Sustaining Whiplash After A Car Accident

By Chris Hoffmann  May. 10, 2013 9:11a

When you are injured in a car accident, whiplash is one of the possible injuries you could sustain. Whiplash can be serious and can cause chronic pain symptoms that do not always present themselves right away. While you may feel pain right away, you could also begin to feel painful symptoms two weeks later, and this can sometimes make your case a bit more complicated. People often think they walked away from a car accident uninjured, but then begin to feel pain days or weeks later.

Some of the symptoms of whiplash include the following:

● Neck pain and stiffness in the back and/or front of your neck

● Persistent headaches, oftentimes at the base of the skull

● Dizziness

● Blurred vision

● Difficulty concentrating

● Fatigue

● Sleep disturbances

● Irritability, emotional distress or upset - can range from fear to anger or crying unexpectedly

● Speech changes

● Concussion

● Memory problems

● Trouble swallowing

Most commonly, with whiplash you will feel pain and stiffness in your neck and the upper part of your back. Many people later start to notice problems with memory, speech, or sleep, but do not realize that this is connected to the car accident injury.

Whiplash can be extremely painful and can affect your ability to do everyday activities. Depending on the severity of your injury and accident, you can expect anywhere from several months to a year of recovery. If you sustained very serious injuries and needed surgery and hospitalization, it could even take more than a year for your to fully recover. It is important to work with an attorney during this time to make sure that your injuries and medical treatment are documented so that you can get the best settlement possible.

It may be a good idea to make notes of your symptoms as you begin experiencing them. Documenting your injuries and symptoms is very important. It can help keep track of new symptoms and will prove useful when you are asking insurance for a final settlement.

Auto Accident Attorneys

Because whiplash injuries can be ongoing and require ongoing treatment and because you may not initially realize that you were injured, your case can become complicated. It is a good idea to contact an auto accident attorney as soon as possible to discuss your options. Your attorney will help you to figure out how to go about getting the maximum compensation that will help you to recover from your injuries and get the medical care that you need. Auto accident attorneys are experienced in handling whiplash cases and understand that these cases can be complex. They know how to successfully negotiate with insurance companies and when to take a personal injury case to trial.

Many people assume that if you did not realize you were injured right away, that you must be faking it. But doctors and other medical professionals as well as your auto accident attorney know that this is not the case. Injuries can be serious and still not present symptoms right away. As soon as you realize you are injured and need medical treatment, you should also consult with an attorney to determine what the best course of action will be.