Not only is whiplash a legitimate injury, it can cause long-lasting pain and disability and people who experience whiplash often suffer from traumatic brain injury (TBI) as well. Whiplash is generally thought of as injury to the soft tissues in the neck, caused by the head and neck being suddenly forced to jerk backward and forward. Car accidents are the most common cause of whiplash. Symptoms may not be noticeable immediately after injury, and doctors do not always look for whiplash or accompanying TBI in accident victims.
Whiplash Neck Injuries
The medical term for whiplash is cervical acceleration-deceleration (CAD) syndrome. Whiplash can affect the ligaments, tendons, muscles, nerves, intervertebral joints and discs in the neck. Causing symptoms such as:
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Back and shoulder pain
- Tingling or burning pain in the neck, shoulders, and arms
- Numbness in the arm or hand
- Heaviness in the arms
- Difficulty chewing or swallowing
- Sleep disturbances
- Ringing ears
- Visual disturbances
Whiplash and TBI
The same acceleration-deceleration forces that cause whiplash neck injuries can cause brain injuries. People suffering from whiplash my not suspect that they are also suffering from TBI, especially if there was not blow to the head. The acceleration-deceleration forces can cause your brain to slam into the inside of your skull, causing concussion and they can cause twisting and stretching which causes widespread injury throughout the brain.
Whiplash can have very serious consequences. To learn more about compensation for whiplash injuries that were caused by someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing, please, contact an experienced injury attorney right away.