If you haven’t been in a driving accident, consider yourself very lucky. According to the National Highway Traffic Administration, car accidents happen every minute of the day. In fact, summed up on a yearly basis, there are 5.25 million driving accidents per year.

Unfortunately, injuries ranging from minor to severe are very common, and one common injury often brings many people ongoing, debilitating trouble following an accident. Be aware of soft tissue injuries and whiplash.

What is Whiplash?

Whiplash is pain in the neck, shoulders, head or the base of the skull that occurs as a result of a motor vehicle accident. It can result in soft tissue injuries, neck injuries and back injuries. Many patients who suffer from it recover in a few weeks, but 15-20% of patients develop chronic pain.

Many believe that whiplash is no big deal, but that simply isn’t the case. Only 70% recover completely after one year and only 82% have recovered completely from the tissue, back or neck injuries within two years. With stats like these, it is important to understand the severity of the injury.

Symptoms.

Neck pain and stiffness
Shoulder pain and stiffness
Jaw pain
Arm pain
Back pain
Sleep problems
Poor concentration
Poor memory
Blurry vision
Ringing in the ears
Fatigue
Weakness

What you need to know.

These types of injuries can happen at speeds as low as ten miles per hour.
Whiplash is often associated with neck fractures – a cause of spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injuries are the source of 6,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.
Car accidents aren’t the only cause. These injuries can also happen in contact sports, falls, collisions, or diving into a lake, pool or off a cliff.
There are over 1 million people hurt by whiplash in car accidents every year in the United States, and more than $30 billion is spent on these injuries.
See a doctor following a vehicle accident, especially if you have any of the above mentioned symptoms.

Have you been in a car accident and believe you have suffered back, neck or soft tissue injuries? When someone is injured in a car or motor vehicle accident, someone is typically legally responsible. It doesn’t matter if it was a high speed or low speed injury, one of our personal injury attorneys can review your case and help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact us today.

Photo Courtesy of Phil Gradwell/Flickr