If you think you have unfortunately sustained a whiplash injury in either a road traffic accident or any other accident, you should seek immediate medical treatment from a doctor. Why do you need to see a Doctor for a whiplash injury? You may think that seeing a doctor about whiplash injury is an unnecessary thing to do. After all, it is a soft tissue injury that heals itself without the intervention of a doctor? However, there are two very good and critical reasons why you need to make an appointment to see your doctor if you are suffering from a whiplash injury. The two reasons are as follows;
- You need to be absolutely certain that you do not have a more serious underlying injury. Experience has shown that many people that are involved in a road traffic accident and subsequently experience a painful neck and consequently they tell themselves that they are only suffering with whiplash. However what they fail to understand is that a road traffic accident can cause more extensive injuries, such as a fracture in the neck or back, that very often can have very similar symptoms to whiplash. Do not second guess your health and get your doctor to diagnose that you just have whiplash injuries and not a more serious injury that requires further treatment.
- If you unfortunately have developed a whiplash injury after being in a road traffic accident, it is likely that someone can be held responsible for you injury as they will have been at fault. If another party has been at fault, you will be considered the innocent victim of a personal injury. This means that you may be legally entitled to pursue a claim for personal injuries. If you wish to go down this route then it will help if you have already seen your doctor for your injury, as this will prove that you have indeed suffered an injury which is causing you pain and suffering. Your Personal Injury solicitor will be able to use this as part of your evidence which, along with your witness statements and engineers’ and experts’ reports, will substantiate that you have a genuine whiplash personal injury claim.
What if you have not seen a doctor for your whiplash injury? If you have not been to see your doctor or even attended the A&E of your local hospital, but you wish to make a personal injury claim for your whiplash injuries, then you can still do so. It is not uncommon, but extremely risky both from a health and legal point of view for people to not see their doctor. They choose instead to treat their whiplash injuries on their own with a mixture of rest, muscular exercises and self medication. However, the proper way forward is to immediately consult your doctor and get experienced legal advice from a Personal Injury solicitor if you are suffering from a whiplash injury. Do not mess with your health and the Law!
