Neck Pain After A Car Accident: Causes & Common Injuries

The term “whiplash” is commonly used to describe the range of neck injuries resulting from forceful and extreme snapping and jerking, akin to cracking a whip. However, before claiming whiplash from a car accident, consider consulting a personal injury lawyer, as this term has come to be associated with fake or exaggerated personal injury claims.

Whiplash-type injuries may be better addressed by their technical names, such as hyperextension or hyperflexion, a myofascial injury, neck sprain or strain, cervical strain or sprain and more.

Causes of Neck Pain After a Car Accident

The impact from a collision may expose the head and neck to sudden and rapid movements, especially while the body is restrained by a seatbelt, which can result in your neck taking the majority of the blunt force. Rear-end collisions are particularly likely to result in neck injuries.

Additionally, when you realize an accident is about to occur, the body’s natural response may be to tense up muscles. This actually increases the risk of injury, which may include muscle strain and damage to the ligaments, muscles, discs, nerves, joints, tendons or bones in your neck.

You may also experience neck pain or injury due to flying debris from inside or outside your vehicle.

It is critical to seek medical attention immediately following a car accident. If neck pain is not evaluated and treated by a physician or licensed medical professional, it could potentially lead to further injury and or chronic neck pain.

Neck Injury Symptoms After a Car Accident

Neck pain after a car accident can start immediately or have delayed onset in the hours or days following the crash. A neck injury could show up right away or become more present in the weeks or months afterward.

Symptoms may include:

• Neck pain and stiffness
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Shoulder, arm or back pain or stiffness
• Burning, prickling or tingling in neck, shoulders or arms

More severe neck and whiplash injuries may also be categorized by:

• Severe neck pain
• Limited range of motion
• Sleep disturbances
• Fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating
• Memory loss
• Cognitive and psychological difficulties

Your injuries may be more severe or result in greater complications if you wait too long to seek treatment, have had whiplash before, have existing low back or neck pain or if they are the result of a high-speed injury.

Neck pain could be a symptom of a large number of neck injuries that occur in car accidents. These may include:

• Neck sprain or strain
• Slipped or herniated disc in the cervical spine
• Pinched nerve(s)
• Stiff muscles and tendons
• Neck fracture or compression
• Facet joint injury
• Cuts and lacerations (both superficial and deep cuts, which can damage tendons and ligaments)

Since soft tissue injuries do not typically show up on diagnostic tests, x-rays and scans, neck pain and whiplash-type injuries can be difficult to prove. However, it is essential to your claim that your symptoms are connected to the incident in order to effectively seek fair and complete compensation for accident-related losses.

Get Medical Treatment for Neck Pain After a Car Accident

Immediately following a car accident, seek medical care — especially if you are experiencing neck pain and injury symptoms.

A physician will evaluate the extent of your injuries and may use X-rays, CT scans or MRI to check for damaged soft tissues that may not be apparent on the surface. They may also monitor you for symptoms of a concussion caused by injury or dysfunction in the neck.

A medical evaluation is important to treat any injuries you may have, including catching those that could continue to worsen without proper care. However, getting a clear and complete diagnosis of your neck injury is also a critical piece of evidence for any injury-related claims you make to an insurance adjuster or in a personal injury lawsuit. Producing detailed medical records that show the type and extent of the medical treatment you received after the car accident will support your claim in recovering your injury-related damages.

Once your car accident police report has been filed and you have been medically evaluated, you may consider filing a personal injury claim with the insurance adjusters.

Get Legal Representation

Before providing any statements on the record, it is a good idea to seek legal representation and advice from a qualified and experienced personal injury attorney. They can evaluate details of your case, negotiate with insurance companies and help protect your legal rights throughout the litigation process, as well as advocate for you to fully and completely recover any and all accident-caused losses.

Prepare an Insurance Claim or Personal Injury Lawsuit

You may be able to settle your case with the insurance adjusters, and a personal injury attorney can help ensure a settlement is complete and fair before you accept the terms. If it seems as though the other side is digging their heels in and is denying your claim(s), you may decide to pursue a personal injury lawsuit.

Every state has its own statute of limitations, which is the time limit to file a lawsuit based on the type and date of the incident. If you are unsure of your state’s statute of limitations and when your deadline is to file your car accident lawsuit, your attorney can make an evaluation based on the specific facts of your case.

To read more about car accident laws in different states, check out our florida guide.