Is whiplash a neck injury?
Auto Injury Attorneys – Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C.
Whiplash is a neck injury, and it can also cause brain injury. It is a common injury in auto accidents, which occurs when the neck and head are thrown about forcefully, beyond the normal range of motion. Whiplash typically results in soft tissue injuries in the neck, but can cause far greater damage.
Whiplash can cause injury of the:
- Ligaments, tendons, muscles of the neck
- Neck bones
- Brain
Contact our firm today for a free case evaluation.
We are here to help you receive the compensation you deserve after a catastrophic injury.
How Whiplash Happens
Rear end collisions are a prime example of how whiplash can occur. When a vehicle is struck from behind the occupant’s head and neck are jerked suddenly back and forth, faster than the body can keep up, stretching the soft tissues in the neck and sometimes stretching and tearing the nerves and tissues in the brain as well. Whiplash can occur even in a low speed crash.
Common causes of whiplash include:
- Car accidents
- Sports injuries
- Shaken baby syndrome
- Falls
Symptoms of Whiplash
Depending on the severity of the injury, recovery may be quick, or symptoms may worsen over time and even cause permanent disability. Soft tissue injuries are difficult to detect in medical tests and if there was no impact to the head, brain injuries may not be looked for at all.
Symptoms of whiplash include:
- Pain and stiffness in the neck
- Pain and stiffness in the shoulders
- Pain between the shoulder blades
- Back pain
- Arm pain
- Arm weakness
- Loss of motion in the neck
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Ringing ears
- Vision problems
- Jaw pain
- Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Sleep disorders
- Anger
- Memory loss
- Difficulty concentrating
NOT JUST CAR ACCIDENTS
While we commonly associate whiplash with car wrecks, these injuries can also occur in a variety of circumstances, including sports injuries and shaken baby syndrome. Because whiplash is considered a mild injury by some, it can go unreported. Unfortunately, whiplash can also be associated with brain injuries, and a lack of medical attention and treatment could be disastrous to one’s health.
Whiplash and Neck Injury
Whiplash injuries with or without brain injuries can cause extensive damage, pain, and limitations on daily life. Chronic irresolvable pain, dependence on prescription medications, and often, the inability to convince anyone that the problem is real, sends some victims into a downward spiral of depression from which they never recover.
If you or a loved one has suffered whiplash or any type of traumatic brain injury in Washington DC, please contact our skilled auto accident attorneys today. We are committed to obtaining justice for you – the victim.