The long and busy roads of Los Angeles are witnesses to hundreds of truck accidents every year. They can also be the sites of different kinds of injuries such as whiplash. What these roads don’t have—and what many people don’t know—is the knowledge that an injury as simple as whiplash can have long-lasting effects.
Why Your Insurance Claim Might Not Be Enough
Are you a truck driver who had an accident in Los Angeles? There’s a good chance you received insurance from the other party. It’s especially true if they’re at fault and you sustained a whiplash injury.
Whiplash is a neck sprain or strain, although the bruising or the pain can also spread to the nearby muscles, nerves, and connective tissues. You develop it when you experience a sudden acceleration and deceleration, such as when another vehicle hits you at the back or on the side.
The amount of force you are exposed to can bring your neck and head forward and backward with hardly any resistance. Whiplash is one of the most common vehicle-related injuries. Insurance companies somehow know how much they will give you in case you meet one.
As a business, it’s not uncommon for them to set limits not only for property damage but also for injuries. The problem is that what you got might not be enough and that you need to work with a truck accident attorney in Los Angeles to claim what you deserve. This is because a whiplash injury can last for months or even years.
The Severity of Whiplash-associated Disorders
Some people can develop whiplash-associated disorders (WADs). These refer to the different symptoms that develop around the neck area after the accident.
According to one cohort study, about a third of those with whiplash injury will recover from disability and pain within three months from the date of the accident. Around 33% will still have persistent but lower levels of disability and illness. The rest might never fully recover. Because of this, the costs of healthcare can pile up. So do the opportunities of earning a living or being productive.
But that’s not all. Some types of research showed a strong association between whiplash injury and mental issues. Take, for example, depression. A study published in the European Spine Journal, those who experienced more severe neck pain, muscle spasms, tingling of the arms and hands, and poorer health were more likely to go through the initial depression. But those who suffered from all these symptoms and were older and had previous mental health problems could develop persistent depression.
Whiplash-associated symptoms can also increase the likelihood of social isolation, which can also be a risk factor for depression. This could be because the clinical signs may cause physical and mental disabilities (although these can be temporary).
Despite being a common injury, whiplash is a subject that not many people truly understand. Few people know that it can become a long-term health problem. When you experience such an injury, it’s not enough you talk to the insurance company. It might also be necessary to approach a lawyer who can help you get compensation for your medical care.