Whiplash is a common injury that occurs when a car is rear-ended and the passengers’ heads quickly jerk forward and back.
Even if the collision happened at a slower rate of 20 to 30 mph, the pain associated with whiplash can be significant. The 20 mph kinetic energy of a moving car transfers to your body and jerks it forward, away from your head. That’s a lot of force for the soft tissue and ligaments in the neck to handle!
Following a low-speed collision, it’s important to not assume you have walked away from the accident unharmed. Symptoms may take several hours or even several days to appear. When they do begin to appear, symptoms may include pain, stiffness, and discomfort in your neck, restricted movement, nausea, and dizziness. Whiplash is typically not a life-threatening injury, but it can lead to a prolonged period of partial disability.
The pain of whiplash is often hard to ignore. The symptoms may include:
- Pain, decreased range of motion, and tightness in the neck. The muscles may feel hard or knotted.
- Pain when rocking your head from side to side or backward and forward.
- Pain or stiffness when moving your head to look over each shoulder.
- Tenderness.
- Headaches at the base of the skull that radiate towards the forehead.
Sometimes, the pain of a neck strain is immediate. In other cases, it can take several hours or days before your neck begins to hurt.
If you get into an accident, it’s very important that you call a lawyer like the personal injury attorneys at The Decker Law Firm. We’ll give you professional advice on how to proceed with getting your health and your vehicle back in order.
Call us. You don’t always need a reason for a lawsuit to call The Decker Law Firm. Sometimes, we can just offer good advice and help you claim money that’s rightfully yours.
Your consultation is free, and we don’t get any money unless you do. Give us a call at 757-622-3317.