Car accident victims may suffer any number of catastrophic injuries, but one of the most common is whiplash. When someone’s neck is whipped backwards suddenly and jolted forward just as abruptly, it can cause severe damage to the muscles and nerves of the upper back and neck, resulting in an injury called whiplash. Due to the nature of rear-end accidents, whiplash most often occurs when someone is struck from behind while waiting at a red light or intersection; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 2-out-of-5 car accidents in the country are rear-end accidents. Whiplash symptoms are characterized by:
- Sharp pain in the neck when moving
- Dull ache in neck and shoulders at all times
- Spells of dizziness, vertigo, and nausea
- Chronic headaches or migraines
- Random muscle spasms
- Inability to focus on even simple tasks
Sometimes whiplash will begin as only a minor ache. Car accident victims often attributed this first slight symptom as something that will go away soon. If it is truly whiplash, it will not diminish but will instead worsen as time goes on. You should always seek medical attention after being in a damaging car accident, even if you don’t feel pain right away.
Treatment Options for Whiplash
Mild cases of whiplash might be relieved through self-care, including frequent application of ice packs and taking over-the-counter painkillers until the symptoms go away. Moderate whiplash cases will often linger for weeks or months, and require specialized therapy and prescription medications. Severe whiplash injuries can be permanent, and only surgery, injections, and routine rehabilitation may help. In all whiplash injury cases, patients can be debilitated by pain and soreness. Even if treatments are not expensive, there should be compensation to account for the displeasure and generally lessened enjoyment of day-to-day life. Finding that compensation, however, depends on the strength of each individual’s injury claim. If you live in Ohio and need to file a claim against another driver that caused your whiplash, Williams DeClark Tuschman Co., L.P.A. can help. Our Toledo car accident attorneys are recognized nationwide for our client-first and victorious case results, which include several multimillion dollar settlements for our clients. For a free case evaluation, you can contact our firm.