A whiplash injury occurs when your head is violently and suddenly snapped backward and forward. Although vehicle accidents are the most common cause of whiplash, other types of accidents can cause this condition as well. Whiplash claims are extremely common, both within and outside the Kentucky workers’ compensation system. In fact, more than half of all vehicle accident claims involve some sort of neck injury.

Symptoms of Whiplash

The most common symptoms of whiplash include:

• Pain and stiffness in your neck;
• Pain whenever you move your neck;
• Difficulty moving your neck;
• Pain in your upper back, shoulders or arms;
• Dizziness;
• Fatigue;
• Headaches; and
• Tingling or numbness in your arms.

Less common whiplash symptoms include:

• Blurred vision;
• Depression;
• Inability to concentrate;
• Loss of memory;
• Ringing of the ears (tinnitus);
• Sleep problems; and
• Memory loss.

Some of the latter group of symptoms are also consistent with the symptoms of a concussion and other types of head injuries.

Seek Medical Attention Immediately, for Both Medical and Legal Reasons

The longer you delay seeking medical treatment, the more difficult it will become to diagnose it and the more questions you will raise about why you waited so long to seek medical treatment in the first place. The workers’ compensation insurance company might even try to claim that your injury didn’t occur until after the event that actually caused it. Seek medical care the same day that the injury occurs.

Pain and Suffering and Workers’ Compensation

Serious cases of whiplash can involve quite a bit of pain over a long period of time. The bad news is that the Kentucky workers’ compensation system will not compensate you for pain and suffering. The good news is that if you can find a defendant other than your employer, you can file an ordinary personal injury compensation claim and claim pain and suffering damages. An example might be another driver who hit your car while you were performing a work-related task.

Typical Compensation Values

Mild to moderate cases of whiplash usually result in compensation of somewhere between $2,000 and $10,000. More serious cases, especially if physical therapy is required, can result in a compensation award in the tens of thousands of dollars. If the whiplash injury is accompanied by more serious neck injuries, the recovery might even amount to six figures.

Don’t Delay — Contact Us Today

Whiplash injuries can be difficult to prove, and difficult to prove the severity of, without the assistance of a skilled Kentucky personal injury lawyer such as Glenn Martin Hammond, who possesses over two decades of experience. Call us at (606) 437-7777, or fill out our online intake form, so that we can set up a free consultation to discuss your case.

We serve clients in Lexington, Pikeville, Winchester, Paris and elsewhere in the state of Kentucky — and you pay nothing unless we win your case.