What Is Considered a Whiplash Injury?

You may be familiar with the term, but what is whiplash injury precisely? Often used as a catchall phrase that references neck pain following an accident, the medical diagnosis for whiplash is much more than the aches you experience after an injury. Whiplash affects the soft tissue in your neck–the muscles and tendons. Without proper treatment whiplash can have lasting negative effects, leading to chronic pain.

If you sustain a whiplash injury as the result of another person's negligence, you may be entitled to compensation to cover your medical expenses, lost wages, pain, and suffering, and more. However, filing a claim for whiplash injury quickly is essential, as there are often statutes of limitations regarding how much time can lapse before insurance companies and the court system will refuse to hear your case.

What Is a Whiplash Injury?

A whiplash injury is damage done to the soft tissue in your neck when your head is quickly slammed forward and backward. The abrupt motion strains the tissue in your neck, leading to sprain, stretching, and sometimes tearing of the muscles and tendons. Inevitably, this leads to quite a bit of pain along with other unpleasant side effects.

Symptoms of a whiplash injury include:

• Pain in the muscles of the neck and upper shoulders
• Decreased range of motion or stiffness in the neck
• A feeling of tightness in the neck
• Pain when turning your head either from side to side or front to back
• Tenderness or soreness to the touch
• Headaches, particularly at the base of your skull that may radiate towards the forehead

Additionally, it is common for individuals who get whiplash injuries to also get a concussion from the same accident. Symptoms of a concussion include worsening or persistent headaches, dizziness, nausea, weakness or trouble speaking, feeling tired, and loss of consciousness. These side effects are serious and require immediate medical attention.

Types of Whiplash Injuries

There are four common types of whiplash injuries. While many people associate whiplash with car accidents, any accident that causes your head to suddenly jerk forward and backward can cause whiplash.

1. Muscle injuries. When your head snaps forward and backward by force, the muscles in your neck stretch farther than they would under normal circumstances. The result is pain in these muscles, oftentimes along with swelling and tenderness in the area.
2. Nerve injuries. You can also sustain a nerve injury, commonly referred to as a "pinched nerve" as the result of a whiplash injury. This is common if you had your head turned to one side at the time of impact, or if for example, the headrest in a car did not adequately support your head. Symptoms of a nerve injury in your neck may result in pain in your shoulders and arms, as well as a tingling sensation or what many people refer to as "pins and needles."
3. Joint injuries. Your neck is full of joints in your cervical vertebrae. These joints are what enable you to turn your head, look over your shoulder, and move your neck. When you injure any of these joints in an accident you are likely to experience stiffness, pain, decreased range of motion, and more.
4. Disc injuries. Each of your cervical vertebrae have discs between them, which act as padding and stop the bones from rubbing against each other. They protect your vertebrae from shock and damage. When an injury damages these discs it can cause them to herniate, bulge, or rupture. This can lead to extreme pain as well as damage to the bones and nerves as your vertebrae are left without essential protection.

Diagnosing a Whiplash Injury

As there are several types of whiplash injuries, each affecting specific components of your neck and musculoskeletal system, it is essential that you seek medical care. Only a medical professional can properly answer "what is whiplash injury and am I suffering from one?" The sooner you seek medical treatment, the better your personal injury case will fare if you choose to file a claim later.

As the pain and side effects may not always be immediately apparent following a whiplash injury, as soon as you do notice the symptoms go to your closest urgent care center, emergency room, or make an appointment with your primary care physician.

A doctor may order a range of tests to diagnose your whiplash injury. These include X-rays, CT scans, and more. They will likely test your range of motion and look for signs of swelling and trauma in the area.

Filing a Claim for Whiplash Injury

When filing a claim for whiplash injury, there are a few things that will be essential to your case. First, after you seek medical care it is always best to consult with a personal injury lawyer regarding the case. An experienced attorney will help you evaluate how much your case is worth and can handle much of the communication with insurance companies or the opposing party's lawyer to ease the burden of stress on you during this challenging time.

Next, make sure to collect all the necessary documentation regarding your injury. This includes a police report from the scene of the accident if one exists, the contact information of any eyewitnesses, your medical bills and prognosis, receipts for medication, documentation of lost wages or damaged property such as your car, and more.

Following all of your doctor's orders is imperative during this time. They may recommend that you come back for follow up appointments or begin physical therapy. To protect your claim and ensure that your body heals as best it can, it is essential that you go to every appointment.

Contacting an Attorney

If you sustain an injury as the result of another party's negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. A personal injury attorney in South Florida can represent you throughout the process of filing a whiplash injury claim, advise you on what paperwork is needed, and ensure that the insurance companies do not try to settle at too low of an offer.

Remember, it is best to seek medical care as soon as possible following an accident if you are in pain from a whiplash injury. Contact a personal injury attorney right away to get started on your claim.