Car accidents are extremely common and the likelihood of an injury is always present. One of the most common injuries after a car accident is to your neck. Neck injuries can be very serious, painful, and permanent. It is normal to experience an injury to the neck due to the force of the impact. Interestingly, most of our female clients involved even in a minor car accident report some type of neck injury or neck pain. At St. Petersburg Personal Injury Attorneys McQuaid & Douglas, we specialize in car accident claims involving injuries to the neck and have a proven track record of success. If you are suffering from a neck injury after a car accident, we encourage you to contact us to discuss your medical treatment and your legal options.
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Symptoms of a Neck Injury
Neck injuries after a car accident can cause much more than just pain or stiffness. If untreated, neck injuries can affect all aspects of your daily life. It is important to know some of the symptoms of a neck injury as follows:
- jaw pain
- issues with range of motion, turning and bending of the neck.
- muscle tightness
- pain in the shoulder area or between the shoulders
- muscle spasms
- pain in the mid to lower back
- headaches
- fatigue
- dizziness or vertigo
- issues with vision including blurred vision
- problems in the ear, ringing in the ear called tinnitus
- nausea
- numbness in the limbs, especially the arms or fingers
- problems swallowing
- problems breathing properly
- swelling in the neck or throat
Types of Neck Injuries After a Car Accident
If you have been in a car accident and have injured your neck, injuries can be varied. However, there are certain injuries that are commonly seen. The symptoms as listed above are often caused from damage to the bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons that support the skeletal system. These common injuries are listed as follows:
Whiplash
When the head is moved suddenly in any direction, the cervical ligament at the base of the neck, the neck muscles, and connective tissue can all be damaged. This is commonly called whiplash, but there are other more specific medical terms that your doctor will likely use for purposes of the diagnosis. The term whiplash is an antiquated description of an injury.
Bone Fracture
If you have been involved in a high speed or violent collision, the force of that impact can actually fracture bones. While a broken bone in the neck is less common than a whiplash injury, they still occur.
Disc Injuries
The impact of any car crash can cause parts of your spinal structure to be damaged. This damage leads to the spine being out of place. Common injuries to the discs found between the vertebrae in your neck are slipped discs, ruptured discs, herniated discs, and bulging discs. If you have experienced a neck injury and were sent for an MRI by your doctor, you likely may see one of these injuries in the results of your diagnostic testing.
How to File a Claim for a Neck Injury
After a car accident, things get hectic. You have to deal with the damage to your car, perhaps losing time at work and are likely in constant pain. When you add into the equation constant calls from insurance adjusters, it can be overwhelming.
In order to set up a claim for your neck injury after a car accident, the insurance companies need to officially be placed on notice. This is part of our duties as car accident lawyers. We send off a letter of representation to your insurance company and the insurance company for the driver who caused the accident. Once this letter is received, the contact from the insurance companies comes through us. This can be a big relief for many stressed or injured clients.
We then monitor your treatment and consult with you about your options. One of the most important aspects of a neck injury claim is to keep track of the medical bills. If no one is keeping track of the bills, they can easily get out of hand. One of our job duties as car accident lawyers is to make sure the bills can be repaid out of the amount of insurance that is available. For example, you cannot run up $20,000 of medical bills if there is only $10,000 of insurance coverage. This is a common problem for many lawyers and clients who do not regularly communicate.
At the conclusion of the treatment, the car accident lawyer will then make a claim against the appropriate insurance policy. If a settlement can be achieved at this point, then the case concludes. If no settlement can be reached, we will then move to the next step of filing a lawsuit.
Contact a Car Accident Attorney
At St. Petersburg Personal Injury Attorneys McQuaid & Douglas, we have handled countless car accident cases involving neck injuries. We understand how difficult these injuries can be to you and your family. We handle each case with great attention to detail and compassion. We understand how important it is to recover compensation for your losses. If you have an injury, we are happy to meet to discuss your options. Our consultations are always free and we will travel to meet you if you do not have a car or other transportation.
