Sacramento Injury Lawyers Provide Whiplash Claim Representation Throughout California

Aggressive advocates for accident victims who suffer lingering discomfort

Whiplash is a painful and often debilitating condition that can result from auto accidents, falls or other heavy impacts to the head, neck or back. If you’ve sustained a whiplash injury, the pain and other effects can be difficult to prove. At Mastagni Holstedt, APC, our Sacramento personal injury attorneys aggressively pursue the full value of your whiplash injury claim. If trial is necessary to obtain the damages you deserve, you can rely on our proven courtroom skills to pursue them.

Understanding what whiplash does to the body

Whiplash is an umbrella term for an assortment of symptoms that result from the sudden, violent movement of the head or torso, first in one direction then the other. The classic example is the abrupt and exaggerated motion of driver’s head forward, then backward, after a collision. The neck stretches beyond its capacity so that muscles and ligaments are strained and perhaps torn, discs are displaced and possibly ruptured and nerves are damaged. The resulting “soft-tissue” injury inflicts a variety of symptoms, which can include:

• Pain that worsens with movement
• Loss of range of motion 
• Headaches, sometimes due to concussion
• Tenderness or pain radiating down to the shoulders, upper back or arms
• Tingling or numbness in the arms and hands
• Fatigue
• Dizziness

Some people develop additional symptoms, such as blurred vision, tinnitus, insomnia and memory problems. The persistence of symptoms can induce crankiness, mental fogginess and depression. 

Common causes of whiplash injuries 

As mentioned above, car accidents are the leading cause of whiplash injury. Rear-end collisions, side impacts and T-bone crashes can cause a victim’s head to snap front and back or side to side. In addition, people can sustain whiplash due to:

• Slip and fall accidents
• Contact sports 
• Physical assault 
• Amusement park rides
• Motorcycle and bicycle accidents

When someone’s negligent, reckless or deliberate conduct causes you to suffer a whiplash injury, you are entitled to appropriate compensation.

Compensation available for whiplash injury claims

Accidents victims who have suffered resulting whiplash are entitled to recover damages for their economic and noneconomic losses, including:

• Present and future medical bills
• Present and future rehabilitation costs
• Present and future lost earnings 
• Physical pain and mental suffering
• Loss of quality of life and/or enjoyment of life

The amount of compensation recoverable depends on the severity of the injury and the victim’s prognosis for recovery.

Proving your whiplash claim

In whiplash cases, medical diagnostics do not adequately portray the extent of the injury or the depths of the victim’s suffering. MRIs are better than X-rays for revealing soft-tissue damage, but neither technology conveys how much pain a victim is in. Patients with similar MRI results can have vastly different pain experiences. Therefore, insurance companies view whiplash as a dubious injury and are loathe to settle for more than the bare minimum they have to. 

An experienced injury lawyer knows how to build a compelling case of whiplash injury. Our team goes beyond medical diagnostics and assembles as much evidence as possible to document the change in your lifestyle and activity level due to your injury. This includes testimony from people with direct knowledge of your condition before and after the accident.

The statute of limitations in California allows accident victims two years to file a lawsuit, but whiplash victims should retain an attorney immediately after the accident to ensure proper management of their claim.

Contact our determined trial attorneys for whiplash injury representation

Mastagni Holstedt, APC represents clients throughout California who have sustained whiplash injuries. We have offices in Sacramento, Rancho Cucamonga, Pleasanton and Redwood City. Call us at or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.