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Joseph H. Downer, Attorney

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How to recognize a whiplash injury following a car crash

On Behalf of | Aug 9, 2022 | Motor Vehicle Accidents

When you are rear-ended in a car crash, the force of the blow causes your head to sharply move back and forth, not unlike the cracking of a whip, hence the name of the injury you may sustain — whiplash. While whiplash is a well-known car accident injury, it is important to familiarize yourself with its symptoms so you can recognize them should you be involved in a car crash.

What is whiplash?

In a whiplash injury, the muscles in your neck, along with tendons and ligaments can be sprained or even torn. While your neck is not broken, a whiplash injury is serious. It can take months to heal from a whiplash injury.

Whiplash can be a hidden or “latent” injury. This means the injury is not immediately apparent following the crash. The injury may not manifest itself for a day or more following the collision.

What are some symptoms of whiplash?

Some symptoms of whiplash to look out for following a car crash include:

  • Back pain
  • Neck pain and stiffness
  • Vertigo
  • Headaches
  • Problems with vision
  • Muscle spasms

These symptoms often grow worse in the days following the crash and will continue to get worse as time goes on.

While we often associate whiplash with rear-end collisions, any collision can cause whiplash. Moreover, the collision need not be at a high speed or particularly violent to result in whiplash.

Whiplash can be a serious, long-lasting injury. If you suffered whiplash in a motor vehicle accident it is important to seek treatment. You can also discuss the injury with an attorney to determine if you have the grounds for a personal injury case.