Know the Signs of this Common Injury if You’ve been in a Wreck
There are a lot of injuries that can happen after a wreck, from minor to serious. In almost any wreck there are going to be bumps and bruises, but the most common that will require medical attention are in the neck and back.
Our spine supports the body, allows a passage for the spinal cord, and is why we can bend, twist, move, and shake. When it’s injured, you want to make sure it’s “fixed.”
Whiplash the Most Common Neck Injury
When you’re hit from behind, your car and body lurch forward. This sudden movement causes your head to get thrown backward. When the car suddenly stops your head gets thrown forward; there’s a really good video on the Spine-Health website that shows what happens.
In the neck, your muscles, bones, discs, and tendons are all affected. Depending on the severity of the whiplash, the results can range from mild discomfort, to severe pain and brain issues.
Symptoms of Whiplash:
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Loss of range of motion
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Sleep disturbances
- Memory problems
It’s important to see a doctor right away if you have any discomfort in your neck after a car accident. This common injury often does not appear severe immediately, but the pain and symptoms can worsen as your adrenaline levels come down and your body “realizes” that it is injured.
Long term maintenance with a chiropractor may be necessary.
Back Pain: The Most Common Injury
The back and neck usually go hand-in-hand because both are part of the spine.
From twisting, tweaking, stretching, and pulling, there are a lot of ways the back can be injured in a car accident. Each one can have different levels of severity.
- Pulled muscles can result from the sudden and unexpected movement a car accident can put you through.
- Dislocated or misaligned vertebrae are common as the back stretches beyond what it is used to.
- Herniated discs are the result of severe compression, and often require surgery to fix.
- Bulging discs, like herniated discs, are less severe, but still painful result of compression.
Common back injuries take time to heal. And often require ongoing maintenance from a chiropractor to ensure that the bones are healing properly.
Get Help from a Car Accident Lawyer
If you have been in a car accident, and you experience what you think are minor injuries, it can be tempting to accept the settlement from the insurance company. You might think that you’ve been checked out by the doctor, and there are no major issues to be seen.
But then, a few weeks down the road, you start to experience more back pain. It turns out that you have some alignment issues that will need further medical attention. You can read Ashley’s Story to see how this all happens.
If you have accepted the settlement already, you won’t be able to go back and re-negotiate.
Instead, let Herbert Law Group help you from the start. We’ll do all the heavy lifting, so you don’t have to worry about your back injury. We know what to expect, and we’ll get a settlement that fully provides for your needs.
Give us a call at 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact form on our site, and we’ll be in touch.