If you’re involved in a motor vehicle accident, you might suffer whiplash. This is especially true if your vehicle was rear-ended or side-impacted.
Hundreds of thousands of people in North America suffer whiplash each year. It’s a general term used to describe bony and/or soft-tissue injuries caused by rapid acceleration-deceleration. The most common symptoms are neck pain, headaches and shoulder pain.
Unfortunately, whiplash is often misunderstood. Here are a few common whiplash myths:
Common Whiplash Myth #1:
It’s probably just a neck sprain – just wait and see if the pain goes away. In many cases, a collision will lead to only a sprain. The injury might or might not simply heal on its own. But don’t just wait and see what happens. If you’ve been in a collision, see a doctor immediately. This can help you avoid causing additional damage to your neck area. And if you do end up with ongoing medical issues, a medical examination shortly after the accident will help support your claim. Documenting your initial diagnosis and ongoing treatment is an essential part of ensuring a successful personal injury claim.
Common Whiplash Myth #2:
If you don’t feel pain right away, you’re probably fine. This is not always true. It can take a day or more for symptoms such as neck and shoulder pain to occur. This is why it’s so important to see a doctor right away if you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident.
Common Whiplash Myth #3:
If it was a low-speed collision (or vehicle damage is minimal), whiplash is less likely. There is no evidence that the severity of a neck injury is tied to the extent of vehicle damage.
These are just a few of the common myths about whiplash. If you have any questions about injury claims, please contact me.
