The Effects of Whiplash From a Car Accident

Car accidents happen all the time, ranging anywhere from a minor fender bender to a catastrophic, serious accident with many injuries. Car injuries are one of the leading causes of injuries in the U.S., with well over 5 million occurring in 2012 alone! Of those, nearly 30,000 were fatal. This is why it is no surprise that, if you are involved in a car accident, you may experience serious injuries that will change your life or make it difficult to return to work.

Whiplash is one of the many more minor injuries that you may experience when you have been involved in a car accident. This is a term that is widely used by physicians to describe neck pain after an injury to the soft tissues of the neck. Many of these injuries will directly involve the ligaments, tendons, and muscles. People experience these injuries in incidents like sporting activities, accidental falls, and more – but the leading cause is by far car accidents. If you have been involved in a car accident, you may or may not know that you have received whiplash. It is important to understand the signs and symptoms, and what will be most important in your case.

Symptoms After Your Accident

After you have been involved in a car accident, you may feel fine at first. You may not know that an injury is brewing just underneath the skin that may require treatment later on. The truth is, the signs and symptoms of whiplash will usually not develop until 24 hours of the injury. You may notice some of the symptoms right off the bat or later on. These include neck pain and stiffness, worsening pain when you move your beck, loss of motion range, headaches, tenderness in the pain or shoulder, tingling or numbness in arms, fatigue, and dizziness. Some people will also experience some serious and frightening symptoms like blurred vision, ringing in the ears, sleep disturbances, irritability, difficulty concentrating, memory issues, and depression.

The symptoms may seem worrisome to you; however, most people who experience whiplash will fully recover within a few months. Some people, however, will continue to have pain for several months after the injury occurred. In the worst cases, whiplash symptoms could continue for years. You never really know what will happen in your case until you experience it yourself.

Receiving Medical Treatment 

If you have been injured with whiplash in an accident, the best step that you can take is receive treatment from a physician immediately following your accident. This shows that you are taking your accident seriously and may help you compensate later. Your treating physician will gather information from your accident and conclude that particular tests should be done and what they should be looking for to determine whiplash in your specific case. You should never make any statements at the scene of the accident. Instead, you should go straight to the emergency room or see your doctor immediately so you can allow your records to tell a full story.

If whiplash has been medically documented in your case, you should begin your claim as soon as possible. The sooner you receive help from an attorney, the sooner you can receive compensation for your medical bills and more. Call us today for more information on how to get started on a case.