The effects of a car accident can be more serious than you thought. Eventually, your neck may start hurting. So, you think about going to a doctor or speaking with a Toledo car accident attorney. However, you may still wonder if your injury is truly that serious.
Neck injuries are common after a car accident. If you sustained these injuries, you must not underestimate them. Similarly, you must not sign agreements with an insurer until you have understood the extent of your neck injuries.
Kinds of Neck Injuries Car Accident Victims May Sustain
Did you know that your neck is made up of various complex structures and parts? Your neck has muscles, ligaments, bones, blood vessels, arteries, nerves, and veins. After a car accident, victims can suffer from certain kinds of neck injuries that can be serious. A doctor will diagnose you based on your symptoms. The following are examples of neck injuries:
- Whiplash. Whiplash occurs when your head moves back and forth violently during impact. This impact puts too much strain on surrounding structures and results in the appearance of various symptoms.
- Neck strains. Neck muscles can be strained in a crash. These strains can be mild and resolved without medical intervention. But others can lead to severe muscle damage and further injury.
- Muscle spasms. Typically, neck muscle spasms result from an underlying injury such as nerve damage and whiplash.
- Injured discs. Due to the force of impact during a car accident, the discs or vertebrae within the spin can slip or rupture. Also, you can suffer from herniated discs, which can result in different issues in your neck and other body parts.
How Your Symptoms Can Develop
Injuries develop differently. For instance, a broken bone is an obvious injury due to the resulting pain and limited mobility. However, neck injuries may develop gradually. So, you may feel fine after a car accident only to experience more pronounced symptoms later.
Days or weeks after the accident, you may experience pain and other symptoms. Unfortunately, X-ray cannot diagnose a bulging or ruptured back disc. Usually, you will go to the ER, get an X-ray, and be diagnosed with a neck strain. But, after several months of pain, you may get an MRI and learn that you have a herniated disc.
If you have been experiencing some symptoms of a severe neck injury, contact a car accident lawyer for a legal consultation. Your attorney will determine if you have a viable case and explain your legal options.
