Atlanta Injury Lawyers BlogWhiplash Injuries
If you ask the majority of insurance defense lawyers in Atlanta, you will hear some version of the following: Some people in Atlanta feign whiplash injuries in an effort to receive money from an accident. After all, a number of different types of accidents can cause whiplash injuries and the symptoms are easy to fake. And to complicate matters further, neck pain is a symptom that can be difficult for doctors disprove.
As an experienced Atlanta personal injury lawyer, I am familiar with these types of injuries and the types of situations that can cause them. So, in response to the defense lawyer mantra above, I say: On the other hand, whiplash related injuries are real and many times can be detrimental to the patients who actually suffer such an injury. In other words, just because there are no broken bones, does not mean that there is not an injury and, more importantly, an absence of broken bones does not always rule out that the injuries are not severe. To be sure, most soft tissue cases are not severe, however, like everything else in life, there are exceptions.
Whiplash happens when the body of the injured person remains still but the head is forced backward and then very swiftly forward (much like how the body reacts during a rear-end car collision). Whiplash is often used to describe the injuries, but whiplash only illustrates the movement of the injured person’s head and neck.
Indications of whiplash injuries include:
• Headaches, which can be of many different types • Muscle Spasms • Pain and swelling of the neck, shoulders and back • Shooting pain from the neck to the shoulders • Tenderness in the back • Trouble moving the neck
A few patients may also experience:
• Irritability • Memory loss and problems with concentration • Nervousness
Most whiplash injuries entail minor soft tissue damage with patients usually completely recovering from their injuries. However, some patients fracture their vertebra and/or dislocate their vertebra, which can have graver consequences. Short-term paralysis and permanent harm to the nerves in the area can result from damage to the vertebra.
Whiplash injuries can be extremely painful and they can require months of therapy in order for the patient to recover. A good number of patients do recover quickly, but patients with serious whiplash injuries may experience chronic pain, chronic headaches, and spinal cord damage. For these sufferers, recovery can be a long and arduous process, and they may never completely recuperate.
Attorney Robert J. Fleming has been handling wrongful death cases, automobile accident cases, personal injury cases, dental malpractice and medical malpractice lawsuits for individuals and families who have been harmed, injured or died as a result of the carelessness or negligence of another for more than 20 years in and around Atlanta, Georgia and its surrounding areas, 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 and would like quality legal representation, contact Robert J. Fleming directly on (404) 525-5150 or contact us online.
