What You Need to Know About Utah’s Most Common Neck Injury

If you are ever involved in a car accident that results in your head snapping forward and then backward very suddenly, you will want to be informed about the warnings and symptoms of whiplash so that you will be able to inform not only your doctor but also your Utah personal injury attorney as well. Are you familiar with the signs and symptoms that characterize whiplash?

Some Causes of a Whiplash Injury

The majority of people connect a whiplash injury with being involved in a car crash and that is unquestionably one of the main causes of this injury. Additional ways in which someone could sustain whiplash include physical abuse like being throttled or shaken or even getting hit in the head and sports-related injuries. All of these have the ability to produce the necessary hyperflexion and hyperextension in the neck that is the underlying source of whiplash. You can imagine the movement being comparable to when you nod your head in agreement with another person but in an extremely violent and/or excessive way. The injury itself is produced by the damage that these unexpected actions cause to your neck. More specifically the damage that they cause to the discs, ligaments, muscles, and nerves. Oftentimes, following an injury, a tiny vessel in the neck will tear and push out inflammatory chemicals which then result in swelling and pain in the general area of the tear.

Some Signs of a Whiplash Injury

Signs that you are experiencing whiplash can make themselves known almost immediately or they could take a few days before you are even aware of them. When you are injured in a car crash in Utah, even if you feel like you are absolutely fine, it is really important that you visit the emergency room or make an appointment with your doctor for as soon as possible. Do not put off seeking medical attention. Any lag in soliciting medical care could negatively affect your personal injury attorney’s likelihood of collecting damages on your behalf further down the road. A few of the early warning symptoms that you may have whiplash include but are not limited to:

• Stiff neck
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Decreased range of motion
• Anxiety
• Muscle spasms
• Memory disturbances
• Pain

Diagnosing a Whiplash Injury

Due to the fact that the damages that comprise whiplash take place inside parts of your neck that are too small to see properly, the recounting of your symptoms will be the main basis for a diagnosis. You could agree to an x-ray or even an MRI but these examinations, while sometimes helpful, do not always the most reliable when it comes to giving medical professionals more information regarding your condition.

Are Certain People More Likely to get Whiplash?

Yes, of course, they are. Just like any other form of injury, there are certain factors that come into play that make certain people more susceptible to receiving the injury or make them more prone to feeling its negative effects. Numerous studies have recognized various risk factors in being more likely to receive a whiplash injury that includes but is not limited to:

• Having a record of neck pain or neck issues
• IMpact while your car is fully stopped
• Being young
• Being a female
• Not being at fault in the accident
• Being rear-ended by another car
• Having a monotonous job (meaning your muscles were probably tight even before the car accident)

Expected Duration of a Whiplash Injury

The standard diagnosis of whiplash provides for the full healing from whiplash in about 90 days from the date of injury.  Research has revealed that as many as 50% of the people who are diagnosed with whiplash could endure chronic neck pain for as long as one year. Clues that show that you could be one of the people who are receptive to this ongoing pain include:

• You experience neurological symptoms such as bad headaches or memory loss
• The pain reaches all the way down into your arms or fingers
• Your pain level has been severe since the very beginning

Being injured as a result of a car accident can dramatically affect the quality of your life. Even car crashes that appear to be somewhat trivial could leave you with lasting, extreme injuries like a whiplash injury, that can inhibit you from being able to do your job properly (or at all) or from spending quality time with your family and other loved ones.
The entire circumstance can quickly become very overwhelming. Instead of dealing with this yourself, you could simply place the problem into the proficient hands of an accomplished motor vehicle accident attorney. If you or someone you love has sustained a whiplash injury as the result of a traffic accident in which you were not the negligent driver, then Utah law allows for you to receive financial compensation for the losses and damages that the other driver’s recklessness has cost you.
Here at the law firm of Siegfried & Jensen, we have talented personal injury attorneys who have spent decades as a team helping Utah residents recover the damages that they not only deserve but are entitled to according to the law. If you have been injured in a car crash in the state of Utah and would like to have a free consultation with a qualified personal injury attorney regarding your case, then please give us a call at 801-845-9000 today.