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Car accidents can cause a variety of injuries depending on the severity of the crash. One injury that some people suffer is whiplash. What many people are unaware of is that whiplash can cause neurological problems.
These problems can be put into two categories. The first is damage directly to the nerve root. It can be root irritation or encroachment and happens from herniated discs in the neck. The second neurological condition is referred pain. This condition may occur in conjunction with disc injuries, facet joint damage, or ligament damage.
If you suffer whiplash in a car accident or other incident, seek immediate medical attention. Once you are safe, contact Arash Law, founded by Arash Khorsandi, Esq., for a free case review.
We can work with you to assess how your whiplash injury can be compensated through a personal injury claim. Our California whiplash injury lawyers have decades of experience handling personal injury cases.
More Information About Neurological Conditions From Whiplash
To understand how whiplash can lead to neurological conditions, we must first understand how the neck functions. Facet joints are found in the back of your neck. They are on either side of your spine and provide flexibility to the spine. They also help with stability. These joints can suffer damage within milliseconds. They are often damaged during rear-end collisions. The facet joint can be damaged when it suffers from compression and overstretching in the neck.
Facet joint damage can cause sharp stabbing pain. It may also result in referred pain and spasms. You might experience these symptoms in your shoulder blades or upper back. If the damage occurs in the upper neck, it can lead to referred pain in the back of the head. This pain can lead to radiation headaches that can sometimes reach your forehead.
You may get a grade three injury classification if you suffer neurological symptoms from a whiplash injury. That means the injury will take at least a year or more to heal. It can also mean victims suffer chronic pain or disability. The degree of a whiplash injury may not be contingent on the accidentโs severity. Our California whiplash injury attorneys can discuss this classification with your medical team.
The Spine Institute of San Diego has conducted research that shows a personโs head can withstand up to 10 G-forces. A slight change of 5 mph can make a difference in these forces in a crash. Sometimes, crashes have little to no vehicle damage and still result in life-altering injuries. Further research by Yale University has found that joint, disc, and ligament damage can occur with G-forces ranging from 6.5 to 8.5.
Some insurance companies may view whiplash injuries as healing within six to twelve weeks. Many grade-one injuries heal within this timeframe. So the insurance company automatically classifies your injuries as grade one because they follow the MIST policy (minor impact soft tissue). This policy was implemented in the early 1990s by insurers. Even though there has been research regarding whiplash, insurers have not changed their policies.
Not all muscle strain injuries heal similarly or have the same designations. If your injury lasts longer than this timeframe, the insurance company may deny or reduce your claim. That is where our experienced car accident attorneys come in. If there is evidence showing that your injuries are more severe than what the insurance company initially assumed and require more extensive medical attention, we will present it during negotiations.
The legal process becomes contentious when an injury takes more than twelve weeks to heal. While many car accident victims recover within this timeframe, a significant number of others still suffer from chronic pain or disability. Depending on the doctorโs diagnosis, your whiplash injury may lead to long-term pain. Neck injury lawyers will consider these factors when assessing your claim.
Symptoms Of Nerve Damage After Whiplash
Symptoms of nerve damage will vary by severity for different individuals. If you experience numbness or tingling after a car accident, that may indicate nerve issues. You may also feel shooting or radiating pain, prickling, and muscle weakness. Car accidents are often associated with broken bones, bruises, cuts, and contusions.
What often happens is that the person suffers internal injuries. Since you cannot see these injuries, the insurance company may not recognize their presence. Visit an emergency room or a doctor to diagnose your injuries and get a better understanding of your treatment and future care. Doctors can typically see whether you have a severe injury like nerve damage.
The spine is where most nerve damage occurs. However, you may also experience damaged nerves in the arms. Many car accident injuries happen around the spine. These injuries must be addressed promptly. What can sometimes happen is that an injury is left untreated, and it gets worse.
Nerves can be compressed, pinched, or damaged. Some pinched nerves can resolve independently. However, seeking medical attention to get a treatment plan is usually preferred. A burning sensation, muscle spasms, and sensitivity can also be signs of nerve damage. Whenever you experience discomfort or pain, seek medical attention. Car accident lawyers often highlight the importance of getting a proper medical evaluation after suffering injuries in a collision.
Nerve Damage Diagnosis And Treatment
If you are taken from the scene, you will be assessed by emergency personnel. They will do a general assessment for any imminent injuries. However, you will likely have to follow up with your primary care physician or an orthopedic doctor. If it is suspected that you are suffering from nerve damage, an orthopedic physician can diagnose and treat it. Detecting nerve damage early is crucial for achieving successful outcomes. Not all nerve injuries will result in lifelong pain.
However, some nerve conditions are permanent regardless of how soon you get a diagnosis. An orthopedic doctor will perform a physical exam to assess your symptoms. They are looking at your strength, reflexes, coordination, and sensations. They will likely send you for imaging and neurological tests. In a neurological exam, they test your nerve function. They are also looking at the electrical activity in your muscles. They want to assess how your muscles react to stimuli.
A doctor may have an idea of what your condition is but will still need to send you in for images. They will likely recommend a CT or MRI. These tests can detect internal injuries. Once your doctor receives all of your tests, they can give you an accurate diagnosis. They will also have the basis for your treatment plan if you have nerve damage.
Nerve damage can require extensive and expensive medical treatment. Some injuries can heal with time, while others are long-lasting. Consider working with a California accident injury lawyer who has experience handling whiplash cases. They can help you pursue compensation for your treatments. We can build an evidence-based case that accounts for your current and future treatment costs.
Whiplash Symptoms
Whiplash symptoms for car accident victims will vary. You may experience one or multiple symptoms at the same time. They can also come and go. Some of the common symptoms include:
- Headaches โ If a joint, muscle, or nerve in the cervical spine is irritated, it can cause headaches. They can be very painful and cause other symptoms. Some are so debilitating that they prevent people from working.
- Neck Pain โ You can generally experience this pain in one spot or around your neck. It can also radiate to other nearby areas. When neck pain radiates, it can go into your shoulder, arm, or hands. Oftentimes, neck pain is caused by muscle strains or ligament sprains. It can also stem from nerve, disc, bone, or joint injuries.
- Neck Instability โ When soft tissues are stretched or torn, it can cause neck instability. Fractures are also another potential cause.
- Shoulder or Upper Back Pain โ Sometimes, when there is damage to soft tissues, the pain can radiate to your upper back or shoulders.
- Reduced Range of Motion โ A reduced range of motion can be caused by muscle tightening, pain, or a joint mechanical problem.
- Radiating Numbness, Weakness, or Tingling โ Cervical radiculopathy can happen when the neckโs nerve roots are inflamed or compressed. It can lead to tingling, weakness, and numbness. These symptoms can radiate to your shoulders, arms, hands, and fingers. Most often, the sensation is felt on one side of the body. However, it can also affect both sides if multiple nerve roots are damaged.
Pain can range from minor to severe. Sometimes the pain becomes so unbearable that it interferes with daily life. The impact your whiplash injury has on your life must be considered in your insurance claim. You must document your injuries and work closely with your doctors. You may also speak to our personal injury lawyers in California.
Additional Symptoms And Associated Disorders
We previously addressed some of the common symptoms of whiplash. However, you may also experience associated disorders and symptoms. These symptoms may present as:
- Dizziness โ You may experience dizziness if you have neck instability or a concussion.
- Emotional Changes โ Your mood can change and cause you to be anxious, irritable, or depressed. Pinpointing where it stems from can be challenging since it can be due to PTSD, concussions, neck injuries, or stress.
- Vision Problems โ Blurry vision and visual problems can happen from nerve damage or concussions and can also lead to dizziness.
- Fatigue โ If you suffer from depression, stress, nerve damage, pain, or difficulty sleeping, you will likely have less energy.
- Ringing in Your Ears โ This ringing is also known as tinnitus and can happen in one or both ears. It can happen occasionally or consistently. You may experience ear ringing because of a brain injury, jaw injury, stress, or nerve damage.
- Trouble Sleeping โ You may have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep because you are experiencing pain, discomfort, or distress.
- Problems With Memory or Concentration โ Whiplash can also impact your cognitive function. You may experience trouble thinking, as well as issues with your memory and concentration. Sometimes, this experience occurs following the accident. At other times, it may begin to show hours or days later. Stress or brain injuries can also lead to cognitive difficulties.
- Difficulty Swallowing or Chewing โ You can find it painful or difficult to swallow, yawn, or chew. It can be due to injuries to the esophagus, larynx, or jaw muscles.
Your doctor can advise you on the cause of these symptoms and suggest ways to alleviate them. The California personal injury lawyers at Arash Law can review your doctorโs recommendations and additional injuries you are suffering from. We will consider these injuries in a personal injury claim.
Potential Complications Of Whiplash
Whiplash has varying symptoms and ailments. The insurance company assumes that most people will feel better within a few weeks or a couple of months. That can be true for some. However, other whiplash victims will suffer complications or long-lasting whiplash. Your symptoms can last months or years. Generally speaking, if you had severe symptoms initially, then you may suffer chronic pain in the future. Intense initial symptoms might include:
- Radiating pain in the arms.
- Severe neck pain.
- Minimal range of motion.
Additionally, some risk factors may link to worse outcomes, such as:
- Having whiplash previously.
- Older age.
- High-speed injuries.
- Current low back or neck pain.
To determine how your whiplash injury will impact your life, follow your doctorโs orders. They will keep track of your progress. When you reach specific benchmarks, they can reassess your progress. If you have complications from whiplash, that can also affect the amount of compensation you may pursue. Lawyers who handle car accident cases can evaluate your situation.
The team of car accident lawyers familiar with handling whiplash injury cases will work with your medical team to determine when you reach maximum medical improvement. Reaching this point means you have recovered as much as possible based on your treatment plan. It also helps in identifying how much future medical care may be needed. All of this information can be used to estimate the potential value of your claim.
Treatment Options For Whiplash
You will have various treatment options depending on your injury severity and symptoms. Your doctors will review your diagnostic exams, symptoms, and health history to establish a treatment plan. You must be honest with your doctor about your symptoms and their duration. Some methods you can use to ease your whiplash symptoms include:
- Applying ice to your neck or getting a massage.
- Medication for pain and inflammation.
- Physical therapy to improve strength and flexibility.
- Wearing a cervical collar to stabilize your neck.
- Neck injections to reduce tissue and nerve inflammation.
You can also get rest, use sleep aids, and stay active. However, work with your doctor and follow their directions. You may require a surgical procedure if you have a severe whiplash injury. This is not medical advice, as your doctor is the only one who can guide you. If you need support in getting proper treatment for your whiplash, our car accident lawyers can help connect you with medical professionals who handle these types of injuries.
California car accident lawyers are also experienced in managing whiplash injury cases and guiding injured individuals throughout the legal process.
Contact Our Experienced Personal Injury Lawyers In California
Arash Law has been helping clients throughout California for decades. We understand how insurance companies operate and the challenges injured individuals may face when dealing with them. Our personal injury lawyers are dedicated to protecting the rights and interests of those we represent.
Call our team at (888) 488-1391 to schedule a free and confidential initial consultation.
