Because of its reputation as a minor injury, some people have a tendency to be dismissive of the serious effects of whiplash. It’s not uncommon for patients to try to ignore the pain and “push through,” thinking the symptoms they are experiencing shouldn’t impact their daily routine. But the neck injury known as whiplash has been known to cause complications that can persist for months or even years. As with any injury, every case is unique. And this is especially true for a condition prominent medical institutions across the country refer to as “poorly understood” and “not well understood.”

While the prognosis for whiplash is generally good, there are some cases in which patients suffer lasting pain and damage. Let’s look more closely at the nature, causes, and symptoms of whiplash, along with its potential long-term effects.

Drunk driving is illegal. Unfortunately, people still decide to get behind the wheel while intoxicated every day. It’s not only dangerous to them—it’s dangerous and deadly for everyone else on the road as well. Their reckless decision could be the difference between life and death for another person.

Careful drivers in Illinois are aware that there are many uninsured and underinsured motorists on the roads of our state. If one of those uninsured or underinsured drivers causes an accident that injures someone, there is no safety net in place to cover the victim’s losses. When a driver violates our state’s minimum insurance requirements, every person who shares the road with them is at risk. And in many cases, the bare minimum for insurance coverage is insufficient to cover the immense medical bills and property damage expenses that may be incurred in a collision.

In some scenarios, you might not have your own car to drive, and your friend lets you borrow theirs. Whether yours is in the shop, you’re in between owning vehicles, or you just don’t have one in general, it’s extremely generous of a friend or family member to allow you to borrow their car. You’re already feeling thankful that they trust you with their vehicle, so what happens if you get into an accident while driving their car?

Rideshare services are often a quick and convenient way to get from one place to another. Apps like Uber and Lyft allow drivers to use their own cars to give rides to app users in both urban and rural areas. Like all other drivers, however, even rideshare drivers can get into accidents.

In today’s world, posting on social media about major events in your life has become second nature to many individuals. It’s only natural that after you’ve sustained an unexpected injury, you may feel inclined to write a post, and maybe even include pictures, to alert your friends, family, and followers about your misfortune and reassure everybody that you’re okay. You might even feel tempted to talk about how the accident happened and try to assign blame—especially if the accident was caused by another person.

Making the decision to post any information about an injury that you may be considering filing a personal injury claim for is a decision that can potentially harm your claim more than help it—especially when your emotions may be running high soon after the incident occurred. There are many reasons why this is the case. Let’s take a look at some of them.

When you’re driving through a school zone, you may not be aware of the different laws and rules that apply. These laws and rules exist to keep children and those in charge of them safe from accidents. During school drop-off and when class ends for the day, a school zone is a busy area full of excited children, parents and guardians picking up their kids, and buses picking up children who live further away. As a driver, you want to make sure you’re well-versed in the laws and how to drive safely through these areas.

Even though there are mandatory automobile insurance requirements in Illinois, the limits are often insufficient to cover losses sustained by the victim of an automobile collision. Additionally, there are many negligent drivers who are completely uninsured or have an inadequate amount of insurance coverage. If a driver like that is involved in an accident, it can be challenging for the victim to receive full compensation to cover their losses. Fortunately, there are insurance coverage options that can alleviate the problem. There are benefits to carrying uninsured and underinsured coverage in Illinois on your own automobile policy.

Distracted driving is more of a problem every day.  It is the cause of most rear-end car accidents. In the United States between 2012 and 2014, almost half of all collisions between two vehicles were rear-end collisions, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.  An astounding eighty seven percent 87% of those accidents were caused by distracted driving.

The range of rear-end accidents vary from a minor accident that you don’t even pull over for to a major accident that causes serious injuries requiring you to be rushed to the hospital.  Whether the rear car’s driver is distracted or speeding to cause the crash, it’s important to know what potential back and neck trauma you could suffer from in a rear-end accident.

Determining what to do immediately following a traffic accident can seem overwhelming. You may be suffering from a variety of injuries and not know what to do. After you’ve called 911 and received emergency medical attention, you’ll need to make sure that an official police report has been prepared.

If you decide to go forward with the help of a car accident attorney, they will take the necessary steps to  gather evidence and build a case so that you can get the compensation you deserve if you have been wrongfully injured.. While they will handle tracking down the majority of the evidence needed to support your claim, it’s good to know how to obtain a police report after a collision in Illinois. It’s likely both your lawyer and the insurance company will need the information recorded by the police officer at the time of the crash. The process is different for every state, and understanding how it works in your area can speed up the litigation process.