One of the common injuries Texans face after a car accident is whiplash (also called “neck strain”). Around three million Americans experience whiplash annually. And much of it happens when a driver is hit from behind in a car crash; a passenger can suffer a neck injury or whiplash. Although many Texans are familiar with the word, many may not know what it means and how it can be identified.
Rear-end collisions happen in the Rio Grande Valley often. But after an accident, a local might think they are just fine. They may have been tossed around in their car seat during impact but don’t feel any pain immediately after. Whiplash can be sneaky that way. The body might often not feel pain or discomfort until a day or two after the accident. That’s why seeking immediate medical attention after being rear-ended by a car is essential. Remaining in touch with a doctor can help if a person feels something later.
Whiplash happens when someone is quickly thrown back and forth upon impact with another car. What that can do is extend the body’s range of motion farther than it’s used to. Basically, it can push the body to far too fast. For instance, when doing stretching exercises, it’s always advised to go slow and prepare your body for more rigorous activity. Even in programs such as yoga and Pilates, instructors always remind people to take their time while stretching their ligaments and tendons. In a car accident, there is no “preparing the body” it just happens. That can create trauma to the body, especially the neck and spine. Hopkins Medicine provides a video and more details on how a whiplash injury occurs.
Whiplash can take time to recover, so ensure you’re adequately compensated.
People might be familiar with whiplash’s fundamental issues, such as stiff neck and sore back. When hit from behind in a car crash a passenger can suffer a neck injury of whiplash. In addition, people commonly experience problems with simple range of motion movement, such as turning the neck from side to side. But whiplash after a rear-end car crash in the RGV can also impact hearing, vision, and memory. If it’s bad enough, these issues can become chronic.
There are several answers to treating whiplash after auto accidents, and frequent physical therapy visits are one. A healthcare provider can assess the situation and help create a care plan to help with long-term recovery. And it’s clear, any type of healthcare is going to cost money, even if it’s co-pays. This is why not only should someone seek medical attention, but they should also get legal representation. Because no one should directly negotiate compensation with an insurance adjuster.
What an insurance carrier offers to pay is usually not what the victim requires to pay all the bills. Whiplash can last for years, and so can the costs of recovery.
Usually, whiplash begins when pain and stiffness radiate from the neck, back, and head. It can include unpleasant spasms in the neck and back. The physical issues can travel to the arms and shoulders, too. Sometimes, a person might feel as if all they can do is lie on the floor to avoid any movement at all.
Other changes can occur, too, such as vertigo, headaches, changes in vision, difficulty swallowing, or changes in one’s voice. Worst-case issues from whiplash include displaced bones or fractures to the neck and spine. All of these responses to a car crash can require both physical therapy and medicinal care. For instance, pain management is vital to full recovery. So, compensation for medicine as well as doctors visits and therapy must all be considered. And part of managing whiplash recover is getting an attorney to fight for full compensation!
