Neck pain is a significant health problem that accounts for a large proportion of occupational illness and disability among the general population. Specifically, whiplash is among the most prevalent neck injuries from motor vehicle accidents. However, just because these injuries are often considered minor doesn’t mean they are.
If you or someone close to you has sustained a neck injury as a result of a car accident, there is no denying that the pain experienced is very real. Regardless, insurance providers may attempt to downplay the injury’s full extent. If this is the case, you may not receive the total compensation you’re entitled to following your accident.
However, that’s where our team comes in. When you work with Dow Law Firm, you can be assured of an aggressive approach to your case. Our dedicated team of experienced Austin car accident lawyers will advise you on handling your case so you don’t have to rely on insurance providers to dictate your next steps.
Can Neck Pain Be an Injury From a Car Crash? The Neck Injuries Car Accidents Cause
When looking at the question, “Can neck pain be an injury from a car crash?” – the answer may be a surprise. In Texas, about one person is injured every two minutes and six seconds in Texas vehicle accidents. These accidents generally result in numerous neck injuries, with the most common including:
- Neck Fracture: This is a serious injury often resulting in severe pain and the need for immediate medical attention to avoid paralysis and prevent potential spinal cord damage.
- Herniated or Slipped Disc: The impact from a car accident can compress nerves and displace your cervical discs, causing numbness, pain, weakness, or tingling of the shoulders, neck, and arms.
- Facet Joint Injury: Vehicle collisions can damage surrounding ligaments, limiting neck mobility or inflammation of the cervical facet joints.
- Whiplash: The sudden neck and head jerking common in rear-end vehicle accidents can strain nerves, ligaments, and muscles, with symptoms appearing either immediately or hours after. As such, early treatment can help you prevent severe or long-term injuries. However, in the worst cases, you may end up with headaches or chronic pain.
- Damage to Soft Tissues: Motor vehicle accidents can strain or sprain ligaments in the neck, tendons, and muscles, leading to stiffness, pain, and spasms.
Neck Injury Symptoms and Signs
Following a car accident, you may not notice the signs and symptoms of a neck injury for hours or even days. As such, you should seek immediate medical intervention if you experience the following neck injury symptoms and signs:
- Radiating pain that begins at the neck and spreads to the shoulders, arms, and hands
- Headaches
- Stiffness and neck pain
- Numbness, weakness, or tingling in the hands, fingers, or arms
- Dizziness
If you experience any of these signs or symptoms following an accident, even minor ones, you should not ignore them. If left untreated, a minor neck injury could lead to long-term complications and chronic pain in the future.
Can You File a Claim After Suffering a Neck Injury in a Car Crash?
Following a car accident and neck pain, it is within your rights to file a personal injury case in Texas, so long as you do so within the state’s allotted time (statute of limitations), typically two years from your accident date. However, depending on the severity of the neck injury, you may be entitled to compensation for lost wages, medical expenses, suffering and pain, and any other damages.
To claim compensation successfully, accident victims must prove their neck pain was caused as a result of the vehicle accident. This means all necessary documentation like doctors’ notes, medical records, and x-ray results showing the accident’s connection and the injury’s severity.
In addition to documentation, you must also provide eyewitness statements from those at the accident scene, along with photos of the vehicle’s damage, to support your claim. You will also be expected to keep a consistent and thorough accident record from the time of the accident to strengthen your case when undergoing legal proceedings.
Let the Dow Law Firm Help You File A Claim For Your Injuries
Filing a claim for a neck injury following a vehicle accident can often be challenging and time-consuming, but it doesn’t have to be. Our lawyers at Dow Law Firm are here to guide you through each step of the legal process to ensure you receive just compensation for your injury claim.
Contact us online or call 512-240-9951 to book your obligation-free complimentary consultation with our Texas accident lawyers.