OUTLINE OF WHIPLASH SYMPTOMS FOLLOWING AN ACCIDENT

Whiplash symptoms typically appear within 24 hours of injury although it is not unusual for symptoms to take days or occasionally weeks to become evident. Whiplash is most commonly received from riding in a car that is struck form behind, or collides with another vehicle. When the head is suddenly jerked back and forth, the muscles and ligaments supporting the spine can be over-stretched or torn. The discs between the vertebrae can bulge, tear, or rupture. Vertebrae can be forced out of their normal position and the spinal cord and nerve roots can become stretched or irritated.

Injuries vary because there are so many things that change from accident to accident including the direction the person was facing, their age, the amount of warning or state of preparedness, the health of their bones, muscles, ligaments and discs, the direction of impact and the speeds involved. Unfortunately wearing a seat-belt has little effect on whiplash injury protection however headrests which offer some protection in the hyper-extension aspect of the injury do assist in reducing injury.

Most people who suffer from this injury have painful symptoms that include:

• Headache where the pain may be on one side or both, intermittent or constant, in one area or more general caused by tensing of the muscles and pressure on the nerves as a result of the injury.
• Shoulder pain often radiating down the back of the neck into the shoulder blade area.
• Burning pain, prickling or tingling caused by muscle tears.
• Sharp neck pain, when certain movements are made caused by disc damage which includes tears or bulging, often radiating into the arms, hand and fingers.

Other whiplash symptoms include:

• Neck pain or stiffness
• Blurred vision
• Difficulty swallowing
• Irritability
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Pain between the shoulder blades
• Pain in the arms or legs
• Headache
• Low back pain
• Shoulder pain
• Nausea
• Ringing in the ears
• Vertigo
• Numbness and tingling
• Pain in the jaw or face

Whiplash symptoms may be delayed in their onset especially if the person who suffered from the effects of the whiplash was unaware of any injury at the time of the accident. Even a slight jolt to the neck can result in problems becoming apparent at a later date as a result of damage to vital nerves, muscles, and blood vessels that are located in the neck. A normal neck can withstand a forward motion of 50 times the force of gravity before producing an injury, however only 5 times the force of gravity can be tolerated for a backward rebound motion. It is quite common for there to be no discomfort immediately after an accident but if the vertebrae are misaligned after a jolt, it may take some time before the irritation of the nerves caused by the misalignment becomes severe enough to produce symptoms.

If you would like free advice on no win no fee compensation claims then just complete the whiplash symptoms report form and a solicitor who is a member of The Law Society panel of personal injury experts will telephone you.