Did you know car accidents are the second-leading cause of hospitalizations and emergency room visits? Or that even seemingly minor car accidents can cause severe injuries? Neck injuries are among the most common injuries people suffer after an accident. And they can result from a low-impact accident.
If you suffered a neck injury after a low-impact accident, consider speaking to a personal injury attorney. You shouldn’t have to pay for someone else’s negligence. Call our office at 404-842-7700 to request a free consultation to discuss your car accident.
Unfortunately, yes, they can. Even a low-impact accident, often called a fender bender, can result in too much force on the neck. This can cause a variety of injuries. Many neck injuries are not immediately apparent.
The impact of one car hitting another causes the person inside the car to jolt. Most people think of whiplash when considering these types of accidents, but the injuries can be much worse than aches and pains. When that much force causes the body to jolt, the neck can enter hyperextension. The joints moving so quickly from one position to another can cause various injuries, which we’ve outlined in the next section.
Neck injuries after a car accident range from mild to severe. Read more about each below:
Between the vertebrae in the spine are jelly, cushion-line discs to support the bones. These discs can become slipped, herniated, or bulging. The impact of an accident causes this to happen, which in turn causes pressure on the nerves. Disc injuries can cause pain to radiate throughout the neck, spine, and arms. Some people also experience numbness.
A sprain is a torn ligament in the neck. These take quite a while to heal and can cause someone a lot of pain. A strain damages the neck's joints, tendons, tissue, or ligaments. A strain often causes muscle pain, lessened mobility, and muscle spasms.
Car accidents often cause pinched nerves in the neck. When a tendon, ligament, or muscle is damaged, it can compress or rub against the nerves, causing pain. Some people often experience numbness and tingling in the neck, back, and arms.
Stiffness may seem simple, but some people experience such severe stiffness after a car accident that they can’t turn or move their heads. This can be from whiplash or one of the listed injuries.
The facet joints in the neck allow the head and neck to move freely. These joints also stabilize the neck. The joints become irritated, inflamed, or damaged when injured during a car accident. Many people have various degrees of pain from these injuries.
A broken neck is a serious injury. It’s important that injured people seek medical care immediately for this type of injury. A broken neck means one or more of the bones in the cervical spine fracture. A fracture can cause serious, lasting damage to the spinal cord. Broken necks are life-threatening. They can cause paralysis or death.
Dislocation, also called cervical spondylolisthesis, is when one of the vertebrae in the neck slips out of alignment. Once this happens, the dislocated vertebrae can compress the nerves or spinal cord, causing numbness and pain.
There are two main things to do after a car accident if you experience neck pain. They are:
It’s essential to seek medical care after an accident, especially if you experience neck pain. Some neck injuries can cause life-long, permanent damage, so visiting a medical professional for tests and scans is vital.
Once you have returned home, you may want to speak to a personal injury attorney. You shouldn't have to pay if someone else’s negligence caused the accident. A personal injury attorney will review your case details and inform you of your legal rights and options. Contact our office to request a free consultation!
The days and weeks following a car accident are often frustrating and exhausting. If you’re suffering an injury, you’re likely dealing with calls from work and insurance companies while receiving bills in the mail. We know you have a lot of questions about car accident neck injuries, so we’ve compiled this FAQs section with the most common questions we received answered:
Yes, some injuries do not show up immediately. After a car accident, your body is filled with adrenaline and is in fight-or-flight mode. This means you may not feel injuries immediately. Some injuries take a while to develop and worsen over time when not treated. Whiplash can take days, weeks, or months to impact someone fully.
There are many symptoms of a neck injury. These vary by person, the severity of the injury, and the type. They include:
This list is not exhaustive. It’s essential you are evaluated and treated by a medical professional if you have any of these symptoms.
This is a difficult question to answer because a few factors impact this. People can experience pain from mild injuries for a few days or months. For more severe injuries, it can last much longer. For severe or permanent injuries, people deal with the pain for years or forever. This is why medical care after a car accident is so critical. They can discover injuries early and create a treatment plan to reduce the long-term side effects and damage.
Maybe. If someone’s negligence or carelessness caused the accident, you might want to consider speaking to an attorney. This is especially true if the damage is long-term or life-changing. An attorney can evaluate the case and advise you of your legal options and rights.
Attorneys fight for their clients. They seek compensation for lost wages, current and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, and personal property damages. Personal injury attorneys know clients are entitled to much more than most insurance agencies offer, so they fight for them during a difficult time.
Clients don’t pay anything unless we win their case. We are as invested in a desirable verdict as our clients are. When we take on a client’s case, we work tirelessly to win the case and are paid out of the settlement. If you want to learn more, call our office at 404-842-7700 to request a free consultation.
You’re probably wondering why Broughton Law is the best choice for a car accident. We have a reputation for winning our client’s cases and are dedicated to fighting for what’s right. We aim to provide our clients with high-quality, outstanding legal services while getting the compensation and justice they deserve. Read more about the benefits of working with us below:
The team at Broughton Law is committed to winning. Our clients are our priority. We have a solid reputation for winning and securing millions in client settlements annually. With extensive personal injury law expertise, our team fights for each and every client. We stand by their side throughout the process, offering peace of mind and legal advice.
The attorneys at Broughton Law have over 35+ years of combined experience in personal injury law. Our highly experienced trial attorneys have won numerous cases for our clients and obtained millions in settlements during this time. Our case history speaks for itself. Check out these wins ranging from $200,000 to $5 million.
Broughton Law was named as a top 100 Super Lawyer in Georgia. Google and Avvo have numerous five-star reviews from past clients we’ve helped. We are proud of the outstanding services we provide our clients.
At Broughton Law, we know a neck injury can be debilitating. Not only is a car accident a traumatizing experience, but the injuries can change a person’s life forever. We fight for our client’s rights, seeking the justice and compensation they deserve after an accident.
We want to fight for you, too. We offer free, no-obligation consultations to discuss the matter and your legal options and rights. Contact us today to schedule yours!
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