Whiplash Injury: More Common Than You Think
Road traffic accidents have terrible consequences, especially for the victims involved; physical and emotional injuries that one can gain from a vehicular accident can have devastating impression on your life, not to mention your financial standing. The most common of injuries is the whiplash injury, which affects almost all people involved in a road traffic accident. The injury causes the soft tissue around the spine to strain and stretch after the body is wildly thrown suddenly and forcefully.
Whiplash injury can cause severe pain in the neck and can also cause these symptoms: neck swelling; stiffness in the neck; tenderness along the back part of the neck; headache and partial loss of neck movement. These symptoms are the most associated with this injury, but there are also some reports of victims suffering from lower back pain, pins and needles or numbness of arms and hands; dizziness; muscle spasms, ringing in the ears and blurred vision.
Some people seem to think that this kind of injury happens only from rear end collisions, especially when a vehicle is travelling at high speed; however, this isn't the case. There is no rule that states that an accident should be at high speed and it should collide from the back end of a vehicle. The car can be moving as slow as 10mph; or the collision may happen at the back, front or side – it is still possible for the passengers and driver to be injured. The position and speed of the car doesn’t injure you, it’s the motion your neck go through upon collision. The hyperextension of your neck beyond normal range of motion can cause damage to your muscles, connective tissue and ligaments.
The symptoms of whiplash injury usually improve after a week of proper rest. Take it easy for a month and you’ll be good as new – however, for some people, that is not the case. Sometimes, it can take a few months for the symptoms to completely disappear. Some people even claim to still feel stiffness and pain a year after the injury occurred. This can affect your work and the way you go through your active daily living. Having to suffer everyday due to another driver’s negligence is unfair and wrong on your part. This entitles you to claim for compensation – something that you deserve and is rightfully yours.
Although making a claim legally for compensation won't change what you are suffering through and dealing with in this time of crisis – it will certainly help you with your financial situation. While you are recuperating, at least you won’t have to think about financial aspects like medical expenses, unpaid bills and travelling expenses. Remember, you might not be able to work for a few weeks, so you need all the help that you can get. When suffering from whiplash injury, remember that you have the right to make a claim; get in touch with your personal injury solicitor, they can help you deal with this kind of problem and get you the compensation that you deserve.