Whiplash occurs when a forceful impact causes your head and neck to snap forward and then snap back in an abrupt and uncontrollable motion.
The most common cause of whiplash injury is a rear-end collision in an automobile or other motor vehicle accident.
* Whiplash Injury Symptoms
Victims of whiplash injury may develop one or more of the following symptoms:
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Headaches
- Pain in the shoulder between the shoulder blades
- Low back pain
- Pain or numbness in the arm and/or hand
- Dizziness
- Ringing in the ears
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering
- Irritability, sleep disturbances, and/or fatigue
* Whiplash Injury - More Information
In order to properly diagnose and treat your whiplash injury, it is essential to visit your family physician or neurologist immediately following the accident giving rise to your injuries.
Like other complex personal injuries, a whiplash injury may escape the standard X-ray. To diagnose your whiplash injury, a physician will most likely request a variety of radiological tests, including but not limited to a CT scan and/or MRI.
Previously, whiplash injuries were treated with that all too familiar cervical collar (or neck brace). However, the medical science surrounding whiplash injuries now suggests early movement of the neck and spine, rather than immobilization. A cervical collar may still be utilized for a short period of time following the initial injury and intermittently thereafter.
To fully recover from a whiplash injury, it may require the coordination of a medical doctor or neurologist, a physical therapist, massage therapist, chiropractor and other medical providers.
Based on the medical expenses, wage loss and pain-and-suffering incurred by whiplash victims, it is necessary to retain an experienced whiplash injury lawyer to ensure you receive the maximum monetary compensation which you are entitled to under the law.
