If you were driving along a Delaware highway when another vehicle slammed into yours, the following hours, days or weeks of your life might have been painful and emotionally traumatic. If a car hit you from behind, you might have suffered whiplash in the collision, which may or may not have been immediately apparent.
Whiplash is a common personal injury that often occurs in a motor vehicle collision. People with whiplash do not always have a swift or complete recovery. This type of injury can have lasting, even permanent, consequences. To achieve as complete a recovery as possible, it’s essential to monitor your condition closely.
Whiplash is a broad term referring to numerous possible injuries
The sudden and forceful impact of a rear-end collision can cause your head and neck to be jarred. When a car hits you, you might recall thrusting forward and back in a sudden, violent manner. If you have a whiplash injury, it means that you may have problems with muscles, tendons, nerve endings or discs in your neck or spinal region.
The specific type of medical treatment you might need to recover from whiplash depends on exactly which parts of your neck or spine have suffered damage.
Symptoms extend beyond the neck and spine areas
When monitoring your condition regarding possible whiplash, it’s important to pay attention to other areas of your upper body. In fact, many symptoms of whiplash are similar to those associated with concussion, such as blurred vision or ringing in your ears. The following list includes numerous symptoms that suggest you might have a whiplash injury:
- Lower back pain or discomfort
- Shoulder pain
- Tightness, tingling or numbness in the upper body or elsewhere
- Dizziness
- Memory or focus problems
- Irritability
- Trouble sleeping
- Fatigue
It’s always best to seek medical attention right away if any of these symptoms develop after a motor vehicle collision. It’s also helpful to inform an attending physician that you were recently in a car accident, even if the collision happened days or weeks earlier.
Getting the care you need to recover from whiplash
The severity of the injury has a lot to do with the treatment a physician might prescribe for whiplash, as well as the prognosis for final recovery. Sadly, some people continue to experience adverse health issues for the rest of their lives due to whiplash injuries.
Your doctor might order a CT scan or MRI to help diagnose whiplash. In addition to pain medication, wearing a cervical collar (neck brace) might be part of your treatment plan. You might also need to attend physical therapy sessions at some point to help regain range of motion, if possible.
If another driver’s negligence was responsible for your injuries, there’s no reason you should be made to foot the bill when it comes to expenses associated with your condition. Many recovering accident victims seek restitution by filing a personal injury claim in a civil court.
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