Whiplash is an injury that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Just like a concussion, it is an injury that has a way of getting worse without treatment. Victims of whiplash should reach out to professionals that are ready to serve injured crash victims. Your proactive approach to this condition can pay off for personal health, and financially.
1. What Causes Whiplash?
A rapid back and forth movement of your neck or head causes whiplash. The motion that causes the injury strains tendons, ligaments and other muscles in the surrounding area. A serious case of whiplash can be responsible for problems with the cervical discs.
2. Dealing with A Neck Brace
Just because a person has whiplash, it doesn’t mean that they should wear a brace. Sometimes a brace is required, but not all of the time. Your neck has a chance of becoming sorer due to the restriction of a neck brace. The only person that will be able to make that call is a doctor.
3. Delayed Symptoms
Just like a concussion, you may have suffered a whiplash incident and not realize it. The effects can develop instantly, or within 24 hours. In some cases, you may not realize the full damage until weeks after the incident.
4. A Hard Impact Is Not Required
Accidents that cause whiplash can happen at low speeds, and are the most frequent cause. It’s possible to get whiplash in an accident where both cars are going less than 10 MPH.
5. How Safe Is Your Car?
A good seat or headrest will minimize whiplash. This is one of the things checked when giving out ratings for a vehicle’s safety. Instead of looking at the entire score as a whole, look at how good the headrest performs.
6. The Size Difference
Vehicle size doesn’t matter when it comes to auto incidents. A small car can just as easily rear end a truck to cause whiplash. Also, visual damage is not always present on the car that was hit.
7. Schedule an Appointment ASAP
Millions of people suffering from whiplash ignore the symptoms. By ignoring the condition, you may also miss out on other underlying conditions. The end result is lifelong soreness, while the worst of it is never feeling the same again.
8. Whiplash From Non-Auto Incidents
You can get whiplash playing sports or by enjoying your favorite hobby. In some instance, the injury can happen during work hours. An on the job injury is another reason victims should never ignore whiplash symptoms.
9. Your Insurance Doesn’t Automatically Go Up
Worries about a rise in insurance costs is one of the reasons consumers don’t report whiplash injuries. You don’t get an automatic rise in your insurance by being the victim of an accident. Whiplash is one of the many things that can help your case, so hiding it will only weaken your defense.
10. Home Remedies
Skipping the doctor to fix the problem yourself is a bad idea. Home remedies don’t leave a paper trail, and whiplash may not be your only injury. For financial and health reasons, whiplash sufferers should always seek professional help.
Wrap Up
The statistics surrounding whiplash don’t lie, and the issues are hard to ignore. Stay on top of this serious injury so that you’re never surprised by the fallout. Car crashes are hard to avoid, but what you do after is always a personal choice.
