What Causes Whiplash in a Car Accident?

Whiplash is one of the most common injuries sustained after a car wreck. However, insurance companies have a reputation for being reluctant to pay out for whiplash injuries. Why is this, and how does a car wreck cause whiplash? Our guide answers your questions and offers advice on what to do if you’ve suffered whiplash in a car wreck.

How Does a Car Wreck Cause Whiplash?

Even minor car accidents cause significant jolts to the body that can put the delicate structures of the neck and the back out of place. But what happens to the body to cause whiplash?

The injury is caused by sudden compression of the back and neck vertebrae. During a car accident, the back is flattened against the seat, and the pelvis jolts forward, which causes a twist along the spine, culminating in a sudden jolt to the neck that we identify as whiplash.

Other back injuries can happen concurrently with whiplash. These often show up on medical x-rays and are more easily demonstrable to insurance companies who don’t want to pay out for “invisible injuries.” However, what happens if whiplash is the only injury suffered?

How Do I Show Proof of Whiplash?

This issue doesn’t show up on an x-ray. This gives insurance companies the chance to suggest that nothing is wrong – the claim that people “fake” whiplash to get higher payouts is well-known.

While there might be isolated cases where someone pretends to be ill, this is true across all medical science and isn’t unique to car wrecks. It’s certainly not an admissible reason for insurers to refuse payouts to people who have been injured during a car wreck.

The damage occurs in an area of the neck that is full of sensitive nerves and taut muscles. This makes it an extremely painful affliction, but as muscular and nervous injuries don’t show up on an x-ray, doubt can remain about whether the victim is genuinely injured.

The injury also develops with time, often taking up to 48h to seriously affect the victim. This is a major reason why insurance companies pounce on statements made at the scene of the accident like “I feel fine.” To unscrupulous insurers, this demonstrates that there is no problem, even if the car wreck leaves the victim in debilitating pain days later.

The best course of action to show proof is to get in touch with a trusted auto accident attorney who knows how to deal with insurers when they’re reluctant to pay.

Can You Get Whiplash From a Low-Speed Car Accident?

So how does a car wreck cause whiplash if it’s at a low speed? Insurance companies have funded a vast body of research suggesting that low-speed accidents can’t lead to severe injuries of this kind, but these studies have largely been debunked by more authoritative research.

If you’re doubtful over whether your injuries qualify for an insurance payout, simply ask yourself how you feel since you were involved in a car wreck in Texas. If the answer is that you’re in severe pain, you have a case.

What you need next is an auto accident attorney to take your case to the next level and prevent insurers from making their usual arguments about invisible injuries. A good attorney like Joe Stephens will always know if you’re honest, and they will use that conviction in your defense.

If You or a Loved One Have Suffered Whiplash from a Car Wreck in West Houston, Call Auto Accident Attorney Joe Stephens Now

Don’t suffer from the debilitating pain of whiplash and accept an insurer’s verdict without question. Get in touch with the Joe Stephens law firm to represent you in court and get you the payout you deserve for this type of injury.

If you’ve been injured by the negligence of another, you could hire any auto accident attorney, or you can hire a good West Houston auto accident lawyer. Joe Stephens has been defending injury victims in Texas for over 3 decades from negligent individuals, companies, and greedy insurance companies. As a local auto wreck law firm in Katy, Joe handles all cases personally, and his staff is always available to answer questions.

The Stephens Law Firm, Car Accident Lawyers handles auto accident lawsuits across Texas, including these Houston cities.