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What Is the Most Common Neck Injury in a Car Accident?

What Is the Most Common Neck Injury in a Car AccidentThe most common neck injury in a car accident is a soft tissue injury. Doctors sometimes diagnose these as whiplash, neck sprains, or neck strains. They are injuries to the ligaments, tendons, muscles, and other tissues of the neck.  If you have symptoms of a neck injury following a crash, you should see a doctor for a thorough evaluation as soon as possible. If the other driver caused the collision, a Long Island car accident attorney will file a claim or lawsuit to recover the cost of this initial medical examination and related follow-up treatment, as well as your other costs.
Edward Friedman
REVIEWED BY Edward Friedman June 21, 2024
In This Article
Reading time: 5 minutes
  1. Understanding Whiplash Symptoms and Prognosis
  2. Recovering Money for Your Medical Care and Other Losses
  3. A Long Island Car Accident Attorney Will Handle Your Claim for You
  4. Act Quickly to Build the Most Robust Car Collision Case
  5. Friedman & Simon, L.L.P., Will Review Your Car Accident Options Today for Free

Understanding Whiplash Symptoms and Prognosis

Whiplash occurs after many types of collisions but is most common after a rear-end crash. It is the result of the head jerking back and forth or side to side during a collision. This happens because your seat belt, airbag, and other safety features hold your body in place, but your head can move around freely.  When your head moves beyond your neck’s usual range of motion, it can cause strain, sprain, tearing, and other damage to the muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and connective tissues of the neck, shoulders, and upper back.  Involved tissues and structures often include: 
  • The posterior cervical spine and related tissues
  • The anterior cervical spine and related tissues 
  • The trapezius muscles of the shoulders
Whiplash symptoms may occur quickly following the accident. Some people feel pain, stiffness, or a headache immediately. Others have no symptoms until hours later, the following morning, and sometimes, even as long as a few days after the accident. It is very important that you  doctor for an evaluation and diagnosis as soon as you have pain or other symptoms.  While most cases of whiplash heal with minimal treatment in a few weeks, this is not always true. Some people suffer chronic pain in their necks or upper backs, continuing headaches, memory concerns and fogginess, and a limited range of motion for an extended period or even the rest of their lives.  According to the Mayo Clinic, this is more likely for those who had severe symptoms right away, including:  
  • Severe neck pain
  • Very restricted range of motion
  • Pain that shoots down their arms
Those who have the most significantly impairing outcomes of this type of injury are more likely to have risk factors that include:
  • Having a previous whiplash diagnosis
  • Existing back injuries, even in another area of the spine
  • Advanced age
  • Higher-speed crashes
Sadly, we have seen many people who had more than one or even all of these risk factors. Their neck injury can be severe, extremely painful and create problems in all areas of their life. We believe that justice demands that such people receive the compensation they deserve from the careless and reckless party that caused the accident and, in turn, the resulting injury

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Recovering Money for Your Medical Care and Other Losses

Whiplash injuries can be challenging to document and prove. Soft tissue damage is not always evident on scans or other medical tests. The primary complaint is pain, which is hard to measure.  Still, if we ultimately have the privilege of representing you, we will leave no stone unturned in our effort to establish the severity of your neck injury and harm it has visited upon you in various areas of your life. You should be able to recover money to pay for your treatment and care, as well as other losses. This is possible through an insurance claim or car accident lawsuit. A Long Island car accident attorney for our firm will fight for those who have a case for financial recovery.  A whiplash claim could allow you to recover the following types of damages:
  • Medical assessment and treatment
  • Follow-up care, including medication and physical therapy
  • Lost wages and reduced ability to work if you develop chronic pain condition
  • Related expenses
  • Pain and suffering
  • Other intangible losses

A Long Island Car Accident Attorney Will Handle Your Claim for You

If you have a case against the driver who caused your Suffolk or Nassau County crash, a personal injury law firm will help you navigate the process and manage your claim from beginning to end. They will take steps that include: 
  • Identifying what happened
  • Proving who is liable
  • Gathering evidence
  • Valuing your case
  • Calling in experts as needed, including medical experts, vocational rehabilitation specialists, life-care planners, and economists
  • Fight relentlessly to win the best possible case result for you
They will also keep you updated about your case and answer any concerns you may have. By letting them handle this process, you will be free to focus on managing your pain, healing, and getting back to your previous activities. 

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Act Quickly to Build the Most Robust Car Collision Case

New York Civil Practice Laws & Rules § 214 limits how long you have to sue the driver who caused your Long Island crash and caused your whiplash. If the at-fault party was in the course of duties for a government agency, municipality, or public authority, the statute of limitations becomes significantly shorter, and the period for filing a notice of claim is even shorter. It is critically important to have an experienced personal injury lawyer review the facts of the case so you know what time period applies to your case.   There are other reasons why you should act as quickly as possible after an accident. Getting started on investigating what happened without delay gives your attorney time to build the strongest possible argument for compensation.  This is because some evidence is difficult or impossible to recover after time passes. For example, dashcam and surveillance video get recorded over, witnesses forget or are not found, and physical evidence washes away. 

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Friedman & Simon, L.L.P., Will Review Your Car Accident Options Today for Free

Talk to a team member from Friedman & Simon, L.L.P., about your case for free today. We offer complimentary consultations so that car accident victims learn about their rights and how to seek and secure financial recoveries based on their injuries. We meet people on Long Island or elsewhere in the greater New York metropolitan area to discuss legal options. Dial (516) 932-0400 to reach us today. Our team is ready to speak with you now.

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