Whiplash Injuries

Whiplash is one of the most common types of injuries for injury victims in a car collision. This occurs when muscles or tendons in the neck are forced to move unnaturally, which causes strain and injury. Symptoms of whiplash injuries may not present themselves for hours or even days after an accident. Many victims do not end up seeking treatment promptly.

If you walk away from a car accident without getting medical treatment, you may find out about neck injuries and back pain days later. Make sure you seek medical attention so you can recover compensation for your injuries. Contact an experienced personal injury attorney for legal advice after a whiplash injury.

What Are Common Soft Tissue Injuries?

Over 2 million Americans will experience the common injury of whiplash each year. The most common cause of whiplash is a car accident. This includes low-speed vehicle collisions. Many whiplash cases have no other serious injuries, and the driver or passenger may walk away thinking they are fine. Only later will they suffer severe pain and limited movement.

While it is commonly associated with being in a rear-end collision, you can suffer this type of injury in a slip-and-fall accident. Contact sports like football or hockey may have players experience whiplash during a game or practice.

There are many possible symptoms of whiplash after an accident. Typically, you will experience pain or stiffness in the neck or back. This may be because of a neck muscle sprain or strained ligaments. It may also be possible that bones in the neck or back have been fractured in a car crash.

Whenever the head has been jolted with any level of force, you can experience headaches. Symptoms may be similar to a concussion. You may experience moderate or debilitating headaches depending on how hard the neck and head were forced to move after an auto accident.

Head injuries may result in sensitivity to light and trouble concentrating for long periods. It may also be possible to have issues with either short or long-term memory. If you suffer from these or other symptoms, you generally should seek medical care as soon as possible.

What Are the Consequences of Whiplash Injuries?

You may have range-of-motion difficulty moving your head. This may make driving, working, or engaging in other basic tasks difficult. Head or neck pain may also make it difficult to sleep at night. Sleep disturbances could also lead to symptoms consistent with depression, such as overeating or substance abuse.

Injuries to muscles or tendons in the neck may result in poor posture or using other body parts to compensate. Over time, other muscles or tendons could be strained, stretched, or otherwise harmed. This may eventually lead to hip, knee, or foot pain.

In addition to the physical and mental impact of an accident that causes whiplash, you may experience financial consequences. It may take months or years of physical therapy or other medical expenses to treat an injury properly. If you cannot work or remain in your current job, you may lose income in addition to having to pay for medical bills.

How Can You Treat a Whiplash Injury?

If you have symptoms of whiplash, you should seek medical care. You may also want to seek counseling or take other steps to help overcome any mental issues related to a whiplash injury. Failing to follow the doctor’s orders may make an existing injury worse. It could also jeopardize your personal injury case.

If you suffer severe injuries after a car accident, it can take months or years to recover. You may require continued treatments and be left with expensive medical bills. This can take a heavy toll on your quality of life.

Do You Need a Personal Injury Attorney After a Car Accident?

Look into hiring a personal injury law attorney. If you were injured in an accident, a personal injury lawsuit can be a way to recover compensation for your injuries. A whiplash personal injury claim can help you pay for medical care and lost income and get compensation for chronic pain injuries.

Talking to an attorney can often be the first step toward securing your compensation. Understand your legal rights after an accident with an experienced attorney.