Whiplash injuries could lead to long-term chronic pain

Of the estimated two million U.S. people who sustain head injuries each year, approximately 85% are disregarded as minor. About half of those, many of which are car accident victims in Delaware, sustained whiplash injuries. Whenever the impact of a collision causes violent shaking of vehicle occupants’ heads, long-term harm can occur even if their heads strike nothing. 

According to a study, almost four in 10 people continued suffering constant headaches, neck stiffness and pain for six months or longer after the accidents. Reportedly, whiplash damage is typically worse in women because they have less neck muscle mass than men. Whiplash symptoms often become evident hours or days after a car accident, and some last a lifetime. 

Whiplash symptoms 

These injuries can cause anything from mild neck muscle strain to death. The following symptoms could indicate whiplash injuries: 

• Headaches 
• Neck pain 
• Low back pain 
• Impaired range of motion 
• Dizziness 
• Tingling in the legs and arms 
• Nausea 
• Sleep disturbances 
• Vertigo and other visual symptoms 
• Fibromyalgia 
• Post-traumatic stress disorder 
• Post-concussion syndrome 

Those who suffer chronic pain that is a constant reminder of the accident might suffer travel anxiety that could interfere with their day-to-day lives and even their careers. 

Brain trauma 

The violent shaking of the head in a whiplash event could cause significantly more than neck muscle and low-back injuries. The force of the head motion causes the brain to smash into the rigid inner walls of the skull, causing irreversible damage to nerves. The trauma to the brain could be bloodless and even overlooked because it might seem non-disabling at first. 

When injuries suffered in car accidents are not diagnosed and treated as soon as possible after an accident, they might not be linked to the accident. Therefore, undergoing a medical examination after a car accident is crucial. Without medical reports and bills that link the injuries with a car accident, the victim might not be able to recover those damages by filing a personal injury lawsuit in a Delaware civil court.