When it comes to head or spine injuries, you can never be too careful. Even if the injury seems minor, the repercussions could be severe if the injury is left undiagnosed and untreated. Unfortunately, these types of injuries occur every day across the United States, whether we’re in our cars, on the playing field, or even at work. One of the most common types of head injuries, whiplash, combines the elements of both head and spinal injuries into one painful entity. Whiplash victims often suffer from radiating neck or back pain and headaches, sometimes for extended periods of time. In worst-case scenarios, their pain may even be chronic.
If you or someone you love suffered a whiplash injury, it’s important to evaluate the circumstances of the incident in order to determine whether or not you have a personal injury case on your hands. When someone else is responsible for your suffering, you deserve to hold them liable for the resulting damage.
About Whiplash Injuries
Whiplash occurs when the head is whipped in a sudden, sharp motion, causing the head to rock back and forth. These injuries are most commonly associated with rear-end car accidents because the driver in front usually gets pushed forward suddenly by the other vehicle, causing their head to be suddenly forced backward and then forward.
Whiplash can also shake up the brain within the skull, injuring or bruising the brain. In this case, the individual might experience dizziness, nausea, vomiting, or worse. In very severe cases, whiplash might also be associated with internal bleeding of the brain, torn neck muscles, and damaged nerves.
Whiplash Symptoms
In some instances, the victim will feel the injury immediately, though symptoms might remain dormant for days or weeks. Those who feel the pain immediately will often feel a burning sensation in the strained neck muscles, a sudden headache, and/or shooting pain radiating up into the head or downward into the shoulders and back.
Whiplash symptoms include:
- Neck pain
- Shoulder pain
- Pain or numbness in the arms and hands
- Neck stiffness or reduced range of motion
- Back pain
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Abnormal fatigue
- Unexplained mood changes
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering
- Sleep disturbances
Potential Causes
As we mentioned, whiplash injuries are often associated with car accidents, whether they be rear-end accidents or other side or front impacts, but they can result from any incident that causes the head and neck to whip back and forth. For example, shaken baby syndrome could cause a whiplash injury in an infant or toddler.
Other common causes of whiplash injuries include:
- Sports injuries
- Assault
- Slip and fall accidents
- Trip and fall accidents
- Swimming pool accidents
Unfortunately, there is no absolute cure for whiplash injuries. Some patients rely on pain medication, some seek physical therapy or massage therapy, while others seek chiropractic treatment for natural relief. However, such treatments can only do so much to help with severe cases of whiplash. Ongoing care can be extremely expensive, and the physical pain can negatively affect the individual’s quality of life. Whiplash victims might not be able to participate in some of their favorite activities and they might even be prevented from returning to work.
If you or someone you love was wrongfully injured and suffered from whiplash as a result, our firm wants to help. We can evaluate the circumstances of your incident, assess the potential causes, identify the liable party, and help you seek the compensation you deserve.
Contact Samster Konkel & Safran today to discuss your case with our Milwaukee personal injury attorneys.
