If you have been involved in an auto accident, you could suffer various injuries and a variety of damages. If you have been in an auto accident that has caused vertigo, it can be a very disabling condition. It will affect your ability to perform routine tasks as well as work and earn a living.
It is actually a common occurrence for an auto accident victim to suffer vertigo from a car crash. Sometimes diagnosed as whiplash, it affects the neck as well as parts of the brain that control balance, coordination, and spatial awareness.
There is an area at the bottom of the skull and around the neck are sensitive, so when they are affected by external forces it can impact signals being sent to the brain. The sudden jolt from the car hitting a solid structure can cause you to suffer from soft tissue injuries and also experience vertigo.
This kind of injury could result from a rear-end collision, a head-on crash, a side impact, a T-bone crash, and basically any kind of auto accident could cause the jerking motion that leads to vertigo. Vertigo can make it difficult to work, drive, or perform household tasks. It may require ongoing medical care, and the episodes may take several weeks – or even months to end. If you have complications, the vertigo could last even longer and have a major impact on your lifestyle.
It is a quite common situation for an auto accident victim to experience vertigo. It is sometimes diagnosed as whiplash, but as well as affecting the neck it also affects the part of the brain that controls balance, spatial awareness and coordination.
The area around the bottom of the skull and the neck are particularly sensitive parts of the body, and if they are affected in any way by external sources it affects important signals to the brain.
This can happen in an auto accident by the sudden jolting motion when the car hits a solid structure. If this has happened to you and the auto accident was not your fault you may be entitled to file a personal injury compensation (PI) claim from the person who caused the accident.
Determining Liability Of The Other Driver
If you have been in an auto accident, you will need to determine who was at fault so you can prove liability. You cannot pursue a personal injury claim until you can show that the other driver was at fault for the crash that caused your injuries and damages.
You should always stay on the scene of the accident and call the police so an accident report can come completed. This report will serve as the foundation of your personal injury claim.
There are four elements of negligence and all four elements must apply to your accident. Here are the four elements of negligence – duty or responsibility, the duty or responsibility was breached, that breach of duty caused an accident, and that accident caused your damages.
You will need all the supporting evidence and documentation that you can gather to support your claim and show the extent of your damages and why you suffered those damages.
Always gather supporting evidence and documentation so you can make sure your claim is on the right track and so you can recover compensation for your losses. Hard evidence is a necessity for a successful personal injury claim after an accident.
You should keep a file of records starting right after the crash. Be sure to jot down details of the crash while it is fresh in your memory. You should also check to see if the crash could have been caught on video, such as a traffic camera, a surveillance video, or a dash camera.
That video footage can be helpful to your claim and will help you provide the evidence that you need to get your claim underway.
How Vertigo May Affect You
The sorts of effects that vertigo has would make it difficult for you to participate in work related jobs such as constant neck pain and outbreaks of migraines and headaches. There are other alarming symptoms like feelings of dizziness, difficulty in concentrating on tasks, lapses in memory and slow to react in situations.
These are the sorts of effects that would make it almost impossible to return to work until you have fully recovered. There are special treatment programs available that help to restore normal functioning of the individual but these take time to complete.
Documentation To Support Your Claim
If you have been in an accident, you will need to gather supporting evidence and documentation. The foundation for your claim will be the accident report. It will show that the accident actually happened and that you suffered damages because of the crash.
You should get photos of the accident scene and of the damages that you suffered because of the crash. Try to get pictures from different angles.
You should establish medical care right away. Failure to get care established can cause you to lose your chances of a successful claim. It will become difficult to show that your injuries were the direct result of the crash if you postpone getting medical care.
You should keep copies of all medical bills, medical records, medical excuses, proof of missed work and lost wages, and any other supporting documentation that shows you suffered injuries that caused losses.
You will need to get a written estimate for repairing the damages to your vehicle. Also, keep any tow bills and any receipts for a rental car. You will also need to include photos of the damages. Here is a list of supporting evidence and documentation that you can use to support your personal injury claim:
- The accident report
- Witness statements
- Photos of the accident scene
- Photos of the damages and injuries
- Medical bills
- Medical records
- Proof of missed work and lost wages
The state laws regarding personal injury claims do vary, but every state has a statute of limitations, or a time limit, for pursuing a claim after the accident. You should get your claim underway by then and be sure to include any future expenses associated with your losses, such as future loss of earnings and future medical expenses.
Damages For Vertigo Sufferers
In an auto accident that was not your fault you may be able to file for damages from the person who caused the accident. You can expect to receive the costs of all your medical treatment until you have completely recovered.
You may also receive compensation for any loss of earnings until you are able to resume your job. If you are suffering from any pain caused in the accident you may also be entitled to PI compensation for that too.
A separate calculation is made for pain and suffering and it is added to the lump sum you receive once you have won the PI settlement. Treatment is quite complex and includes awareness training, cold laser and muscle stimulation therapy in order to retrain the hypertonic muscles as well as having a good look at the victim’s diet and ensuring sodium intake is kept to a minimum.
Find out more about what damages you may be entitled to if you file a personal injury claim.
Why You Need a PI Attorney
As long as you have gathered sufficient evidence that the auto accident wasn’t your fault a PI attorney will help you file a claim. If you try to do it on your own the insurer of the driver who caused the accident will try to persuade you to take a lower amount than you deserve.
If you have been in an auto accident, a personal injury lawyer can help you with multiple aspects of your claim. An attorney can help determine fault for the crash, which in turn will prove liability.
The lawyer will also be able to help show negligence and how all four elements of negligence apply so you can pursue a personal injury claim against the liable party. Your lawyer will help you gather the supporting evidence and documentation that your claim needs to advance.
A PI attorney will use all your evidence to help ensure any financial hardship is included in the claim. If you accept less than the amount you need to keep you and your family financially secure you will need to find other means to support yourself or do without important medical treatment.
If you still have questions on what next steps you have to take, it is always best to speak with a personal injury attorney in your area.
