3 Secret Effects of Whiplash Type Injuries

This following is based on a TRUE STORY, but is only a personal perspective from a REAL person after a REAL auto accident:

Whiplash is a tricky thing.  After you have been in a car accident, you check yourself; you look good, no broken bones, no brushes, no bleeding, and you say to self, “self, I’m okay”.  And in the moment you are okay, because your pain is masked by the overwhelming rush of adrenaline that is going through your body after such a trauma.  And yes, even though you may have been in only a minor finder bender, you have gone through a trauma.  Our bodies were not intended to be jerked around like so.

Then what happens with whiplash is you wake up the next day and are a little bit stiffness in your body and you try to convince yourself this is natural and you take a minor pain reliever.  The medication is now the thing that is masking your problem and you say to yourself, “self, I’m okay”.  You are embarrassed to make a big deal out of a non-obvious problem and try to convenience yourself it does not exist.

So, by the time you actually recognize you have a problem and go to a doctor, the x-ray show you have lost the natural curve in your neck and your spine is off-line.  And of course you think no big deal and your doctor says give me 3-5 weeks and you will be fully recovered.  Yes, you will feel okay because of being under current treatment and your alignment will look better, but for some reason you will never fully recover.  When the treatment stops, your pain comes back.  It can also come back accompanied with numbness, migraines and other problems you would never imagine.  Then years down the road your problem with your loss of curve in your neck becomes so bad, your bones start to fuse together and surgery is the only relief you find.

And the trick here is that you have already signed a general release with the insurance company and you are stuck with a life time of pain, suffering, loss of life, and medical bills after medical bills.

CLICK HERE TO SEE CHART OF WHIPLASH INJURY:  PHYSIOPEDIA.COM

Tactics Your Lawyer May Use To Get You to Settle

Remember that lawyers much prefer out of court settlements because this goes as a win on their record as opposed to rolling the dice and possibly having a loss in court.

 They may scare you will possible future fees of court, depositions, mediation, travel expenses etc, etc so that you will take the settlement. This is true especially if your lawyer knows your financial situation.

 If your lawyer is aware of financial struggles, they may attempt to use a settlement offer as an incentive for you to be able to pay your expensive and incurred medical bills so that you are not turned over to collectors and therefore having much greater expenses.

 Your lawyer may try to tell you that your case is not worth more than the settlement amount and you should quickly take the first offer. Remember, the quicker you take the offer, the quicker the lawyer gets paid and can move to their next victim.

 Time is money for a lawyer and they will most definitely attempt to convince you that if you do not take an out-of-court settlement then your case could possible draw out for years.

 After further review of your case and closer examination of your doctors’ reports it is their opinion that the opposing counseling has a better argument for a jury, so you should take the settlement offer.

 If your lawyer tells you they will go pro bono just to get you to settle, this is a big red flag that something is not right. Lawyers just don’t give up the opportunity to get paid.

 And if your lawyer says they are going to quite on you if you don’t settle this is an even bigger red flag and grounds for disbarment.

 Again your lawyer may use another type of scare tactic that there is a Statue of Limitations coming up and we will need to settle. Of course this is not true, but if you are not aware of the law, then you are overly trusting of your lawyer.

 They pay play the trust card in which they say I’m doing what’s in your best interest and just trust me because I have done this for “x” amount of years. So I’m telling you to settle.

 Or they may use their excessive knowledge and experience to point out that you don’t know what you are talking about and should take their advice. In a polite way, they are calling you an idiot.

If you feel that your lawyer is working against you and constantly trying to get you to settle, there is probably a reason. Perhaps they are incompetent and need to be fired, or they may be in a type of dual relationship with the apposing counseling. But regardless of the excuse, don’t be blinding by these overly used tactics. Only settle if you feel that it is in your best interest.