You probably have seen people with a white foam collar, also known as a cervical brace, after a California car accident. In most cases, these people will have had whiplash, a common injury in rear-end auto collisions.
Ordinarily, it is a minor injury that can be resolved without medical intervention. However, in some cases, it can deteriorate and impact the victim’s quality of life. This guide highlights five important things you need to know about whiplashes.
What Is Whiplash?
Whiplash is a soft tissue injury affecting the tissues around the neck and upper back area. It is caused by a sudden back-and-forth jerking of the head and neck, causing an overextension of the soft tissues.
“It can occur in many types of accidents, but it is most prevalent in rear-end car accidents. A little bit of middle school-level physics on the law of inertia can help you understand the jerking back and forth of the head in a rear-end collision,” says Attorney Kyle Valero of Valero Law Group.
Whiplash Can Manifest Through a Wide Range of Symptoms
While pain is almost present in all whiplash injuries, it can also manifest in symptoms that can be easily mistaken for other health conditions.
Common symptoms of whiplash are persistent headaches, neck pain, reduced range of neck motion, fatigue, problems concentrating, irritability, dizziness, mood swings, and depression.
It is also important to note that whiplash symptoms can take hours or even days to show. So, even when you may not have symptoms, seek medical attention as soon as possible and keep track of what you feel for days after the accident.
Whiplash Can Take Long To Heal
Healing after whiplash involves giving the injured part-time and reducing its use and exertion. Also, you may have to stay off work until you have made significant progress in healing.
Typically, the symptoms will improve within a few weeks of the injury. However, more severe cases can last months or years in chronic whiplash cases.
The symptoms often determine the treatment regimen. For example, for pain, the doctor may recommend painkillers. They may also prescribe drugs to address inflammation and antidepressants for symptoms such as imitability and depression.
Neck Braces Do Not Work As Good
Traditionally, neck braces were recommended by most doctors as part of a whiplash treatment regimen. Braces have been used to minimize neck movement, which was thought to hasten healing.
Most recent research shows that physical routine and therapy yield better results than immobilizing the neck, resulting in most healthcare providers dropping the brace.
Doctors may have differing opinions on the best course of treatment based on the severity of injuries, so they may want to go with the doctor’s recommendation.
Other Injuries May Accompany It
The circumstances that cause whiplash can also cause other injuries. For example, the back-and-forth jerking of the head is also known to cause concussions.
Surprisingly, the two can have very similar symptoms, so avoid self-diagnoses and instead visit the ER for proper diagnosis and rule out other injuries.
Whiplash may also be accompanied by upper back injuries such as upper back soft tissue tissues and cervical bone fractures.
How a Lawyer Can Help
Whiplash injuries can result in huge losses in terms of medical expenses and lost wages. Because the accident leading up to the injury was caused by another person’s negligence, you may have the right to seek compensation for your economic and non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, depression, anxiety, etc.
Consider contacting a California personal injury lawyer for help fighting for your rights.
