A car collision can immediately detract from your quality of life by causing you physical, financial and emotional scars. As far as physical challenges go, a particularly common kind of car crash injury is whiplash.
Whiplash is a type of injury that affects your neck area’s soft tissues. If somebody else’s carelessness causes you to suffer whiplash in a car accident, you may seek to hold this person accountable for your injuries.
A look at what whiplash involves
This kind of injury is particularly common in crashes where one strikes a person from behind. The reason for this is that a rear-end crash can cause your head to go back and forth violently. Whiplash is also a cervical strain/sprain or a hyper-extension injury.
A common misnomer about whiplash is that these types of injuries happen only in accidents involving rapid speeds. The truth is, you can easily suffer whiplash at slow speeds, too, if your muscles, ligaments and vertebrae experience an unanticipated impact.
Signs you have suffered whiplash
A major problem with this kind of injury is that you may have a hard time identifying it right away. In fact, some individuals don’t notice any whiplash symptoms until several days following their car accidents. Here are a few symptoms to watch out for:
- Neck tightness/stiffness
- Feeling dizzy
- Equilibrium problems
- Memory challenges
- Dull ache in your neck
- Headaches
- Pain in the back
- Struggling to concentrate
If you notice these symptoms after your car crash, you may need to see a chiropractor, neck/back doctor or neurologist. You may end up receiving physical therapy or muscle relaxants, depending on your particular condition. Other treatment options include massage therapy or even a brace or collar designed to keep your neck immobile while you heal.
Your rights following a whiplash-causing accident
If you end up suffering whiplash due to a fellow driver’s negligence, you may file a liability claim, seeking the reimbursement of financial damages. If you succeed in your personal injury claim and receive a monetary damage award, you can use this to pay for your health care bills as well as lost income if you cannot go back to work right away. Your monetary award might also be helpful for addressing any pain and suffering the car accident has caused you.