Many people, including some insurance adjusters, discount the seriousness of whiplash. However, for a victim of a car accident suffering with this medical condition, the pain can range from mild discomfort to chronic and debilitating. It can take months or longer for a person to recover from his injuries. If you suffered whiplash in an auto crash, your injury is real, and you have a right to be compensated for it—despite the negligent driver’s insurance company minimizing the seriousness of it.
What Is Whiplash?
Whiplash is a soft tissue injury to the neck caused by a forceful, back-and-forth jerking of the neck. This sudden, jerky movement can cause tears and stretches in the muscles and tendon in the neck. Whiplash most often occurs in rear-end collisions, but can also be caused by other types of vehicle accidents.
The symptoms of whiplash can take hours or days to emerge, so just because a victim does not feel pain right after a crash does not mean he has not suffered this injury. Signs of whiplash include:
- Tightness, spasms, and pain in the neck
- Increased pain with movement of the neck
- Limitations in the neck’s range of motion
- Headaches that often start at the base of the skull
- Tenderness or pain in the shoulders, arms, or upper back
- Tingling or numbness of the person’s arms
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
Other symptoms that are not as common include blurred vision, ringing in the ears, difficulty sleeping, inability to concentrate, memory problems, and depression.
Treatments for Whiplash and Possible Complications
While some people can treat their whiplash with over-the-counter medications and rest, others will need more extensive treatments. Some of these treatments include:
- Ice and heat applications to the neck
- Over-the-counter pain medications like Tylenol and Advil
- Prescription pain medications
- Muscle relaxants
- Injections of a numbing medication
- Neck exercises
- Physical therapy
While many people will make a recovery from whiplash after a number of months of treatment, others can suffer with debilitating pain and limitations in neck movement for months or years after the initial injury to the neck. In some cases, the damage can extend to the discs, ligaments, and nerves in the neck and upper back. Other victims may suffer a head injury as well as whiplash that causes traumatic brain injury—with long-term effects on a person’s emotions, reasoning, and other cognitive abilities.
Obtaining the compensation you deserve for whiplash and other soft tissue injuries can be extremely challenging because insurance companies for negligent drivers often discount the seriousness of these injuries. Let the experienced car accident attorneys at Tavss Fletcher help you hold the negligent driver and his insurance company responsible for compensating you. Call our office today to schedule a consultation.
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