You deserve full compensation for your injuries and damages if you’ve suffered a whiplash because of another driver’s negligence. You should immediately involve an auto accident injury lawyer to start building the case and bargain proper settlement. How much you receive from a whiplash claim will depend on various factors, including injury severity and its impacts on your life. Here’s an overview of the average payout for whiplash and what courts consider.
What Is a Whiplash Injury?
Whiplash occurs when your head jerks forward while your body remains in position. It is a common injury in rear-end accidents but can also happen when your car is hit from the side. Whiplash can result in minor back and neck injuries that resolve in a few days or weeks. Other cases are severe and cause permanent disability, impacting your future quality of life. Whiplash injuries can also make it impossible to work or enjoy life.
Can You Receive Payout for Whiplash?
If you are part of an accident resulting in whiplash injuries, you deserve compensation for all injuries and damages. An auto accident injury lawyer can help you prove your innocence for the accident and compel the at-fault driver to settle bodily injuries and other compensatory damages. Here are some of the damages you can claim following a whiplash:
- Medical Bills: You need medical attention immediately following an accident, even if you don’t have obvious injuries. Auto accidents can result in internal injuries not apparent at the time of the crash. Make sure you record all medical bills, receipts, and prescriptions. Severe injuries may require specialized treatment, and it’s only right to receive compensation.
- Lost/Damaged Property: Some accidents result in property losses. You may lose or damage your phone, computer, or other belongings like art or jewelry. An auto accident will also damage your car, calling for repair work. Your auto accident lawyer can help you claim compensation for all property losses and damage caused by the crash.
- Lost Income: If you cannot resume work because of the accident, you should be able to claim income compensation. Your attorney will help calculate all lost income. If you become permanently disabled and are unable to work ever again, you’ll receive compensation for future lost income. The amount is calculated based on your salaries and wages.
Your auto accident injury lawyer can help you claim various other damages like emotional distress and loss of enjoyment. Accidents significantly impact a victim’s life, and some people may experience devastating post-traumatic stress. You should involve a lawyer and gather evidence for all the damages, pain, and expenses incurred due to the whiplash accident.
How Much Payout Will You Receive?
There’s no standard payout for any personal injury case since each claim is unique. Claimants also have unique characteristics that affect the payout. If you claim lost income, you can only receive amounts in line with your average salary.
The medical bills and impact on future life are also different. Your lawyer will examine various pieces of evidence to determine how much you should receive for the injury. Here are some key factors that affect how much you’ll receive:
1. Injury Severity
Medical bills make up the largest share of compensation. Accident victims should wait until they have fully recovered to assess the full extent of their injury. You should seek professional examination immediately after your accident and the best treatment for your whiplash injuries.
Minor back and neck injuries that resolve within a few days or weeks will get compensation between $10,000 and $20,000 or more. Compensation for severe cases that result in permanent disability or wrongful death can reach millions of dollars. It all depends on the severity of injuries and medical/treatment bills.
2. Long-Term Impacts
Whiplash injuries resulting in broken bones and disabilities will keep you from work and enjoying normal activities. Claimants can seek compensation for long-term impacts, such as future lost income, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment. Juries will assess the accident’s impact on your quality of life and future lifestyle.
The at-fault driver should pay for all expenses caused by the accident. You can claim compensation for future medical treatment, such as surgeries and therapies to deal with the trauma. An auto accident injury lawyer can also help you claim settlement for unpaid expenses incurred during the recovery period.
Whiplash Compensation Calculation
Your whiplash compensation calculation factors the medical bills, lost income, and other necessary costs like rehabilitation, prescriptions, and special medical equipment/devices. Claimants can also receive payments for pain and suffering, property damages, and impacts on life. The national average payout falls between $10,000 and $20,000, depending on the factors above, but each case is different. You may receive lower or higher amounts.
Injuries resolved in less than three months and not involving psychological injuries attract the lowest compensation. If you take more than just a few months to fully recover from your accident and are suffering from psychological injuries, you’ll get a higher settlement. Your lawyer can bargain for a higher compensation amount if you’ve got enough evidence to back the claim. The best action you can take is to hire an attorney for the case and focus on recovery.
At-fault drivers and insurance companies will consider everything to downplay your injuries. Their goal is to pay the lowest settlement or avoid it if possible. You’ll need an experienced attorney to prove your innocence and provide evidence for the damages. If you are partly at fault for the accident, you’ll receive less compensation than if you are entirely innocent. Work with a lawyer to solidify your position in the case. They can help ensure your innocence.
Working With an Auto Accident Injury Lawyer
The best approach for claiming whiplash payout involves auto accident injury attorneys. Insurance carriers and defendants will hire a team of expert lawyers to reduce or avoid settlement. To ensure you receive the full compensation you should hire an attorney. They have the right skill and experience and can relieve the stress of filing a lawsuit. Having their help means you can easily negotiate the deserved settlement for your injuries and damages.
Ping an Attorney focuses on connecting injured parties to qualified personal injury attorneys. You should get compensation if you are part of a crash that results in whiplash and other bodily injuries. We will help you connect with experienced lawyers to claim compensation for damages if you are not at fault for your accident. Our personal injury attorneys will review your case and determine the right strategy to negotiate the biggest settlement.