Steven A. Bagen | April 1, 2025 | Car Accidents
Headrests prevent injury by supporting a vehicle occupant’s head and neck. Because ailments like whiplash and traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result from the rapid back-and-forth motion of the head and neck, having support in place can reduce the number and severity of accident-related injuries.
It’s estimated that seats and high-quality headrests reduce the number of accident-related injury claims by as much as 11 percent compared with poor-quality seats and headrests. While vehicle safety features, including headrests, can reduce the likelihood of an injury, they are not universally effective in keeping occupants safe.
If you or a loved one suffered an injury during an auto collision, allow an Gainesville car accident attorney to hold liable parties accountable for the harm they have caused you.
Headrests Help, But They Do Not Prevent All Injuries
Headrests work in conjunction with other vehicle safety features. Each of these features is intended to:
- Reduce the likelihood that someone will be injured during a traffic accident
- Reduce the severity of any injuries suffered during a traffic accident
- Save lives
In addition to headrests, vehicle occupants also tend to be safer because of:
- The sturdy metal cage that composes the vehicle body
- Vehicle design meant to decrease the likelihood of rollover accidents
- Seatbelts
- Airbags
- Strong seats
Some vehicle features may even reduce the likelihood of an accident. Blind spot detectors and lane-assist technologies are two examples. Enhanced safety features have dramatically reduced the likelihood that victims of traffic accidents will lose their lives, but these features can only accomplish so much.
Injuries That Headrests, Airbags, and Other Safety Features Don’t Always Prevent
Headrests, high-quality seats, airbags, and other vehicle safety features are meant to reduce the likelihood of:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones
- Puncture injuries
- Injuries affecting internal organs
- Many other serious health problems that can result from traffic accidents
The data indicates that safety features, including headrests, have achieved their intended goal, which is protecting occupants in the event of traffic accidents. However, auto accidents are still cited as one of the leading causes of TBIs and other injuries like whiplash, which indicates that vehicle safety features are not enough to overcome the trauma of a collision.
The fact is that unsafe drivers and other hazards will likely always cause injuries. When features like headrests are not enough to spare you from injury, hire an attorney to hold the at-fault parties accountable for your pain and other damages.
Injured in a Traffic Accident? What You Do Next Can Shape Your Future.
The time following a traffic accident is more pivotal than many survivors realize. What you do (or don’t do) in the minutes, hours, days, and weeks after the crash can have a long-ranging impact, so it’s important that you:
Hire Your Lawyer as Soon as You Can
You should never wait long to hire an attorney after an auto accident because:
- They want to share their advice as soon as possible (this advice can spare you from potential mistakes that might cost you a significant amount of money)
- Your legal team will need to secure evidence as soon as possible or risk that evidence becoming unavailable
- Once your case is out of your hands (and into your lawyer’s), you should have more time to focus on your mental health and physical recovery
Your attorney will also need to protect you from insurance companies—more about that in a bit.
Accept (and Seek) Medical Treatment
You should seek medical attention immediately following your accident. It is especially true if you suffer the kind of injury that a headrest is meant to prevent or minimize, including a head, neck, or spinal cord injury.
You can get treatment from:
- Your primary care provider
- An urgent care facility
- An emergency room
- Any other provider with the experience and resources to document your injuries and provide accurate diagnoses
You may need X-rays and other medical imaging. You should also receive a thorough physical examination. While some of your injuries and symptoms may be apparent, only an exhaustive exam can ensure all of your injuries and symptoms come to light.
Evaluate Your Mental State (and Seek Treatment If You Need It)
Mental and emotional trauma is a reality for many accident survivors. You might need:
- One or more meetings with mental health professionals
- Specific diagnoses of conditions such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Counseling, medication, and other treatments for accident-related symptoms
Getting treatment is important for your health and recovery, first and foremost. That said, seeking treatment and documenting your mental health challenges will be vital for your case, too.
Let Your Lawyer Deal with Insurance Companies
The last piece of advice is to take a step back, focus on your recovery, and let your car accident attorney handle all case-related responsibilities. Those responsibilities will include dealing with insurers, who may:
- Have no intention of paying you the compensation you deserve
- Insist that you make a statement just after the accident, even if head injuries and trauma make you an unreliable narrator at that moment
- Pressure you to accept a lowball settlement
- Play on your emotions, financial concerns, and other vulnerabilities to push their financial agenda—which is typically to pay the accident survivor less than they deserve
Not every insurance company handles car accident claims in an unethical manner. However, it’s a risk you should be ready for. Allow your car accident attorney to deal with insurance companies so you don’t have to worry about bad-faith tactics.
Your Car Accident Lawyer Will Provide You with the Resources You Need
Your car accident lawyer will be focused on your health before all else. They will provide any resources you need to recover after the crash, which may include:
- Mental health services
- Medical professionals you can trust (because they have treated other car accident survivors)
- Rehabilitation services
- A team responsible for your case, who you can contact at any time with questions and requests for advice
These resources come standard when you hire a personal injury attorney. Your law firm will likely offer a contingency fee, which means:
- You won’t pay your auto accident attorney upfront: Your law firm will not need you to pay any money for them to start your case. Due to how the contingency fee arrangement works, the attorney will plan to recover their costs by securing compensation for you.
- There is no out-of-pocket cost ever: In a contingency fee agreement, the client does not pay the law firm out of pocket under any circumstance. Settlement or judgment, win or lose, you won’t have to dip into your bank account for legal services.
- If your lawyer wins, they get paid (and if they don’t, they don’t): Your lawyer will fight to secure a settlement or judgment for you. If and when they succeed in this mission, your attorney will be entitled to a percentage of the compensation they obtain for you. If they don’t secure compensation, your lawyer will have to eat the cost of their services and the investments in your case.
Your car accident lawyer will have every motivation to get compensation for you. Great attorneys have genuine care for their clients, and the financial incentive to cover their costs and services is added motivation.
You will have the opportunity to learn about, ask questions about, and agree to this kind of fee structure. Knowing you aren’t responsible for out-of-pocket case costs should make hiring an attorney easy.
Your Car Accident Lawyer Will Spring Into Action as Soon as You Hire Them
Expect your lawyer to start working for you right away. Every attorney has the motivation to close cases and help the next auto accident victim, but they are most concerned with getting the financial result each client deserves.
Your attorney may obtain the compensation you are entitled to by:
Using Evidence of Negligence
Your lawyer will show who caused the collision, as this will prove who has caused your damages. They may rely on video of the crash, photographs of the crash scene, witness accounts, statements, expert testimony, and other evidence to establish fault.
Documenting Your Economic and Non-Economic Damages
Your lawyer may refer you to medical professionals and mental health service providers. These kinds of professionals may provide your attorney with:
- X-rays, CT scans, and other medical images
- In-depth evaluations of any brain injuries, neck injuries, or other ailments resulting from your accident
- Evaluations of any emotional anguish, psychological distress, and other non-economic damages related to the collision
Car accident lawyers can also obtain financial records (with your consent), obtain copies of vehicle repair invoices, and assemble all other documentation of your damages.
Leading Settlement Talks
You probably have not negotiated many auto accident settlements alone—just a hunch. Even if you have received a check from an auto accident in the past, you may have simply accepted the offer the insurance company extended. This is not typically the wise move, as insurance companies often offer far less than a survivor deserves.
Allow an experienced attorney to negotiate on your behalf. They will know exactly how much money you are entitled to, and they will confidently present their demands to liable parties.
Handling a Lawsuit for You
You may not need to file a lawsuit to seek fair compensation for accident-related damages. Most accident victims don’t. However, having a lawyer ready to lead any necessary lawsuit and trial should make you confident in the final result of your case.
What It Takes to Secure Fair Compensation After a Car Accident
As your attorney handles each step in your car accident case, you will have ample reason to believe in them. Lawyers possess the traits necessary for a favorable case outcome, which include:
An Understanding of Insurance Policies (and How Insurance Companies Operate)
Insurance companies are typically the first parties from which attorneys seek compensation. To succeed in negotiations with the insurance company, your attorney will need:
- To understand the language insurers use in their policies, claim-related letters, and claim-related conversations
- To be able to identify and interpret important features of insurance policies, including coverage terms and coverage limits
- How to use the details of insurance policies during negotiations with insurers
Car accident lawyers may as well be part-time employees for insurance companies—that is how well-versed they are in all things auto insurance.
The Resources to Retain Experts
Insurance claims and lawsuits can be hotly debated. Those who owe you compensation may have strong arguments against your case, and your lawyer will have strong arguments in your favor.
Having qualified experts on your side can make a critical difference in the outcome of your case. This means that having a lawyer willing and able to hire experts can directly contribute to your financial recovery.
Thick Skin, Determination, and a Burning Desire to Succeed for the Client
Succeeding in a car accident case takes:
- A solid plan
- Hard work
- A willingness to overcome challenges without giving up
- Strong negotiating skills
- A higher purpose—like helping a client get their life back—that fuels the attorney throughout the case
A capable lawyer offers all these assets and more.
Head Injuries and Other Ailments Can Cause Life-Changing Damages
The types of injuries you may suffer in a car accident, including a possible head injury, may leave you with:
- An avalanche of medical expenses
- Pain and suffering that requires time and treatment to heal
- Lost income, which may be long-term, depending on your recovery timeline
- The cost of treatment for your pain and suffering
- Vehicle repair costs
You may even be disabled, which introduces a whole slew of challenges. Your attorney will get to know you, determine the cost of your accident, and hold accountable those who owe you compensation.
Attorneys Can’t Prevent Injuries, But They Can Seek Justice for Them, Hire Yours Today
Remember that there may be a non-negotiable deadline for filing your auto accident case. A trusted car accident attorney is ready to help, so don’t wait to find the firm that most impresses you and connects with your values.