Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Whiplash and Rear End Collisions (Part A)
If you have experienced a whiplash injury after a rear end collision, you are not alone. This type of car accident is the most common way that people end up with whiplash injuries. A rear end collision typically occurs when a driver is following too closely to another car, and therefore, doesn’t have adequate time to apply brakes when the leading car comes to a halt.
Whiplash and Rear End Car Accidents
In rear end collisions, it’s not uncommon for the neck to behave like a boomerang. When your car was struck from behind, your neck flew forward and then jerked backwards. This action can result in muscle and ligament strains and pains.
Car Accident Injuries and Whiplash Symptoms
Whiplash symptoms, which usually start within 24 hours of the accident, can include:
- Neck stiffness
- Neck pain
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Aches between the shoulder blades
- Dizziness
In cases of minor whiplash, symptoms will typically subside relatively quickly, usually within a few days.
If your accident resulted in a more severe whiplash injury, your symptoms may include:
- Experiencing pain when lifting or moving your head
- Tingling in the arms
- Unexpected pain moving into the arms or shoulders
- Experiencing incontinence problems
Some accident victims may have neck pain and stiffness that appear to go away and then reoccur. This may also be an indication that you have a more severe case of whiplash.
Ideally, your doctor is working with you to address these serious neck injuries. If you haven’t contacted your physician, it would be in your best interest to seek medical treatment as soon as possible.
If the event that you file a Massachusetts car accident injury case because of your rear end collision, your medical records for your whiplash injury will be an important component of your claim.
Continue to Whiplash and Rear End Collisions (Part B) >>
