As Springfield personal injury attorneys are all too aware, one of the most common consequences of a car crash is a whiplash injury. This painful and debilitating personal injury happens as a result of a sudden acceleration-deceleration force, that is usually the result of certain types of auto accidents.
The various expenses connected to whiplash are estimated at up to $30 billion a year, including the cost of medical treatment, disability payments, lost productivity and last but not least, litigation.
The most common scenario for a whiplash injury is a rear end collision. Frequently, the car the victim is in is not even moving, and is suddenly struck from behind. Studies using sophisticated crash dummies have determined that after the rear impact the lower bones in the neck are forced into a position called hyperextension while the upper bones in the neck are in a hyperflexed position. This creates an abnormal S-shape in the cervical spine. Ouch!
If you have been in a car accident in Springfield, Nixa, Ozark, Branson or any other Missouri city or county, you might not notice any neck pain at first. Springfield car crash lawyers are well aware that symptoms of whiplash may not show up for 24 hours or more after the initial crash. If you have whiplash, these symptoms will show up within the first few days after the injury:
• Neck pain and stiffness
• Headaches
• Low back pain
• Pain or numbness in the arm and/or hand
• Dizziness
• Ringing in the ears or blurred vision