Over the next several weeks, we will post a total of 10 short articles about whiplash injuries from auto collisions, a poorly understood but all too common injury. Our firm handles many such cases and is committed to informing you so you can protect yourself and your family.
Lies We Hear
Whiplash injuries can be very serious. They cost our economy 30 billion dollars a year by some estimates. It’s no wonder that insurance companies and big businesses who are liable for these damages spread falsehoods and misinformation to influence jurors not to award fair compensation and to convince injured people not to pursue damages. Here are just a few of the inaccuracies we hear:
- Low speed crashes cannot injure you;
- These injuries heal in a couple months;
- Low property damage means no injury (however, they don’t admit the converse, that greater property damage mean greater injury);
- “Normal” X-ray means no injury (X-rays show only bones, not the rest of the body);
- Paper medical review ordered by insurance companies are reliable in paying a claim (these reports are often done by people with no medical training and using stock wording to reduce payments by millions of dollars);
- Biomechanical experts hired by insurance companies can determine what crashes hurt people and which don’t;
- “Soft tissue” injuries are not serious (this statement ignores the fact that the brain, spinal cord, muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves, and blood vessels are all “soft tissues” which can be damaged in whiplash cases).
