We have all seen TV shows and movies where the hustlers show up in court with big neck braces pretending that they have a serious case of whiplash. In real life however, whiplash is a potentially debilitating and common injury that normally stems from a rear end car crash. What not a lot of people understand about whiplash is that symptoms don’t normally start to manifest until hours, and sometimes days after the accident.
That means that someone who has suffered whiplash may not even know they are injured while they are making their statements about the crash. This makes getting compensation after the fact difficult to say the least. That is why in today’s blog post we will look at the Nevada car accident whiplash laws.
What is Whiplash Exactly?
The medical term for whiplash is called a neck sprain or strain. Whiplash is caused by a verry forceful and sudden back and forth movement of the neck, similar to the cracking of a whip. The sudden whip cracking like movement damages the soft tissue and sometime the ligaments of the neck. The Mayo Clinic reports that in most instances, whiplash will get better within a few weeks with treatment and rest. However, there are some reports of chronic whiplash that cause long-lasting complications.
Similar to how it sometimes takes your body a day or two to start to feel sore after a workout, sometimes it takes a few days for the symptoms of whiplash to manifest. Sufferers of whiplash may suffer from some, or all the following symptoms:
- Stiffness and pain in the neck
- Limited range of motion of the neck
- Tenderness of the neck and shoulders, with pain in the upper back and arms
- Fatigue, dizziness, and headaches
Getting Compensation for Whiplash
The Nevada car accident whiplash laws are governed by the standard Nevada injury civil laws and NRS Chapter 11. These laws allow you two years from the time of the accident to file an injury claim for whiplash. Failure to act on your injury claim within this time frame could result in you being responsible for paying all of the medical bills and other damages that resulted from the car accident.
Due to the sometimes-delayed symptoms resulting from whiplash, most often the insurance agencies will try to argue that the injury didn’t happen as a result of the car crash. This is especially true if you refuse to be examined by a medical professional at the time of the accident. This is why it is so very important to be thoroughly examined by a doctor after being involved in a car accident, regardless of if you feel injured or not.
Nevada Personal Injury Lawyer for Whiplash Injuries
After being examined by a doctor, the second most important action you need to take after a whiplash injury is to find an experienced Nevada personal injury lawyer. A good injury attorney will know all of the Nevada car accident whiplash laws and will be able to negotiate a fair and reasonable settlement with the insurance agencies. Your attorney will use all of the evidence surrounding the crash as leverage in the negotiations to get you your compensation.
If the insurance agencies balk in paying, your lawyer will file a formal complaint in court. This will open your personal injury case before the judge and litigation will begin. If your claim has progressed this far, the legal fees and court costs will begin to pile up. If no settlement can be reached after litigating in court, your case will go to trial where the final ruling will be determined by a judge or jury.
Personal injury trials are so expensive, neither side will normally want one. This makes trials in personal injury cases rare in Nevada. However, they do happen and if a trial is on the horizon, having the very best personal injury lawyer on your side is vital to winning. If you lose at an injury trial, you will be responsible for paying all of the medical bills that have occurred due to the accident, as well as court costs and other fees.
The Experts of Nevada Car Accident Whiplash Laws
Here at Justice Law Center, we have been fighting for fair and equitable compensation for Nevada residents for over 20 years. We are experts in Nevada car accident whiplash laws and know how to deal with the insurance agencies before a case even goes to court. We can often negotiate settlements on your behalf before any litigation needs to happen. This keeps our fees low and maximizes the amount that we will win for you.
All initial consultations are free, and we only take our fees out of the money you get, so if you lose, we are paid nothing. If you have been injured in an accident, and someone else is at fault, call us today!
Josh Nay is a writer and paralegal with over 10 years of experience in personal injury cases, family law and criminal defense.
