiplash.

Even when a person does not experience symptoms after several years, the impacts of whiplash always stay with them. Once a whiplash injury is sustained, the neck becomes more susceptible to suffering an injury in the future.

Compensation for a Whiplash Injury

In Oklahoma, there are two main types of compensation in a personal injury claim. The first is economic damages. These compensate accident victims for specific costs associated with their injury.

Some types of economic damages associated with whiplash injuries include:

• Medical costs (past, current, and future)
• Medical devices, such as a neck brace
• Travel to and from doctor’s appointments
• Physical therapy costs
• Lost income
• Reduced earning capacity for the future

The second main type of damages are non-economic damages. These are losses you’ve suffered that don’t have an actual dollar value. Oklahoma law recognizes that even though these losses don’t have a calculable value, you deserve to receive compensation for them.

These types of non-economic damages associated with whiplash injuries include:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium

It’s important to understand that Oklahoma follows a modified comparative fault law. This means that if you were partly at fault for an accident, any compensation you are awarded will be reduced. The courts will assign you a percentage of fault, and your compensation is reduced by the same percentage.

Insurance companies and at-fault parties will often try to take advantage of this law, but an experienced Oklahoma whiplash attorney can aggressively refute claims of fault by the defense.

How Can Our Lawyers Help with Your Whiplash Injury?

When you call Cain Law for help with your whiplash case, we will immediately take action to protect your rights and begin to prepare your claim. We treat every case, no matter how big or small, as though it could go to trial, and we aggressively pursue justice for our clients. Here are a few of the steps we will take when we handle your whiplash case:

• What happened? The first step that we will take is to investigate the accident and dig into the facts. For instance, we will examine the scene of the accident, review photos and video, talk with witnesses and gather documents. We may also talk with accident reconstruction experts in order to understand how your crash or other type of accident happened.
• How bad are the damages? We will thoroughly review your medical records, consult with experts and carefully determine the full extent of your losses. Did you lose time from work? Do you suffer from a long-term disability? Will your whiplash injury hurt your ability to earn money in the future? We will answer these questions and more as we calculate the amount that you should demand in your case.
• Is a settlement possible? We will work with you and pursue a settlement with the insurance company. We actually resolve the majority of cases through settlements. Our experienced personal injury attorneys know how to build leverage and negotiate for maximum compensation for our clients.
• Will your case go to trial? If the insurance company disputes liability and/or damages, we will not be afraid to take your case to trial in order to pursue justice for you. Our results speak for themselves. Although every case is unique, our clients can trust that they will have a skilled team of advocates on their side from day one.
• How soon can you get paid? We can work with you to resolve any unpaid medical bills, health insurance liens or other loose ends that you need to resolve. Our goal will be to work efficiently, distribute any amount owed to you through a verdict or settlement and allow you to focus on your future.

Steps to Take After a Whiplash Injury

After suffering a whiplash injury, many accident victims don’t know what to do next. The next steps you take, however, are crucial to your personal injury claim. Below are four steps every accident victim should take to protect their claim:

• Seek medical attention: The most important thing after an accident is your health. The sooner you seek medical attention, the sooner you can get back on the road to good health. Also, getting medical help right away ensures your injuries are documented from the beginning.
• Document the accident scene: As soon as you can, document the accident scene. Take pictures of any vehicles involved, the damage done to them, your injuries, and any other pertinent information. This is crucial evidence that will disappear in the days and weeks following the accident. Also get the names and contact information for any witnesses to the accident.
• Save all paperwork: Whether it’s medical reports, doctor bills, communication from the insurance company, or the accident report, save all paperwork you receive that is related to the accident. This is also crucial evidence and can help prove the extent of your injuries.
• Get legal advice immediately: Before you even speak to the insurance company, you should speak to an attorney who can help. Insurance companies are going to use tactics to avoid paying, reduce or delay your claim. They will try to get you to admit fault, even if you don’t think you’re doing so, and take your words out of context. A skilled whiplash attorney will not let them get away with these tactics and can manage all aspects of your claim, so you can focus on your recovery.

Reach Out To Start Your Oklahoma Whiplash Car Accident Claim

If you suffered whiplash as a result of an accident that was the fault of someone else, you should not be forced to pay for someone else’s mistake. At Cain Law, our experienced Oklahoma car accident attorneys can help you every step of the way, building a solid claim for maximum compensation.

Contact us today for your free consultation so we can get started on your case.
The Oklahoma car accident lawyers of Cain Law understand that a whiplash injury can cause serious pain and bring major problems to your life. We are here to help. If someone else’s negligence caused you to suffer whiplash in a crash or any other incident, we will put our 54 years of combined legal experience to work for you right away.

When you work with Cain Law, our rapid-response team will launch an immediate investigation into your whiplash injury. We will quickly gather evidence to establish your case and seek the maximum amount for you. It all starts with a free consultation. Contact us today and arrange a review of your case – including a home or hospital visit – through our conveniently located offices in Oklahoma City and Edmond.