Whiplash Injury: An Invisible But Painful Medical Condition
One of the first things you should do after a car accident, after exchanging insurance information with the other driver, is to go to a doctor’s office or hospital emergency room to be examined, even if you do not have any visible injuries. This is because some car accident injuries, including some severe or even life-threatening ones, start to show symptoms several hours, or even several days, after the accident; whiplash injury, concussions, and internal bleeding, to name just a few examples, do not have any outward signs. Getting diagnosed even before your symptoms start will make your recovery easier. Whiplash injury is a very common injury resulting from car accidents, and while it is not life-threatening, it can cause chronic pain and take a long time to recover. If you have been diagnosed with whiplash injury after a car accident, contact a Florida car accident lawyer.
How Does Whiplash Injury Happen?
Whiplash injury is a traumatic injury to the muscles and soft tissues of the neck and upper back. It can happen any time a sudden force pushes the upper body quickly forward and then back. Car accidents are the most common cause of whiplash injury; the body moves in a whip-like motion when another car strikes a vehicle from behind, but it can happen no matter which part of your car got hit. Other causes of whiplash injury include accidental falls and contact sports such as football and rugby.
Risk Factors for Whiplash Injury
Mild cases of whiplash injury heal quickly and only cause minor discomfort, but more severe cases can cause chronic pain, numbness, and weakness serious enough to interfere with the functions of daily life. In general, the younger and healthier you were before the accident, the milder your whiplash symptoms will be. Likewise, if you are wearing a seatbelt and your car has functioning airbags, your whiplash injury will be less severe.
How Whiplash Injury Can Adversely Affect Your Quality of Life
Moderate to severe cases of whiplash injury can be symptomatic for months or even years after the accident. The most common symptom is pain in the neck and upper back, sometimes accompanied by muscle weakness and numbness or a tingling sensation in the arms. In the most severe cases, it can also lead to vision disturbances, mood changes, and difficulty concentrating.
Whiplash injury does not have any outward signs visible to the naked eye. Because it is a soft tissue injury, it is also difficult to diagnose by X-ray. Therefore, if you are seeking compensation for the treatment of whiplash injury in an insurance claim or car accident lawsuit, the defendant or insurance company may try to argue that you are exaggerating your symptoms to get more money. Your car accident injury lawyer can help you prove that your whiplash injury is the result of the car accident and can help you get the money you need for your medical expenses.
Contact Halpern Santos & Pinkert About Car Accidents With Injuries
A car accident lawyer can help you if you have suffered whiplash injury or any other injury in a car accident. Contact Halpern Santos & Pinkert, P.A. in Coral Gables, Florida to discuss your case.
Resource:
hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/whiplash-injury
