During an auto accident, your body is exposed to a considerable force that abruptly moves it back and forth or from side to side.
Your neck often bears the brunt of this impact because the rest of your body will most likely be buckled up.
This can result in neck injuries, which range from mild to debilitating. Unfortunately, these injuries can render you unable to resume work and endure chronic pain.
This post will discuss some of the most common car accident neck injuries and the kind of symptoms they present. Read on to learn more.
Car Accident Neck Injuries: What Do I Need to Know?
Cars are equipped with life-saving seatbelts and airbags, but none of these protects the head and neck during a collision.
While the rest of your body is strapped onto the car seat, your neck and head can move freely with the vehicle’s motion. That means the delicate neck structures could be violently thrown back and forth during a crash.
A collision’s abrupt motion could stretch, tear, or severely injure any neck region; this injury is called whiplash. Whiplash can cause pain symptoms that last weeks or months after the accident.
Now that you have no control over your neck movement, what do you do if you experience neck injuries from a car accident?
- Get Checked Immediately
Time is a resource when it comes to any car accident injury. The earlier you get a diagnosis after a car accident, the sooner you can identify symptoms and rule out life-threatening issues.
- Document the Injuries
When you visit the hospital for a car accident neck injury, the doctor not only treats you but also documents your diagnosis and treatment. The doctor’s report will prove the injuries when making a personal injury claim with your insurance company.
- Talk to an Attorney
It’s almost impossible to win a personal injury claim if you’re representing yourself in court. It would be best if you had an experienced personal injury attorney to represent and guide you throughout the process.
How Common Are Neck Injuries from Car Accidents?
Auto accidents occur every other day on U.S roads. And due to the nature of these auto accidents, neck injuries are quite common.
So, how common are neck injuries in car accidents? Neck injuries are among the most common car accident injuries. Statistics show that the U.S reports up to 800,000 cases of auto accidents that result in neck injuries.
These injuries come in different magnitudes; some can be minor, while others cause you devastating pain and injuries. The cost of treating these injuries is as high as 5.2 billion annually.
Yet, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), 94 percent of car accidents result from human error.
So, car accidents are entirely preventable. All it takes to prevent car accident neck injuries is having sober drivers on the road.
You might be a responsible driver but still a reckless one bumps into your car. When you sustain neck injuries from this accident, the most important thing is to seek medical attention.
Too often, though, accident-related neck injuries go either untreated or mistreated. Consequentially, this leads to long-term pain, suffering, and disability.
Delayed Pain – How Long Do Neck Injuries Take to Appear?
It is not obvious that neck pain will appear immediately after the accident. After a crash, the body goes into a fight or flight mode to handle the stress. And when in this state, it releases adrenaline and endorphins, which suppress the pain.
So, how long do neck injuries take to appear after a car accident? Some people experience pain on the spot, but others feel it several days later.
Some of the neck injury symptoms that you might feel after a car accident include:
- Headaches or migraines
- Blurred vision
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fatigue
- Stiffness
- Numbness or tingling in the arms
Most of these symptoms clear within a few weeks to a month. But the pain may take longer to subside if you suffer a severe neck injury.
So, if your neck pain and injury symptoms worsen, return to your primary care physician for a more comprehensive checkup.
What Are Some of the Most Common Neck Injuries?
There are various types of neck injuries you can sustain. Below are some of the most common neck injuries after car accident.
1. Herniated Disk
The intervertebral discs in your cervical spine are filled with jelly to cushion the vertebrae and absorb shock. During a collision, the discs may rupture, bulge, or herniate, causing them to compress the surrounding spinal cord nerves.
Herniations can occur anywhere along the spine. And while they commonly affect the lower back, it’s possible to have a herniated disc in the neck. Sudden whipping motions are the primary cause of disk herniations.
2. Neck Sprain or Strain
Neck strains and sprains are some of the most common neck injuries after a car accident. The two present the same symptoms, yet they are different injuries.
Strains hurt facet joints, tendons, and tissue connecting your bones to muscles. Sprains, on the other hand, are torn ligaments or soft tissue binding bones to other bones.
These injuries result in pain when moving your head, muscle spasms, and reduced mobility.
3. Neck Fracture
A broken neck or fractured cervical spine is a severe injury necessitating emergency hospitalization. If any of the seven neck bones cracks or break, you are said to have a neck fracture.
This is one of the most painful neck injuries. The pain is so much that you’re likely to notice that you sustained a fracture immediately after a car accident.
If you suspect you’ve sustained a fracture, don’t move without the assistance of paramedics. Improper movement could lead to paralysis or even death.
4. Cuts and Lacerations
During a collision, debris or objects in the car may fly and hit the neck, resulting in cuts, bruises, or abrasions. Deep cuts or lacerations can potentially damage tendons and ligaments in the neck. This type of injury might require stitches to heal.
5. Muscle Spasms
Spams are common symptoms of neck injuries from car accidents. Its also possible to experience twinges in your back, arms, and shoulders.
Cramps often occur because your muscles are overstretched or tensed up after the crash. This results in swelling and inflammation, affecting the nerves surrounding the muscle.
Note that inflammation takes some time to build up. So, most often than not, muscle spasms are associated with delayed neck pain. Thus, it would help to consider muscle spasms when seeking medical help and compensation for your personal injury claim.
Bottom Line
Neck injuries from car accidents bring you devastating pain and suffering. They reduce your ability to resume an everyday life, both socially and economically.
The repercussions on your health, social life, and occupation can be dire. Fortunately, an experienced personal injury attorney can help you seek justice.
Call Legal Giant today for a no-obligation consultation on how to take your first steps to compensation for a neck injury.
