Whiplash, or neck sprain or strain, is one of the most common injuries received by involvement in a motor vehicle accident. People may not break bones or herniate discs in every crash, but even the least dangerous of car crashes may cause whiplash. In fact, your car doesn’t even have to collide or make contact with another vehicle in order for you to suffer from whiplash.
But what is whiplash? The term is used frequently in everyday conversations that don’t even have anything to do with car accidents. Whiplash is a neck injury that occurs the neck is suddenly forced to move back and forth, forcefully, with a lot of pressure. The term comes from the movement a cracking whip make, quickly darting down and away from the handle and speedily returning towards the hand.
Typically, those who have been involved in an auto accident in which they have been rear-ended, suffer from whiplash injuries. This is because the unexpected force of a car hitting you from behind forces the driver to be jostled forward with their neck snapping forward and immediately back. This motion causes neck pain, neck stiffness, pain in the upper back and shoulders, loss of range or motion in the neck, dizziness, and headaches. These symptoms usually disappear within a few months with the help of medication, exercise, and conservative treatment methods like physical therapy or chiropractic care.
However, according to the Mayo Clinic, for some, the pain may last longer than a few months. Occasionally, whiplash can be severe enough to injure the spinal cord, spinal discs, ligaments, muscles, tissues of the neck, and nerves. Unfortunately, people may not experience symptoms of whiplash immediately after a car crash and this may result in worsening injuries. As soon as you feel pain, you should see a licensed health care professional as soon as possible.
Doctors offices, hospitals, and urgent care centers can perform tests such as x-rays, CT scans, and MRIs to find out whether you have any injuries from the car accident. You may be prescribed exercise, physical therapy, or pain management to treat whiplash. Pain management includes, cold or heat treatments, over the counter medication, prescription painkillers, muscle relaxants, or in severe cases, injections. Some people even benefit from alternative medicine treatments such as acupuncture, chiropractic care, and massage therapy.
No matter the severity, whiplash can be a serious and painful injury. And, if it’s caused by a car accident, you are entitled to have you medical bills paid for by your insurance company. However, it may be difficult for an injured person to file a claim and get their bills paid by their insurance company. In the case that your claim is denied, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC.
Out attorneys will work with your car insurance company to make sure they pay for the benefits you are entitled to under Michigan law. In the event that the car insurance company fails to cover medical bills or other benefits you are entitled to, our attorneys will file a lawsuit on your behalf to obtain any compensation you may be entitled to, which in many cases includes pain and suffering compensation. Call us today, at 844.4MI.FIRM, for a free consultation.