An injury to the neck is one of the most common accident injuries. The vast majority of car accident neck injuries are referred to as ‘whiplash’ injuries. Our bodies are not capable of responding to the rapid acceleration and deceleration that happens with an accident impact. We now know you do not have to be traveling at high speed for trauma to occur to your neck.
The neck and back are complicated physical structures that include not only the vertebrae and discs, but also the surrounding muscles, ligaments, and other soft tissues. With a whiplash injury, several of these structures have been damaged.
The most serious injuries to the neck involve the damaging of the spinal cord, fracturing of vertebrae, or the damaging or herniating of the discs between your vertebrae. Often if a disc is damaged, the nerves leading from the neck can be irritated causing pain, tingling, and numbness in the arms and hands.
Similarly, when you injure the soft tissues of the neck, you may experience:
- pain;
- swelling and tenderness;
- pain that ‘radiates’ into the shoulder and arm;
- numbness;
- muscle spasm;
- headaches;
If you injure you neck, you might think that it will resolve quickly. Unfortunately, neck injuries often take years to resolve, and sometimes never resolve. They are often harder to diagnose and treat than more obvious traumas such as fractures.
You require a team of medical specialists to determine the extent of your injuries and help you get back on your feet. In combination, our specialists will give you the best medical treatment possible.
You also need an experienced personal injury lawyer to help you get your life back and to make sure you are compensated for your loss.