Whiplash After a Car Accident

According to the Centers of Disease Control Whiplash and its associated syndromes continue to be ranked among the most common and debilitating nonfatal injuries.  What is whiplash?

1. the hyperextension/hyperflexion injury of the neck, and
2. the resulting symptoms of this injury - sustained from a motor vehicle accident.

This forwards-flexion and/or backwards-extension of the neck essentially results in a injury to the structures within the cervical and upper thoracic spinal regions. When the initial impact occurs and the head is forced in either excessive flexion or excessive extension, protective reflexes cause the muscles of the neck to forcefully contract which "whips" the head back in the opposite direction. The resulting injury often leads to numerous symptoms which can include but are not limited to neck pain, neck stiffness, loss of range of motion, headaches, herniated or bulging discs, shoulder pain, numbness and tingling into the hands and fingers, dizziness, inability to concentrate. A whiplash injury can cause damage to the discs, ligaments, joints, muscles and nerve roots as well and even result in mild traumatic brain injury (TBI.) Some whiplash victims feel the effects immediately while others may not feel symptoms for several days.

Statistics show that each year approximately 120,000 people in the United States are involved in some type of accident that causes them to suffer a whiplash injury. (Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) An estimated 25% of all victims of whiplash will typically require medication for ongoing chronic pain. (Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) There are other common causes of whiplash, which include personal injuries as a result of car or automobile accidents, slip and fall accidents, trucking accidents, boating accidents, pedestrian accidents, or bicycle accidents. 

Noticeable effects of whiplash injuries can last for many months after the injury was suffered. However, there may be long term chronic pain for some people who have suffered a more severe injury and typically occurring at high rates of speed.  Despite this, though, many people, including the insurance companies, see whiplash as a “minor” injury because they do not understand it. 

 Since it is a soft tissue injury, whiplash does not present clearly on MRIs or X-rays, traditional diagnostic tools used for other head injuries and neck injuries. As such many insurance companies give little validation to a whiplash injury and fail to adequately compensate a car accident victim for his/her injuries in the form of a personal injury settlement.  If you or a loved one was injured in an accident and believe you have a sustained whiplash injury, please seek the immediate attention of a physician.  The law firm of Cindy A. Goldstein, P.A. will fight for your rights to be compensated for your injuries.