After a car accident, it is relatively common for people to suffer spine and neck injuries, including whiplash. However, most whiplash injuries result from rear-end collisions.
Unfortunately, most people don’t seek treatment for whiplash injuries, mainly because they don’t realize they’re injured. According to Healthline, signs of whiplash injuries usually occur within hours or days after a car accident.
Whiplash symptoms
If you suspect you have whiplash, it’s important that you take the symptoms seriously. Some of the most common symptoms of whiplash include:
- General back pain
- Headaches
- Tinnitus
- Shoulder pain
- Dizziness
Sometimes, what may seem like whiplash may be a warning sign of neck or spinal cord injury. Therefore, it’s important that you seek medical treatment immediately after you notice these symptoms.
Usually, minor whiplash injuries will resolve within a few days. However, serious whiplash injuries can cause long-term effects even after receiving proper medical care. Serious or unaddressed whiplash injuries can reduce muscle and tendon strength, resulting in chronic pain, difficulty sleeping, memory problems and chronic headaches.
Seek medical attention after a collision
After any car accident, you should seek medical care immediately, even when you don’t have physical injuries. Some symptoms of serious injuries don’t show immediately due to the adrenaline rush. While the responding medical personnel can treat immediate needs, you may need to undergo a follow-up exam to assess any underlying injuries with delayed symptoms.
If a whiplash injury occurs in a car accident, you may qualify for compensation from the negligent parties. However, since you have a limited time to seek compensation, consider seeking legal assistance to help you get the best possible results for your claim.