The term “whiplash” is often associated with frivolous lawsuits. This is unfortunate because whiplash is a very real, painful, and debilitating injury. If you have suffered a whiplash injury, you may well face significant challenges in proving your case; therefore, it may be in your best interests to work with a Baltimore personal injury attorney.
What Is Whiplash, and How Does It Occur?
Whiplash is an injury to the neck tissues resulting from a sudden and extreme jolt. Following this jolt - often in a rear-end collision - the body of the driver or passenger is jarred forward, but the head remains in place. As your Baltimore personal injury attorney will tell you, however, rear-end collisions are not the only cause of whiplash injuries. Any type of accident or abuse that causes the hyperextension of the neck muscles can bring about such an injury. Sport injuries in football or hockey, skiing accidents, repetitive stress of the neck muscles on the job, slip and falls, and certain forms of child or elder abuse can cause whiplash.
Why Is Whiplash Difficult to Prove?
As previously suggested, your Baltimore personal injury law firm may well face certain challenges in proving your whiplash case. This is because neck injuries associated with whiplash are not identifiable through traditional medical tests, such as X-rays. Also, the injured party often does not suffer pain initially. Sometimes it takes several days before the pain manifests itself. Because of such challenges, it will likely be necessary to use a medical expert witness in your whiplash case, as well as certain other types of evidence, such as a daily journal you keep which describes your pain and how the injury is limiting your lifestyle.
Do I Need a Baltimore Personal Injury Attorney If I am Injured?
You are not legally required to have legal representation in your whiplash claim. However, because of the challenges inherent in this type of case, your chances of success may be significantly increased if you do so. Call a Baltimore personal injury attorney today at The Law Offices of James Lee Katz, P.A. The number is (443) 394-0900.
