How Long After a Car Accident can Whiplash Occur?

If you have ever been in a car accident, you may have sustained whiplash, which is a common injury. The symptoms of whiplash may not appear right away. Not treating a whiplash injury can have consequences, and it should be taken seriously.

What Causes Whiplash?

Whiplash is an injury to your neck, which may impact the muscles, nerves, discs, and ligaments. It occurs when your head is forced back and forth with force. For instance, a car accident may cause your head to “whip” back and forth, causing whiplash. While whiplash is a common injury in car accidents, it can also happen in physical altercations, on amusement park rides, and while playing sports. Movements causing a sudden and drastic change in speed can cause whiplash.

When do Whiplash Symptoms Appear?

There is no hard or fast rule on when symptoms of whiplash will first appear. It could take a few hours, days, or even longer for those symptoms to manifest. In the meantime, the person involved in the car accident may not even realize they have been injured. Everyone responds to trauma differently, and sometimes the condition can have a delayed onset.

Despite the possibility of whiplash taking days to develop, it sometimes causes symptoms to develop in the first 24 hours. A medical professional will be able to make a proper diagnosis if you are feeling pain or discomfort in the neck after a car accident.

Whiplash Symptoms

Soreness can be a symptom of a whiplash injury. Other symptoms include neck stiffness, reduced range of motion, shoulder/arm pain, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, muscle spasms, trouble sleeping or concentrating, fatigue, and ringing in the ears.

Not every case of whiplash will include a full range of symptoms, but if you notice any of the above symptoms, you should seek medical attention.

Diagnosing Whiplash

Your doctor will most likely order several tests to determine if you have whiplash in order to assess how serious it is. This could include a physical exam, x-rays, a CT scan, or an MRI. Your doctor may also encourage you to apply heat to your neck and use pain relievers. They may also prescribe massage techniques and chiropractic treatment to help alleviate symptoms.

Whiplash From a Car Accident? Call William Mattar.

Whiplash injuries can affect your ability to go about your daily life. Do you have medical bills stemming from treatment? Have you missed time from your job because you cannot work while suffering from whiplash? You may have a legal case. It may be worth speaking to an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your options. Serving Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, New York City, and Long Island. Contact our car accident attorneys now at (844) 444-4444.