If you’re experiencing whiplash symptoms after a car accident, see your doctor ASAP for examination and diagnosis.
Formal medical diagnosis may also be necessary for full compensation from your insurance, other drivers’ insurance, and even other drivers personally.
It’s highly likely that you do in fact have whiplash. However, other injuries may cause similar symptoms, too. Your physician will consider them before prescribing treatment.
What whiplash symptoms do I need to watch for?
The classic whiplash symptoms are neck pain and stiffness. They tend to worsen with movement, making it too painful (or simply impossible) to move your neck through its full range.
Neck pain after car accidents is extremely common. Whiplash isn’t the only cause, but it’s by far the best known.
Are there any other symptoms?
Your neck contains complex musculature and delicate nerves, so pain and soreness often radiate upward (in the form of headaches) or downward through the arms and upper back.
Neurological symptoms like tingling arms, general fatigue, dizziness, difficulty seeing, and tinnitus are not uncommon.
Whiplash is also known to disrupt sleep, cause irritability, impair memory, and even trigger depression. The trauma of a collision may have similar effects, so professional diagnosis is just as critical for psychological symptoms as for physical ones.
How soon does whiplash show up after an accident?
Symptoms may come on within hours, and generally appear within at most a few days.
That’s one of the main reasons why you should never tell others you aren’t hurt in the aftermath of a collision. In many cases, it’s simply too soon to tell.
How did my collision cause whiplash?
It’s the result of neck tissue strains due to a quick, severe change in momentum.
The impact of a collision—especially a rear-end collision—dramatically accelerates your body and neck. Your head is relatively heavy, so it tends to stay in place rather than move as quickly as the rest of your body.
In effect, this pulls your neck in two directions at once, straining connective tissue far beyond what it’s designed to withstand.
Should I talk to an attorney about my whiplash?
Collisions bring overwhelming aftermath. The endless documentation and insurance disputes can be too much on their own, let alone when you’re also dealing with whiplash.
At Bridge Law, our team of auto accident specialists is here to fight for you and for every penny you deserve. If you’ve suffered whiplash in a car accident, then contact us to discuss your case and options.
