While the most serious injuries sustained in car wrecks usually involve brain damage, herniated discs and broken bones, whiplash can also be one of the most debilitating injuries in an auto accident. These injuries may require months of rest and physical therapy to treat. Every year, approximately 1 million people suffer soft tissue injuries in car wrecks. Many of these injuries are from rear-ender auto accidents. Others are commonly the result of t-bone crashes which usually occur at intersections at a high rate of speed
Simply put, these types of injuries occur because of trauma to the head, neck and spine. These injuries typically occur during a rear-ender accident, when a vehicle is struck from behind by another vehicle. In a situation like this, the person may be thrown ahead from impact, and this results in a sudden and violent snapping backward and forward of the neck. This snapping causes extreme trauma to the neck, back and spine muscles. Symptoms of whiplash injury may include headaches, shoulder pain, arm pain, neck pain, fatigue, dizziness, soreness in the neck, tenderness, and ringing in the ears. These are some of the most common injuries in accidents. However, whiplash injury may also be some of the most difficult to prove. That’s because there are no visible external signs of injury or wounds. In many cases, there may not even be any swelling in the neck area. Because of these unique presentations of injury, the types of Atlanta auto accidents present special issues in order for your lawyer to prove (1) that you sustained the injury in the auto wreck; and (2) that the injuries are severe enough to warrant bringing a lawsuit to recover for them.
Pain resulting from a whiplash injury may last for just a few hours or days, to weeks. Other times, the pain can last for months or, in rare circumstances, can be permanent. These injuries can actually worsen, and therefore, it’s important that you get emergency medical attention as soon as you notice pain or any of the other symptoms of whiplash injury after an accident. It’s important to seek medical attention immediately when you see any external signs of injury.
Even when the pain disappears on its own after a few hours, it’s still important to seek medical advice, because the effects of the injury can reappear a few weeks or months later in the form of headaches and dizziness. If you haven’t been treating with competent medical doctors and the pain comes back months down the road, the insurance company for the at-fault driver will likely point to the gap in your medical treatment as a reason to deny your claim or pay a lot less for your damages than you deserve. This is certainly not fair and you should do all you can (by hiring an experienced Atlanta car wreck attorney) to guide you along the litigation path
Robert J. Fleming is an Atlanta car accident attorney, helping injured victims of car accidents recover the compensation they deserve. He practices in and around the Atlanta, Georgia area including handling lawsuits in Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Gwinnett, Cobb and other counties and nearby cities including Alpharetta, Austell, Avondale Estates, Chamblee, College Park, Conyers, Duluth, Decatur, Doraville, Hapeville, Johns Creek, Jonesboro, Lawrenceville, Norcross, Peachtree City, Riverdale, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Stone Mountain, and Smyrna. If you have been seriously injured in a car accident and would like discuss your case, contact Robert J. Fleming directly on (404) 525-5150 or contact us online.