Compassionate Lawyers Helping Accident Victims Obtain Meaningful Compensation
Motor vehicle accidents can cause a wide range of serious, potentially life-changing injuries. However, due to the forces involved in even a low-speed collision, neck injuries such as whiplash, muscle spasms and soft tissue damage are especially common. Reach out to a Fort Lauderdale neck injury attorney.
At the Blakeley Law Firm, our Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers have extensive experience working with injured motorists, helping connect them with monetary damages to cover the economic and non-economic damages they sustained due to an accident.
Schedule a free consultation today by calling (800) 602-5000.
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How Do Car Accidents Result in Neck Injuries?
In most car accidents, a driver’s vehicle comes to an immediate stop. However, as a car’s motion is suddenly halted, occupants’ bodies are thrust forward. While seatbelts keep occupants in their seats, there is no safety feature that keeps their heads from continuing forward. This often results in a jerking motion as the head shifts forward, putting immense stress on the neck.
The stress placed on a vehicle occupant’s neck during an accident can result in various types of injuries, the most common of which is whiplash.
What Is Whiplash?
Whiplash is a type of neck injury that occurs when a person’s head quickly shifts from back to front or front to back. While the symptoms of whiplash vary depending on the person and the severity of the injury to the tissue in the neck, they often include:
- Difficulty concentrating,
- Dizziness,
- Fatigue,
- General irritability,
- Headaches,
- Lower back pain,
- Neck stiffness or pain,
- Pain between the shoulder blades,
- Pain or numbness in the hands, and
- Trouble sleeping.
Whiplash is very common. In fact, it is estimated that approximately 3 million people suffer from whiplash every year in the United States. Most cases of whiplash are diagnosed after a car accident. And, while whiplash may improve on its own, roughly ten percent of whiplash victims will experience long-term disability.
Other Types of Neck Injuries
While whiplash is the most common type of neck injury, victims may experience other severe injuries, including:
- Broken neck,
- Cervical spine injuries, and
- Cervical disc injuries.
Whiplash and other neck injuries can be hard to detect. However, doctors can use traditional X-rays, CT scans and MRIs to diagnose neck injuries and determine the appropriate course of treatment.
Additionally, accident victims who suffer whiplash often experience other injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, and soft tissue damage. Thus, it is essential that all accident victims obtain prompt medical treatment after any car accident.
Can You Get Whiplash After a Low-Speed Accident?
Yes, low-speed rear-end collisions can cause whiplash because a vehicle only needs to be traveling at about 10 miles per hour for occupants to suffer whiplash. In fact, most cases of whiplash occur in accidents involving vehicles that were going less than 15 miles per hour at the time of the collision.
Whiplash Treatment
While whiplash is a serious injury, there are treatment options that can expedite the healing process and reduce the risk of future complications. Depending on the severity of the damage to the neck, doctors, chiropractors and other healthcare professionals may use a combination of massage therapy, physical therapy, immobilization, stretches and medication to treat whiplash.
Have You Suffered Serious Neck Injuries in a Fort Lauderdale Car Accident?
If you or a loved one was recently in a motor vehicle collision and suffered whiplash or another type of neck injury, reach out to the Blakeley Law Firm to schedule a free consultation.
At the Blakeley Law Firm, our Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys have more than 20 years of experience preparing compelling claims on behalf of our clients.
We understand what motivates insurance companies to offer fair settlement offers that will fully compensate you for everything you’ve been through while minimizing the stress placed on you and your family.
To learn more, and to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation today, call (800) 602-5000. You can also reach us through our online contact form.