Cervical Whiplash

We are experts in claiming compensation for traffic accidents that cause whiplash, one of the most common injuries caused by vehicle collisions.

The first thing to know if you are in an accident is that you are entitled to compensation if you have a cervical sprain or cervical rectification due to the accident.

Secondly, if you have symptoms such as pain, neck pain, dizziness and vertigo after a traffic accident, it is important to go immediately to the emergency room to get a diagnosis and treatment.

Most importantly, to get all the compensation you’re due, it is advisable to contact a lawyer who specialises in whiplash from traffic accidents, who is fully independent and unrelated to the insurance companies.

At Onandia Abogados, as independent lawyers, we counsel our clients and ensure maximum compensation!

How? With a team of medical experts who assess personal injury objectively and following a code of ethics, based on the degree of the injury and its consequences. We have the best professionals specialised in cervical sprain and cervical rectification, as well as accident reconstruction experts, economists who can assess all the possible economic damages incurred, etc.

We also study the insurance policies of injured vehicles since these often also cover litigation expenses. In doing so, we make sure that the injured person always gets the maximum compensation for common whiplash.

Cervical sprain or whiplash is the most common injury in traffic accidents. The impact of the vehicle generates a forced extension-flexion mechanism of the neck that is transmitted down the spine, which can affect the cervical, dorsal, lumbar, sacral and coccyx segments. Since the cervical segment is the weakest, it is usually the most affected in these types of collisions, so it is the most common.

The Quebec classification, which was created to categorise cervical injuries caused by the acceleration-deceleration mechanism, defines the severity of the whiplash injury as follows:

• Grade 0: there are hardly any cervical symptoms or physical signs.
• Grades 1: patients with cervical symptoms such as pain and stiffness, without physical signs.
• Grade 2: patients with symptoms in the musculoskeletal system with limited mobility.
• Grade 3: patients with cervical symptoms and neurological signs such as sensory deficit, loss of deep tendon reflexes and weakness.
• Grade 4: patients with cervical symptoms and cervical fracture or dislocation.

The most common symptoms associated with whiplash are pain or neck pain, neck stiffness, headaches, dizziness, vertigo, paresthesia, difficulty sleeping, concentration problems and fatigue.

The most common treatment for whiplash is usually rest, muscle relaxants, physiotherapy and rehabilitation. This treatment should be followed exhaustively and following the recommendations of doctors to help alleviate the symptoms or minimise sequelae, preventing them from becoming chronic.

The chances of suffering whiplash and its progression depend on your anatomy; the neck of a boxer will be more resistant than that of an elderly or sedentary person, who will likely have a more severe injury.

Normally insurers assess the existence of a cervical sprain based on the material damages of the vehicles involved in the accident without taking into account the physical and functional characteristics of the occupants of the affected vehicle. This assessment lacks any foundation and this is demonstrated by the majority of court decisions that deny the relationship between damage to vehicles and whiplash.

In short, if you are a victim of a traffic accident and suffer cervical sprain or cervical rectification, you should scrupulously follow the judgment of health professionals independent to the insurers to gain maximum damages.