Fort Lauderdale Whiplash Injury Lawyer

Whiplash, a common injury in car accidents, can lead to lasting health issues. The injuries in whiplash occur when your head is abruptly thrown back and then violently whipped forward. If you’ve suffered from whiplash in an auto collision, you may be eligible to pursue compensation for your medical care, lost income, pain and suffering, and possibly more. Our Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers can provide you with legal support and guidance on your car accident claim following a whiplash injury.

Get the compensation you and your family deserve. Call Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers today for a free case consultation. Learn more about your legal options and let our whiplash injury lawyers in Fort Lauderdale begin working on your case right away.

Accidents in Fort Lauderdale that Can Lead to Whiplash Injuries

There are several incidents or accidents that can result in whiplash. Individuals involved in car accidents—particularly rear-end collisions—are at a high risk of experiencing whiplash. This also includes any vehicle struck from behind, such as motorcycles and bicycles. You might also discover you’re dealing with whiplash after:

• Participating in contact sports
• Being assaulted
• Engaging in extreme activities, such as bungee jumping
• Riding on roller coasters and other rides
• Slipping and falling
• Diving into shallow water

All these activities can lead to whiplash. In fact, any event that jerks your head back and then forward rapidly can result in whiplash. It is this back-and-forth movement that causes whiplash. Abrupt changes of direction can:

• Tear the ligaments in your neck and shoulders
• Lead to nerve damage
• Pull muscles in your neck

If you have been involved in an accident and believe you are suffering from whiplash, there are signs and symptoms to be aware of. Contact our personal injury lawyer in Fort Lauderdale for more detailed information on your case.

Signs that You Experienced Whiplash

Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell immediately if you have experienced whiplash after a collision with another motor vehicle. Whiplash symptoms may develop after the shock of the accident wears off and you start to feel your injuries. Individuals with whiplash may experience:

• Neck pain and headaches
• Dizziness, tingling, and numbness
• Limited neck mobility
• Mid and upper back pain

If you begin to experience these symptoms after a collision, you should seek medical treatment quickly. Your doctor can provide you with a complete physical examination and diagnosis. They can identify whiplash and any other possible injuries you are experiencing.

In addition to receiving proper medical attention, seeing your doctor as soon as possible will also protect your rights to compensation for your injuries.

Under Florida Statutes § 627.736, you will only have 14 days to seek initial treatment after an accident if you want to seek compensation through your personal injury protection (PIP) policy. Our whiplash lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, FL can review your PIP coverage and explain the terms of your policy. They can also help you build an auto accident claim and fight for your fair compensation from the responsible party.

How Early Treatment for Whiplash Injuries Also Protects Your Claim

You can seek medical treatment for whiplash, and this treatment can alleviate many of your symptoms. Note that—in some cases—whiplash will heal on its own after several weeks, according to Mayo Clinic. However, this is not always the case. There have been cases where individuals who did not get treatment experienced symptoms for the rest of their lives.

The faster you seek treatment, the easier it will be for your car accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale to prove that your injuries were caused by your accident. If you wait a lengthy period of time, insurance adjusters may try to argue that your injury and the motor vehicle accident were unrelated to deny you compensation.

Additionally, you need to complete your doctor’s treatment program. If you miss appointments or skip therapy, the insurance company can argue that you were not as injured as you stated. They would then undervalue or deny your personal injury claim.

Compensation for Whiplash Injuries in Fort Lauderdale

As stated, if you experienced whiplash as the result of a motor vehicle collision in Fort Lauderdale, you may be able to get compensation through your PIP policy. Florida is a no-fault state, and all registered cars must carry the following car insurance coverage:

• $10,000 in personal injury protection (PIP)
• $10,000 in property damage liability (PDL)

When you are in an accident, you would file a claim with your car insurance carrier. To qualify for PIP, you must begin treatment within 14 days of the accident. Your PIP coverage will compensate you for:

• 80% of your medical expenses for whiplash treatment
• 60% of lost wages at work while you recover

PIP coverage is offered through your insurance. You can only seek compensation through this policy unless you experienced a severe injury in the collision. If you experienced significant trauma and whiplash, you may be able to seek additional forms of compensation.

The team at Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers can discuss your case with you. They can explain what compensation your case would permit you to pursue.

Additional Damages for Whiplash Accidents

You could be entitled to higher levels of compensation if you were severely hurt in an accident that was caused by someone else in Fort Lauderdale. In order to pursue compensation outside of your PIP coverage, our personal injury attorney will need to demonstrate that your additional catastrophic injuries are a:

• Permanent loss of bodily function
• Permanent injury
• Permanent disfigurement

Florida Statutes § 627.737 also recognizes death as a justifiable reason to pursue compensation outside of PIP coverage.

If your injuries meet the serious injury threshold, you could pursue additional damages such as:

• Full coverage of your past and future healthcare, including long-term nursing, surgeries, and assistive devices
• Lost income and lost earning potential if you are unable to return to work
• Repairs or replacement of personal property damaged or destroyed in the accident
• Pain and suffering, including emotional distress and anxiety
• Loss of consortium for the relationships that have been impacted by your injuries

Our whiplash attorney serving the Fort Lauderdale, FL community can assess the losses in your case and determine the damages you have a right to claim.

Proving How the Other Party Was Negligent in Your Whiplash Accident

A common way to breakdown negligence is into four elements. Each of these elements creates a link between you, the at-fault party, the accident, and your losses. Those elements are presented as:

• Duty of care: This element is the responsibility of every driver to operate their vehicle safely and follow traffic laws.
• Breach of duty: The breach is the moment when the at-fault driver fails to follow traffic laws. This failure could include speeding, tailgating, or reckless lane changing. 
• Causation: Because of their actions, there is an accident in which you are injured. 
• Damages: After the accident, your injuries have created financial, physical, and possibly emotional hardships for you. 

Our personal injury lawyers gather evidence from your accident to prove these four elements. We look to prove the other party’s liability, how the accident occurred, and the damages you now have.

Our personal injury law firm gets this evidence and accomplishes this by:

• Obtaining the police report: The police report will provide information on the accident, the parties involved, contact information, and an unbiased third-party assessment of fault.
• Investigating the accident scene: We collect physical evidence of the cars involved, the condition of the road, and any other pertinent evidence that can explain how the accident occurred. 
• Questioning witnesses to the accident: Witnesses, including any passengers, can provide statements that corroborate your version of events, but they can also add another perspective and provide additional details. 
• Going over pictures and videos of the accident: We will photograph the accident scene, your injuries, the vehicle damage, and anything else related to the accident. Dash cams, traffic cameras, and business surveillance can show events as happened before, during, and after the accident. 
• Reviewing your medical records: With your doctors, we can examine your reports and learn how the accident has injured you and your prognosis. 
• Consult with experts: In addition to your doctors, we can discuss your case with financial advisors and accident reconstruction specialists. 

Depending upon the results of our investigation, Jason and Debi Chalik can personally work to get you the compensation you need. They may be able to negotiate with the insurance company for the individual who caused the accident to secure you a fair settlement.

The legal team at Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers can also file a personal injury lawsuit if they cannot bring you an acceptable settlement. No matter what, we won’t accept payment for any legal fees unless we secure the compensation you deserve.

Our Fort Lauderdale Whiplash Injury Lawyer Can Help You

Boost your odds of getting fair compensation in a personal injury settlement after you experience a whiplash injury by contacting Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers. Call us today, and you will get a free consultation from our whiplash injury lawyers in Fort Lauderdale. Take charge of your future by reaching out to us now.