Whiplash – an invisible Personal Injury

Not all of the injuries you suffer in an accident are obvious. The force of a crash can throw your head and neck forward in ways they are not designed to move. This strain on your neck area is called whiplash. This is one of the most common injuries people suffer in automobile accidents. Recognizing it and treating it quickly can help you avoid even more serious problems over time.

Common Symptoms of Whiplash

When you suffer a whiplash injury, some of the symptoms are subtle. You might feel soreness in your neck or shoulders, headaches, or increased tiredness. You can also hear ringing in your ears and feel numbness or tingling in your hands or arms. You might have a concussion.

As a natural response to an accident, your body produces adrenaline to help you push through. This sometimes means that you do not feel pain in the moment or even for a day or two after your accident. For this reason, the fact that you may not feel discomfort initially does not mean that these injuries did not result from the accident.

What to Do

After you have reported your accident to the police, the first thing you need to do is seek medical attention. Talk through your symptoms and describe the accident to your physician, who should provide a thorough examination. This is critical to not only identifying the injuries you may have suffered, but also to getting treatment to ensure those injuries do not get worse.

Make sure to keep all of your documentation as well. It does not take long after an accident to start to forget some of the details, and the effects of whiplash can make that even worse. Take notes, and retain a copy of your medical files. This can help supplement any memory lapses you have.

Finally, after you have received treatment, contact an experienced accident attorney. In Madison, Wisconsin, Eisenberg Law Offices can provide the representation you need for your whiplash and other injuries after an accident.