Whiplash is an injury caused when a person’s head and neck extend forward or backward as a result of a sudden impact or jerking and then snap back into place. The motion is similar to that of cracking a whip. Whiplash can injure muscles, tendons and other soft tissues in the neck. Mild whiplash clears up in a few weeks or months, but severe whiplash can cause pain and diminished capacity for life.
The single greatest cause of whiplash is a rear-end car accident, which violently shoves a stopped car forward and causes a whip-like movement in the necks of the driver and passengers. But whiplash and other neck injuries can be caused by any type of car accident or any sharp jolt to the neck and head.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says that neck injuries are the most common injuries reported in car crashes. They account for two million insurance claims each year.
If you have suffered a neck or whiplash injury in a car accident in South Carolina, Joye Law Firm can work to help you recover compensation to assist you in your recovery. Our South Carolina car accident lawyers at Joye Law Firm have been helping individuals and families whose lives have been disrupted by car accidents since 1968.
Is Your Neck Injury Whiplash?
The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston calls whiplash a poorly understood injury that usually involves the muscles, discs, nerves and tendons in the neck. It is an injury to the neck caused by the neck bending forcibly forward and then backward, or vice versa, MUSC says.
Like other medical sources, MUSC says that many whiplash injuries occur when a person is involved in a rear-end car accident. Whiplash is also a common injury in contact sports.
Symptoms of whiplash may not occur until 24 hours or longer after the trauma that causes the injury. Each individual may experience whiplash symptoms differently.
Symptoms of Whiplash
Whiplash symptoms may include:
- Neck pain
- Neck stiffness
- Headache
- Shoulder pain
- Lower back pain
- Dizziness
- Pain in the arm or hand
- Numbness in the arm or hand
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Blurred vision
- Concentration or memory problems
- Sleeplessness or fatigue
- Irritability
Symptoms of severe whiplash include:
- Severe neck pain
- Neck pain and stiffness that return after clearing up
- Pain that spreads to shoulders or arms
- Tingling, numbness, or weakness in arms or legs
- Bowel or bladder problems
Whiplash may include damage to soft tissue that can’t be seen on X-rays, so an examination for whiplash may include computed tomography (CT) scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Whiplash Treatment
Mild whiplash may be treated with heat and ice, plus over-the-counter pain relievers and rest for a day or so, followed by light stretching exercises. Patients with severe whiplash might take prescription pain relievers or receive injections. They may need to wear foam cervical collars to support and stabilize their injured neck and take physical therapy.
Pain from mild whiplash should diminish and disappear over a few weeks, but can linger for several months. Severe whiplash can cause neck pain that persists with little or no relief.
Contact Our Whiplash Injury Lawyers
If you have suffered whiplash or a similar neck injury in a car accident or another incident that was not your fault, Joye Law Firm may be able to help you obtain compensation to assist you during your recovery. Our personal injury and car accident lawyers have been helping people from Clinton, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Columbia and across South Carolina since 1968.
Joye Law Firm attorneys have nearly 250 years of combined litigation experience, and some of our lawyers have been named Super Lawyers in South Carolina. Our lawyers have also received an AV rating from the distinguished Martindale-Hubbell legal directory.
If you have whiplash or another neck injury because of a car accident someone else caused, call Joye Law Firm at (888) 324-3100 or complete our online form for a free initial consultation today.
Sources:
- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
- Medical University of South Carolina
Testimonials
I can’t stress enough how Milt Stratos at The Joye Law Firm went above and beyond to help my family after a horrible car accident. He was caring, thorough, honest and very knowledgeable!! This was my first experience with a lawyer and I can’t imagine how it could of been any better. I recommend Milt for anyone looking a lawyer you can’t trust!
Review by: Christopher Stone
Reviewing: Car Accident Legal Services
Date published: 01/24/2020
Rating: ★★★★★ 5 / 5 stars
