Whiplash is a neck injury that can occur after a car accident, physical abuse, amusement park rides, or playing very physical sports. It is caused by a sudden movement of the neck back and forth. Symptoms of whiplash may not appear until hours, days, or even weeks after the incident. The vast majority of symptoms of whiplash will appear within the first 24 hours, but some people don't experience any symptoms for the first few days.
It is important to recognize that the length of time a whiplash injury may last after a car accident may differ among people who have suffered from car accidents. Be sure to see a medical professional to definitely find out if you have whiplash. Symptoms usually appear within 24 hours after the incident that caused the whiplash. Sometimes symptoms may appear after a few days and can last several weeks.
If whiplash lasts longer than six months, it's usually called chronic whiplash and is treated with prescription pain relievers and ongoing physical therapy. If you or someone you know has suffered a whiplash due to someone else's negligence, you should contact the car accident lawyers at Powers & Santola, LLP in Albany. If you file an insurance claim for damages, the insurance company may reject it if you claim a whiplash injury far removed from when the accident occurred. If you or a loved one has suffered a whiplash injury in a Pennsylvania car accident, you may be eligible to receive compensation from responsible parties. Some people may think that whiplash injuries aren't serious enough for you to have a personal injury case after a car accident.
We can take steps to try to establish a link between the injury and the accident if you didn't see a doctor immediately after the accident. The Cleveland Clinic reports that between 12 and 50 percent of all whiplash victims continue to have neck pain for up to one year after the accident. It is crucial that people who have developed whiplash after an accident receive treatment from a medical professional. The person whose negligence caused your injury will likely claim that the whiplash occurred because of some other event and not because of the accident.