Assault Can Cause Whiplash Injury
If you have ever seen a movie fight in slow motion, you can understand how whiplash injury can caused by assault. When someone is punched, his or her head can be thrown backward with enough force to cause serious damage. Violence is all too common in our crazy world. People are assaulted not only by criminals, but by neighbors, friends, relatives, and acquaintances. If you are ever the victim of violence, you may think you've just got some cuts and bruises, but if you start to have some strange symptoms, you may have whiplash injury and you may have a case for a compensation claim.
The symptoms of whiplash injury are not well known, so people often do not get the medical attention needed after an assault and often do not realize that they are entitled to compensation for a whiplash injury in many cases. Symptoms of whiplash injury may occur immediately afterward or some days later. Headaches, blurred vision, dizziness, ringing in the ears, and neck pain may be symptoms of whiplash injury. Irritability, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, nausea, memory problems, and sleep disturbances can also be caused by whiplash injury.
If you have these symptoms after an assault, you need to see a doctor. You should get emergency medical treatment if your symptoms are severe. Unfortunately many people do not go for medical attention after they have been assaulted. They may call the police but they often neglect to see a doctor. It's extremely important to call the police and see the doctor, for your own health and for the sake of any future whiplash injury claim which you may make. You need to have X-rays taken of your neck bones to determine if there are any fractures. If necessary, the doctor may do further imaging with an MRI or CT scan. The doctor will use these tests plus an examination to determine if you are suffering from whiplash injury. The medical records on any treatment you received for whiplash injury will also be very important for any legal action and compensation claim.
Once you've received medical attention for your whiplash injury, you'll want to think about whether to seek compensation for your injury. It's very important to have the contact information of any witnesses. Witnesses can confirm that you were the innocent victim in the incident. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority is a government organization that can pay compensation to people who have been physically or mentally injured because they were innocent victims of violent crime. You may be eligible to apply for Criminal Injuries Compensation if you were injured in act of violence in England, Scotland or Wales. The offender does not have to be convicted of the crime. You did need to make your application within two year of the incident that caused your injury. More information is available at https://www.cica.gov.uk/
Awareness of the symptoms of whiplash injury will enable you to get the right tests and treatment if you are ever the victim of assault. Be sure that you are checked out thoroughly by a doctor as soon as possible so you can get the medical treatment that you need. Your solicitor can advise you about the best approach for getting compensation for whiplash injury caused by assault.