Car accidents can be a literal pain in the neck
You know that image of the man or woman in a neck brace following a car accident? If you've recently been in a serious wreck, you might feel like that person -- you might even be wearing the neck brace!
Whiplash and other kinds of injuries to the muscles and ligaments of the neck are common after vehicle accidents. That's because, with the typical centripetal forces involved in an auto collision, the head can go flying and bouncing around. This can put an enormous amount of strain on your neck and result in painful and long-lasting injuries.
What is whiplash?
Whiplash involves the straining, rupturing, tearing or bruising of the muscles, vertebrae and ligaments of your neck. It's important to know the symptoms of these kinds of injuries so you can get treatment as soon as they arise. Keep in mind that you might feel fine immediately after your car crash, but days later, you may find yourself with any of the following symptoms:
- A stiff or tight neck
- Loss of equilibrium
- Neck pain
- Back pain
- Memory issues
- Concentration problems
Immediate treatment of whiplash problems is vital to ensuring that you recover as quickly and fully as possible. However, doctors' bills are expensive, which is why many whiplash sufferers try to wait it out until they're feeling better. The problem is, that day may never come.
Help with the costs of medical care for whiplash injuries
If another party causes you whiplash injuries due to negligence or unlawful actions, you may be able to recover your losses through legal action. Knowing your rights to recovering damages after a serious accident can be of great help, especially if you don't have health insurance. Sometimes a personal injury claim is the only way for some accident victims to pay for the medical care they need.