By: Kim Hemphry
About the Author:
Kim Hemphry is a passionate expert in the areas of Legal Matters, learning and education. She has been featured on over 50 leading Legal and education sites and is a modern thought leader in the field. More about her interests and articles on her site – http://kimhemphry.com/.
Whiplash injuries are one of the most common injuries after a collision. Unfortunately, most people do not know the basic facts about this kind of injury. Understanding more about whiplash will help you to protect yourself and your family from the potentially serious consequences.
1. You can get whiplash from a variety of incidents
Although whiplash is associated with head-on or rear-end motor vehicle accidents, you can get it from any kind of car accident. People can also get whiplash from other injuries such as riding a horse or diving into a swimming pool. Any accident where your head changes position too quickly for your neck to adjust can cause a strain.
2. Very little force is needed to get whiplash
Many assume that you need to suffer a collision at high speeds to suffer from whiplash. The muscles and ligaments of the neck are small and weak compared to the mass of your head and skull; even accidents of five or ten miles per hour can lead to an injury. This is especially true if you are in a group that is at higher risk.
3. Symptoms may take a while to appear
You may think that you are in the clear if you leave the scene of the crash without pain. However, the strain and inflammation that cause neck injuries can take days to show up. It is crucial to get prompt evaluation from a medical expert who specializes in whiplash and similar injuries.
4. Pain is not always the main symptom
The most common signs of whiplash are pain in the neck and a headache. However, some people have little or no pain, instead suffering from numbness and tingling, stiffness, changes in vision, and other less common symptoms. If you have any new symptoms after an accident that could affect your neck, get the help you need.
5. Rest is usually not enough
Many people believe whiplash can go away if they rest their hurting neck for a few days. Rest actually can cause more injuries. Most people benefit more from physical therapy, massage, and medications to loosen the muscles in the region.
6. Imaging is not needed to diagnose whiplash
X-rays sometimes can show the soft tissues damage that occurs with whiplash, although not consistently. As a result, most courts and juries will rely more on a doctor’s expert evaluation than on hard evidence. You can successfully litigate a claim even without imaging that shows a whiplash injury.
7. Imaging can be important
Although imaging is not needed to file a claim for a whiplash injury, it still can be very important. Imaging will show that you have not sustained a fracture or other bony injury that requires immediate surgery. In addition, a very bad case of whiplash often can be seen on some kids of x-ray, which gives you the hard evidence you need to successfully file a claim.
8. Aging can increase your risk of injury
All necks are not created equally. As we get older, our muscles and other soft tissues are not as elastic as they once were. The result is that these tissues are more likely to tear. Older adults are thus more prone to injuries from strain from whiplash and other motor vehicle injuries.
9. Women are at higher risk
Men and women have only a small difference in skull size. However, our necks are generally very different. Women have much less musculature to support their head and neck in the case of an accident. As a result, they are more prone to injuries from whiplash from even small incidents.
10. Whiplash injuries required specialized legal assistance
Although this type of injury may seem minor, it can cause long-term pain and even disability. It is important to find a lawyer who is skilled in helping people like you to get the medical and financial assistance that you need to heal. If you or a loved one have been in a motor vehicle accident or other incident that has left you with a pain in the neck, contact our whiplash lawyers today