Calgary SW Whiplash & Soft Tissue Injuries from Car Accidents
Whiplash gets a bad reputation. It’s routinely lampooned on television shows as a “fake” injury that people claim when they want to use the court system to make a lot of money. Yet whiplash can be a serious injury. It can cause severe, chronic neck pain, a limited range of motion, fatigue, dizziness, severe headaches, memory problems, and depression.
It also can take several days to show up. The possibility of having whiplash is one reason why it’s so important to seek medical attention immediately after an auto accident, even if you’re not sure whether or not you’ve been hurt.
How long does whiplash take to heal after a car accident?
With proper care, most people who get whiplash will heal within 2 to 3 months. Some victims take six months or more to heal.
How much compensation do you get for whiplash?
It depends on how severe your whiplash is. Your personal injury lawsuit is designed to help you cover both short term and long term medical bills from your whiplash and other soft tissue injuries.
If your injuries cause you to miss work then you’ll also receive compensation for lost wages.
The specific amount will also depend on the facts of the case. Alberta is a comparative negligence province. This means if it is determined that you are partially to blame for the accident than your award will be reduced by the percentage of the negligence that you bear.
To maximize compensation, keep all of your medical records and follow all of your doctor’s instructions.
Do you get a pain and suffering award for whiplash?
You can get a pain and suffering award for whiplash. However in many cases this will be a soft tissue injury that is covered by Alberta’s “minor injury” $5296 cap. This is not a reason to avoid pursuing a personal injury case. It is just something to be aware of.
The exception would be if the soft tissue injury in question results in serious impairments or are unlikely to improve substantially over time. This would allow you to claim pain and suffering up to the $370,000 cap for more serious injuries.
Why Merchant Law?
Our team of experienced personal injury lawyers has a decades-long track record of helping people get compensation for their car accident injuries. We can certainly present the hard evidence and convincing case that shows you’re truly in pain and truly need the compensation that a personal injury case can provide.
Remember, getting in touch with a personal injury lawyer is risk free. We work on contingency, which means we don’t get paid unless we bring your case to a successful conclusion. You don’t have to come up with a retainer and you don’t have to pay an hourly rate.
Get started today by scheduling your free consultation. Call (403) 237-7777.