Whiplash Injuries and Minnesota Car Accidents

Whiplash injuries are one of the most common types of injuries we see in our Minnesota personal injury practice. Whiplash is most commonly caused by a rear-end car accident. Whiplash is also known as a hyperextension/hyperflexion injury.

Whiplash is a neck injury that often occurs as the result of a rear-end auto collision, when your head suddenly moves backward, then forward. The extreme forces involved in an auto collision can push your neck muscles and ligaments beyond their normal range of motion. Whiplash can be relatively minor or it can be more severe.

Most whiplash symptoms develop within 24 hours after the injury, and often include:

• Neck pain and stiffness
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Fatigue

Some people also experience:

• Difficulty concentrating
• Memory problems
• Sleep disturbances
• Ringing in the ears
• Irritability

You should seek medical care promptly if:

• The pain spreads to your shoulders or arms
• Moving your head becomes painful
• You experience numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arms

Many people recover from mild whiplash injuries within a few weeks, but up to half of people who suffer a whiplash injury continue to have pain for months after the injury.

When you see your doctor, he or she will probably ask how the injury occurred, and he or she may test your range of motion, or how far you can move your neck in various directions. He or she may also check to see if certain areas of your neck are particularly tender to touch. To rule out neurological deficits, your doctor may also check for diminished muscle strength, reflex abnormalities, or numbness. To rule out more serious injuries, your doctor may also order x-rays, a CT-scan, or an MRI.

Whiplash is commonly treated with:

• Medications, such as over-the-counter pain killers, prescription pain-relievers, injections, or muscle relaxers
• Physical therapy, including ice, heat, ultrasound, strengthening, and exercises
• Or, chiropractic care, massage, acupuncture, and electrical muscle stimulation.

For more information , visit the Mayo Clinic’s page about whiplash injuries.

Whiplash can be extremely painful, it can limit your ability work, and it can interfere with your ability to do things you enjoy doing. Unfortunately, insurance companies consider whiplash injuries to be very minor injuries. Your No-Fault insurance company will almost invariably seek to discontinue your entitlement to medical expense benefits if you’ve sustained a whiplash injury, and the at-fault party’s insurance company will almost always view these types of injuries as minimal.

If you’ve sustained injuries in a car accident as the result of someone else’s fault, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, your wage loss, and your pain and suffering. For a free, no-obligation with one of our Minnesota personal injury attorneys, call Meuser & Associate at 877-746-5680 or click here to send us an email.