What Happens if You Leave Whiplash Untreated?

One of the most common injuries sustained in a car accident is whiplash. Whiplash is caused by your neck being stretched too far in one direction. Our necks aren’t built to be rotated or stretched too far. When this happens, it can be very painful.

The good news is that whiplash isn’t permanent. It usually goes away within a few days or weeks. In very rare cases, the symptoms might persist for a few months. However, eventually, it does go away.

The bad news is that there really isn’t any treatment for whiplash. This means that there’s not much your doctor can do. There are a few treatments for the symptoms of whiplash – however, these things don’t cure whiplash. They only reduce the symptoms. Some of these treatments include:

• Foam collar
• Medication
• Trigger point injections
• Chiropractic care

The treatment for whiplash is short-term. The goal is to get you back to normal as soon as possible. Thankfully, the symptoms of whiplash shouldn’t really last that long.

Your car wreck lawyer in Texas will make sure that your claim includes the medical bills caused by your whiplash. However, claims that involve only whiplash are rarely worth more than a few thousand dollars.

What are the Side Effects of Whiplash?

If you suffer whiplash, you’ll probably know within a few hours. The adrenaline from your car crash may mask the symptoms for a little while. However, most people who suffer whiplash experience the following symptoms:

• Headaches
• Pain in the neck and shoulders
• Limited range of motion
• Neck stiffness

It’s important that you seek medical treatment immediately after your car accident in Texas. Describe your symptoms to the emergency room doctor. Since whiplash doesn’t show up on MRI, x-rays or CT scans, they can be hard to diagnose.

Your doctor should be able to tell from your symptoms whether you have whiplash or not. Because it’s almost impossible to prove, a lot of defense lawyers deny that you’ve been injured. Since you can’t really prove you have the injury, they may deny your claim.

Regardless of how severe your symptoms, you do want to get your whiplash treated. Any injury, if left untreated, can only get worse.

What are the Long-Term Effects of Whiplash?

If you don’t get your whiplash treated, you’ll start to develop long-term medical issues. Most of these can be painful. Others are just an inconvenience. This is why it’s important that you always go to the hospital immediately after your accident.

If left untreated, whiplash can cause the following long-term medical issues:

• Stiffness in the neck
• Permanent damage to your joints and muscles
• Ringing in the ears
• Dizziness and feeling faint
• Pain and swelling
• Limited range of motion
• Headaches, usually at the base of your neck

While some of these issues can be resolved with continued medical care, you shouldn’t let it get to this point. If treated properly, you can avoid these issues. However, if you don’t have a doctor review your injuries, you won’t even know you’re hurt. This will make it impossible to get the treatment you need.

Your car wreck lawyer in Texas will make sure your continued medical treatment is documented. This way, they can demand that you be compensated for any out-of-pocket medical bills.

What Kind of Damages are You Entitled To?

If you suffer whiplash in your car accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Most cases involve more than just whiplash injuries. Usually, you’ll suffer multiple injuries in your crash. However, there are some claims for just whiplash.

Keep in mind, since whiplash does eventually heal itself, you won’t be entitled to the same kind of compensation as other more serious injuries. For example, a back injury or head injury will typically entitle you to a lot more than a whiplash claim.

Your Texas auto accident attorney will demand the following:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Property damage to your vehicle
• Pain and suffering

Most whiplash claims don’t involve a lot of pain and suffering. While painful, whiplash is not the kind of injury that juries award pain and suffering for. Your attorney will do their best to get you as much as possible. However, most whiplash claims settle for less than $5,000.

Contact an Experienced Car Wreck Lawyer in Texas

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, you should contact a car wreck lawyer in Texas. Your lawyer will review your case and see what kind of injuries you suffered. If your claim is based solely on whiplash, they’ll do their best to settle it quickly. Whiplash cases aren’t really worth going to trial over.

Call Brent Coon & Associates today and schedule your initial consultation. It’s absolutely free and you pay nothing until you settle your case.