Probably the single most common occurrence that results from being injured in a Car Accident in Connecticut or in other areas of the country is the injury known as whiplash. Whiplash is a term that is often overused. Basically, whiplash occurs when a driver is rear-ended in a car accident. The body experiences unnatural motion as the lower part of the cervical spine is caused to move well beyond its normal range of motion. This movement puts strain and risks injury to the muscles, ligaments, and discs in the neck and upper back area.

It is often hard to realize when you are suffering from whiplash. After a car accident, most worry about the damages to their car, dealing with their insurance companies, and losing their main transportation. Whiplash can often go unrecognized and untreated, especially because sometimes symptoms are not apparent until days or even weeks later. Sometimes, people can wait days or weeks thinking that they will work through the paint they are experiencing in hopes it will just go away. Failure to recognize the extent of an injury caused by the quick , violent motion of the neck and head following a rear-end collision can be due to a number of causes, including adrenaline running through one’s body at the time of the initial shock, the physical build and health of a person, and the age of a person, just to name a few. It is important to recognize and treat these symptoms as early as possible.

Whiplash symptoms can include:

• Stiffness and pain in the neck or back area
• Headaches
• Dizziness or blurred vision
• Fatigue
• Uneasy sleep
• Ringing in ears
• Volatile emotions

Whiplash is caused during an accident when the head is literally ‘whipped’ back and forth so quickly that it is almost unnoticeable. The quick jerk of your neck can cause damage to spinal ligaments, tendons and muscles and in some cases even cause damage to the spine itself.

If you think you may have suffered whiplash, you should immediately seek a medical diagnosis. Whiplash does not show up on MRIs, CAT-Scans or X-rays. Therefore you will need to accurately describe your symptoms to your doctor. Once diagnosed, it is important to take a couple days off from your normal activities. Rest and relaxation can quickly speed up the process of healing your whiplash.

If you or someone you know is one of the hundreds of thousands of unfortunate people involved in a serious accident where you received significant injuries, you deserve compensation. I am here to answer any questions you have and give legal advice concerning personal injury cases.