When a person is suffering from whiplash that is the result of someone else’s negligent, malicious, or reckless behavior, they may find it helpful to talk to a DC whiplash injury lawyer who is familiar with whiplash injuries. Whiplash can be extremely painful and debilitating. It can also cause brain damage. If someone is suffering from whiplash because of something that someone else did, he or she may be entitled to compensation for their injury and the damages it caused. A lawyer who is experienced in successfully defending these kinds of cases may be able to help a whiplash victim and their family make more informed decisions about what their next steps should be.
Any impact or blow that causes someone’s head to jerk forward or backward beyond its normal range of motion, can cause a neck strain that is often referred to as whiplash. Car accidents, sports injuries, falls, roller coaster and other amusement park rides, and being shook too hard are common ways people get whiplash. When it comes to car accidents, one of the most common causes of whiplash are rear-end collisions. When a moving object comes in contact with a stationary object, the stationary object absorbs the impact. A person’s body that is wearing a seatbelt to prevent them from flying forward into the windshield, will move with the impact of the other car while their head and neck are jerked back and forth.
This kind of injury can cause soft tissue damage, the effects of which can be felt for years after the initial injury. The sudden force of this kind of injury can stretch and tear the muscles and tendons in a person’s neck. This can cause anywhere from severe to mild pain as well as limiting the injured person’s range of neck motion. The length of time and ability to fully recover is determined by the severity of a person’s injuries and other factors such as their age, and physical condition prior to the accident. Some people heal quickly while others take a long time with their symptoms worsening over time. People can become permanently disabled because of whiplash. Whiplash can make a person more susceptible to future neck injuries and it can make healing from them more difficult. Common symptoms of whiplash include:
- Pain in the neck, shoulders, back, head, arm or jaw
- Stiffness in the neck, shoulders, back, head, arm or jaw
- Loss of neck motion
- Headaches
- Vision problems
- Dizziness
- Tinnitus (continuous ringing in the ears)
- Arm weakness
- TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder)
- Sleep disorders
- Fatigue, depression, anger and anxiety
- Memory loss and difficulty concentrating
It is often difficult for doctors to detect soft tissue injuries during medical tests. Very often, brain injuries are overlooked because there was no blow to the head and because they do not always present visible injuries or symptoms. Failing to treat a brain injury can lead to further, more serious injuries and complications.
If you or someone you care about is suffering from whiplash, a good place to begin learning about whether or not you or that person is entitled to compensation, is by talking to an experienced whiplash injury lawyer. For a whiplash injury law firm with over 30 years of experience in protecting injured people’s rights, contact Cohen & Cohen today.
