1. How to tell if the Accident is the Other Person’s Fault?

An assessment of the scene of the accident and contributory factors (e.g. diversions, intoxication, mechanical slip-ups, etc) must be completed in order to establish which party is at fault for the accident. As a result, it is helpful to entrust accident evaluations to Hartford attorneys whose expertise is in Connecticut accident law.

2. What Should I say to Insurance Companies?

When contacted by your own insurance company, be cooperative, but don’t admit fault. When contacted by the other party’s insurance company, don’t provide any details about yourself or the accident, factual or otherwise. Questions asked by the other party’s insurance company have one aim: to reduce or deny your damage claims.

3. What Should I Discuss during my Medical Evaluation?

During your evaluation, feel free to talk about your injuries but steer clear of mentioning anything about how the accident occurred. You want to avoid stating anything that may be used against you to discredit your claims of an injury because the physician examining you, may represent the other party’s insurance company.

4. When is the Right Time to Consult a Lawyer?

When deciding on an attorney, always select Hartford attorneys who concentrate on accident law. Following your accident, contact an attorney as soon as possible. In immediately consulting with an attorney, you can provide a detailed account for how the accident happened and pass on comments that may have been made by the other party while they are still fresh in your mind.

5. How long do I have to file a Damage or Injury Claim?

You have up to 2 years from the date an accident occurred under Connecticut law to file a damage and/or injury claim. The only exception is if an injury isn’t instantly identified after an accident, the statue of limitations will be extended to 3 years.

6. What Damages and Injuries will I be Reimbursed for?

According to accident law in Connecticut, you are entitled to receive compensation for the following damages and injuries: (a) property damage, (b) current and future medical expenses, (c) pain and suffering, (d) mental pain, (e) lost earnings, (f) loss of income, (g) loss of potential salary increases, and (h) loss of consortium, which includes when a relationship diminishes in regards to support and/or sexual relationships.

7. Can I Delay Paying my Attorney Until I Receive a Settlement?

If you aren’t able to pay your attorney’s retainer fee, inquire about whether a contingency agreement is a possible option. There are select lawyers within the Hartford area that accept cases on a contingency basis, which means they will agree to receive payment once a case is successfully concluded.

8. How much of my Settlement will be Paid to my Attorney under a Contingency?

This depends two factors: your attorney’s rates, and how long your case lasts (e.g., out of court settlement versus jury award). Attorney fees should have a bearing on which attorney you retain.

For more details on speaking with Hartford attorneys, refer to the website of Wein & Palermo.

The treatment for whiplash syndromes depends on the stage and degree of the problem and which structures have been injured. Treatment can vary from chiropractic care, physical therapy, orthopedic intervention and more. In addition to soft tissue injury, pain that persists after four to six months is usually due to injury to the facet joints, one or more discs, or both. The diagnosis can usually be made by injections, MRI, and X-rays. Treatment is usually successful, but may require physical therapy, injections, and occasionally surgery.

The term whiplash is confusing to many. This is because it is both a mechanism of injury and the symptoms caused by a car accident. It is due to a traumatic event that causes the head to move suddenly in a whipping motion in one direction and then recoil in the other direction. The most common cause of whiplash is a motor vehicle accident in which one vehicle is struck from behind by another. However, it can occur when a car stops abruptly after striking a pole, a wall, or another car, and can also occur after a side impact.

Significant damage to ligaments, discs, and joints can occur even if the swings of extension and flexion are not excessive, but often the neck is forced to the extreme ends of normal range or beyond. Because the trauma is usually sudden, occupants of the car are not prepared for the impact. The muscles are relaxed, which allows more forces on the discs, ligaments and joints. Perhaps the most important fact about whiplash is that significant pain and structural damage can occur even in low velocity crashes.

It is the patient with constant pain without any other specific findings on examination or specialized tests that presents the most difficult problems for the patient himself or herself, the doctors, and the legal system in personal injury. In the first few weeks to months after motor vehicle accident, it is often impossible to determine the exact cause or causes of the pain associated with the injury. The symptoms and signs are not sufficiently specific in the case. In almost every instance, the muscles and ligaments have been strained and may be inflamed, painful, and tender. However after about three months, primary muscle or other soft tissue injuries usually have healed.

The most common causes of persistent pain in whiplash are the facet joints and the discs. There is a poor correlation between the radiographic appearance of the joints and whether they are painful. Some joints which look bad are painless while other joints that look normal can be proven to be a source of pain. Only facet injections can determine whether the joint is painful. In a research study by Drs. Bogduk and Aprill, in 23% of patients, facet joints alone were the cause of pain, in 20% of patients the discs alone were the cause of pain, and in 41% of patients both the facet joints and discs were contributing. They were not able to identify the source of the pain in only 17% of their patients.

Many whiplash patients have symptoms which seem unexplainable to many doctors. These are symptoms like headaches, shoulder pain, shoulder blade pain, or in one or both arms. These symptoms can significantly impact activities of daily living and hinder a persons’ lifestyle. There may be fatigue, ringing in the ears, heaviness in the arms, dizziness, problems with vision, and low back pain. There can be poor concentration or memory, change in emotions with irritability, depression or short temper, and sleep disturbance. Dizziness occurs in 25% to 50% of people with whiplash injury. The most likely explanation is an injury to the part of the inner ear that regulates balance. Problems with memory and concentration can be due to the pain from the accident itself, depression, medications, or trauma to the brain. Visual disturbances occur in 10 to 30% of whiplash patients and blurred vision is the most common symptom.

Fortunately, most people who suffer neck pain after a whiplash injury will recover by six months. However, a small percentage of people continue to have pain. Most patients destined to recover completely will have done so by three to four months, after which the rate of recovery slows markedly. By two years, essentially all patients have reached their individual maximum improvement. About 18% continued to have significant pain two years after the accident! Patients who did not get well tended to be older, had pain which began sooner after the accident, and/or had their head rotated to either side at the time of impact. They also found that patients who, before the accident, had a history of neck pain, arthritis of the neck, or headaches did not do as well.

Common sense would tell us the greater the pain and impairment, the larger the legal settlement or award might be. Rarely, patients may exaggerate their symptoms or be faking. However, a bigger question is whether the potential for money from a legal settlement can unconsciously prolong or worsen the pain. This is called “secondary gain” and it is unconscious, not fraudulent. The science shows that personal injury litigation does not adversely affect outcome. In a study from 1993, Drs. Parinar and Raymakers re-evaluated patients they had seen previously for legal opinions, not for treatment, 8 years after the initial consultation. They concluded that lawsuits did not influence the timing or degree of recovery. In 1983, Drs. Norris and Watt reviewed 61 patients who were treated for whiplash injuries, 41 of whom had personal injury lawsuits. They found no change in symptoms after claims were settled. About ten years later, long after litigation had settled, only 12% had completely recovered, and 48% had pain which interfered with normal daily life.

Several years ago a group of patients were analyzed. This was a group of patients who were referred for treatment by their attorneys because they were not getting better. The patients were treated with strengthening exercises, body mechanics training, medications, spinal injections and occasionally psychotherapy. No patient needed surgery in this case. Most of the patients did well with significant improvements in pain and function. Although most patients still had mild pain at the end of treatment, it was not enough to interfere with their activities of daily living. These very favorable results occurred although none of the lawsuits had even been settled.

Want to find out more about car accident injuries, then visit the car accident web site site on how to choose the best chiropractor for your needs.