Approximately 869,000 car accident-related cervical spine injuries happen in the United States yearly. Injuries in the neck area are commonplace during car accidents because of the violent nature of car crashes and how the body behaves when a vehicle rapidly decelerates. 

What are the common causes of neck injury in a car accident? What do you do if someone sustains this kind of injury in an accident, and how can one get reimbursed for the medical expenses that surely follow? 

This article explains the causes of neck injuries in a car crash and how the whiplash effect can harm the body. It also tackles what to do after a car accident, especially when one sustains a neck injury. 

Furthermore, this write-up provides tips on ensuring damages get covered by an insurance company and what to do if filing a lawsuit is necessary to get compensation. 

If you need the help of a legal expert on car accidents, visit PersonalInjuryLawyerSearch.org. Our website provides a vast directory of lawyers and law firms with specializations, including car accidents. 

You only need to select your state and browse the hundreds of available listings. 

What Can Cause Neck Pain From an Auto Accident?

The leading cause of neck pain in a car accident is the sudden forward and backward neck jerk because of the sudden stop due to rapid deceleration. 

Your neck whips forward as your body gets jolted forward while strapped securely in your car seat with seatbelts. This jolt can damage the ligaments in your neck, including muscles, discs, joints, nerves, bones, and tendons. 

Aside from the whiplash, you can get hurt from debris that might get flung toward you during a collision. 

Areas of the Neck Affected by a Car Accident

When the neck moves beyond its usual range of motion, it can adversely affect the following tissues and structures:

• Posterior cervical spine
• Anterior cervical spine
• Trapezius muscles of the shoulders

Aside from spinal cord injuries, the neck has tendons, nerves, and ligaments that can get severely damaged due to the whiplash effect. 

Car Accident Neck Injury Symptoms

After a car accident, you may experience minor pain, stiffness, nausea, and pain. However, some common symptoms may not be apparent at the onset. There are cases where neck pain is delayed and may appear between two to four weeks after the accident. 

The following are symptoms of a neck injury you may experience after a car accident:

• Inability to move your neck from side to side
• Throbbing pain
• Headaches
• Heavy feeling in your neck area or head
• Nausea or dizziness
• Shooting pain
• Chills or fever
• Tenderness in the neck area or at the back of the skull
• Feeling overly tired
• Memory problems
• Muscle spasms
• Sleep problems
• Difficulty staying focused
• Anxiety, irritability, or depression
• Numbness in your arms
• Ringing in the ears and blurred vision

When Should You Be Worried About a Neck Injury?

You don’t need to worry because you can visit a doctor to check your injury. However, you may need immediate medical attention if there is chronic pain that doesn’t go away. Severe neck injuries need special attention if caused by a car accident. These injuries can be spine injuries that can lead to more serious conditions if not treated promptly by a medical professional. 

Common Neck Injury Risk Factors

Your neck is a vulnerable area of the body, but it’s still thick with muscles and quite strong. However, this body part may be compromised if you have the following risk factors: 

• A previous neck injury
• Trauma or injury caused by a previous high-speed crash
• Job conditions that require repetitive neck movement
• Poor posture in job workstations like working in front of a computer
• Already existing neck arthritis or pain
• Smoking
• Older age

What’s the Most Common Neck Injury After an Auto Accident?

One of the most common neck injuries that occurs after a car accident is injury in the affected area’s soft tissues. One of these injuries is due to whiplash. 

What Is Whiplash?

Whiplash results from the sudden jerk of the neck forward and back after a sudden acceleration or deceleration during a crash.

The severity of a whiplash injury is due to the possible damage it does to the nerves, tendons, and spine. A car accident can injure the cervical spine and the upper spine, which can result in what experts call “whiplash-associated disorders.” 

First responders and medics present at the accident scene take extra caution when victims of the incident have neck sprain or any symptoms of whiplash injuries and will do their best to confirm whether the sustained injury is severe. 

What Causes Whiplash?

In a car accident, whiplash injuries often occur in rear-end collisions, where the head is jolted violently as the car suddenly accelerates from the impact. The jolt results in soft-tissue damage, which may result in chronic neck pain. 

This type of neck injury doesn’t only happen solely in this violent event. Sudden changes in neck movement can also cause whiplash injuries, such as in sports accidents, falls, and other physical traumas.

Some whiplash injuries eventually heal in time, some without much therapy. However, there are instances where serious injuries in the neck area may lead to long-lasting problems that require rigorous physical therapy and specific whiplash treatment plans.

What Are the Types of Neck Injuries After a Car Accident?

Some studies have shown that rear-end collisions of five miles per hour can result in neck injuries. However, different types of neck injuries affect thousands of car accident victims in the United States. The following is a list of these injuries:

Cervical Spondylolisthesis

This injury involves one of your vertebrae or spinal bone sliding forward over another vertebra below it. This type of spinal injury commonly happens in the lower back area, but it can also occur in the neck. 

The sliding bone or vertebra can pressure or damage the spinal cord or other nerves in the spine. This injury can cause pain and weakness, which may worsen if not treated promptly. 

Slipped or Herniated Disc

Between the spinal cord or vertebrae are jelly-like structures called discs. These discs cushion the spine from external pressure. 

A herniated or slipped disc occurs when all or part of this disc slips into a crack in the spine. This jelly-like substance can leak into nearby nerves or the spinal cord, causing pressure and pain. 

Symptoms of slipped discs in your back may include the following:

• Sharp pain in one part of the body
• Numbness in other body parts
• Pain or numbness on the back of the calf or sole
• Weakness on the same affected body part, like the leg
• Pain when moving the neck near or over the scapula or shoulder blade
• Pain moving the upper arm, forearm, or fingers
• Numbness in the shoulder, elbow, fingers, and forearm

The following actions may trigger the pain caused by a herniated disc:

• Pain that starts after standing or sitting
• Pain at night
• Pain after sneezing, laughing, or coughing
• Pain when bending forward or back
• Pain after walking a short distance

Neck Sprain or Strain

A neck strain or sprain is an injury to the neck muscle or tendon. The injury typically happens when the tendons or muscles stretch beyond their elasticity, resulting in tears. Symptoms of this kind of injury depend on the size of the tear and its location. 

Medical practitioners typically use three grades to categorize the severity of neck sprains or strains. 

• Grade I: Injury involving partial tearing resulting in typically mild pain. 
• Grade II: Moderate neck strain involving more muscle fibers than grade I. People with this type of neck strain may experience muscle weakness and mild to moderate pain. 
• Grade III: The most severe neck sprain or strain. This injury typically causes severe pain due to a wholly torn muscle.

Pinched Nerve

Sometimes, tissues like a herniated disc or a vertebra slipped out of location can add pressure to the nerves in the neck area. This pressure on the nerve may result in pain, a tingling sensation, numbness, or weakness. 

A pinched nerve can happen in any area of the body. For instance, a pinched nerve in the hands can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. Likewise, pinched nerve injuries can occur in the neck area after a car accident, resulting in pain and discomfort. 

In many cases, pinched nerves often heal naturally. However, it’s best to talk with your doctor or physician, especially if the pain started after a car accident. In severe cases, doctors recommend surgery to relieve nerve pressure.

Stiff Muscles and Tendons

Stiffness happens when the muscles become tight and difficult to move, especially after resting. Neck injuries resulting from a car crash can cause soreness, pain, and stiffening. 

Aside from accidents, stiff muscles may result from a sprain or strain from other physical activities, infection, or, in some cases, a side effect of medication. Furthermore, stiffness often is accompanied by cramping and discomfort. 

Facet Joint Injury

A facet joint is a sliding joint located between each vertebrae pair. These joints control the vertebra’s movement and support each bone’s weight. The spinal cord can bend too far without facet joints and risk breaking. 

This critical joint can get damaged in a car accident, which may lead to severe complications. The jarring movements caused by the violent nature of a car crash can cause bodily compression, damaging one or more of these facet joints along the spinal cord. If not treated, this type of injury can cause severe problems, leading to immobility. 

Facet joint injuries may not fully manifest immediately after the accident. Still, with early diagnosis, this injury can be treated before it worsens. 

Neck Fracture or Compression

Compression fractures happen when the spine gets compressed and fractured, like the kinds seen in car accidents. The spine or upper back can get injured, resulting in pain and discomfort. 

Cuts and Lacerations

Debris, like shattered glass, and tiny fragments shattered by the collision may fly off and cut your skin, including the neck area, which is typically exposed. Sometimes, car accident victims sustain deep cuts or lacerations, which may need immediate medical attention. 

Muscle Spasms

A common injury people sustain in a car accident is muscle spasms. These spasms happen because the muscle sustains damage when flexing or stretching more than usual. In a whiplash injury, the neck muscles may get extended due to the movement of the neck. 

Unnatural muscle contractions can lead to muscles stiffening and shrinking to reduce movement. However, these contractions may lead to spasms, which may cause discomfort. 

How Long Neck Pain Lasts After an Accident

The duration of neck pains depends on the severity of the sustained injuries. There are cases where people don’t immediately feel the pain after an accident because of adrenaline. However, once the spike wears off, the pain starts, lasting from a few days to several weeks. 

The following symptoms may indicate a neck injury, which you may need to have checked by a physician. 

• Migraines or severe headaches
• Dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Nausea or vomiting
• Stillness and fatigue
• Numbness or tingling sensations in the arms

In most cases, neck injuries go away in a few weeks to a month, and the pain gradually subsides. However, if your neck injury symptoms don’t improve over time, you may need to see your doctor. 

Long-Term Effects of Neck Injuries

The common long-term effects of neck injuries like those caused by whiplash can be the following: 

• Chronic pain
• Stiffness in the shoulders and neck
• Ringing in the ears that either comes and goes or is constant
• Back pain (upper or lower)
• Severe headaches
• Jaw pain
• Blurry vision
• Numbness
• Sensory symptoms in the arms, hands, and legs
• Weakness
• Sleeping problems
• Memory problems
• Loss of concentration
• Permanent changes in personality

Note that most minor neck injury cases tend to heal in time. However, you should consult your doctor if you need additional medical attention, such as using pain medication or undergoing special treatment like chiropractic therapy. 

Common Damages From a Car Accident

Aside from the bodily injuries you may have sustained during a car accident, you may incur other damages that you can use to file a personal injury claim. 

There are many examples of damages one can get from a car accident. In some states like Georgia, people can categorize these damages into two. Note that different states may differ in their definition of damages and categories. 

Special Damages

In personal injury claims, special damages are costs or expenses resulting from an accident that can be determined. Examples of special damages may include:

• Vehicle repair costs for damages resulting from a car accident
• Medical bills of the victims
• Further medical treatment
• Lost wages
• Prescription medication cost
• Lost earning capacity

These examples of special damages can be determined because they have receipts and exact amounts one can calculate. 

If you’re claiming special damages, you must prove all of these damages to file a claim. It’s best to talk to your personal injury lawyer, or if you don’t have one, contact a law firm or lawyers specializing in personal injury cases and hire one. 

General Damages

General damages refer to losses sustained by an accident victim that can’t be easily determined because these costs don’t have a clear price. Unlike special damages, these damages don’t have a receipt or bills you can calculate. 

General damages don’t involve actual financial loss but things that cost the victim and may adversely change their life. Examples of general damages are the following:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of companionship or consortium
• Loss of quality of life
• Disfigurement or permanent impairment

When Should You See a Doctor?

After an accident, it’s best that you see a doctor and have a complete check-up. In some cases, insurance companies require policyholders to visit a doctor at a specific time after an accident before they can file a claim.

Also, some insurance providers require victims of an accident to see a doctor before they receive their personal injury protection (PIP) benefits.

Personal injury protection or PIP is a no-fault insurance that helps cover the expenses that result from a car accident, like medical bills, loss of wages, and, in serious cases, funeral costs. 

In some states, you may need to be checked by a doctor within 72 hours and 14 days after the accident. You must comply with this requirement, as it can help speed up the approval of your insurance claim. 

A lawyer will be beneficial if you need someone to help you manage your personal injury claim while focusing on your medical needs. 

After a Car Accident: Neck Pain Diagnosis

You should go to a doctor immediately after a car crash. Even if the accident is just a fender-bender, any rapid deceleration of a moving vehicle can have a toll on your body. 

Common diagnostic equipment used for car accident victims are Computed Tomography or CT scans, X-rays, and magnetic resonance imaging or MRI. These diagnostic types of equipment can check for soft tissue damage and damages that are not physically visible.

How Is Whiplash Diagnosed?

Your doctor may have a different diagnostic flow or procedure in determining whether you have a whiplash injury. However, doctors will do a physical examination first and check whether you can do the following:

• Full range of movement in the affected area
• Pain in a particular degree of motion in the affected area
• Tenderness in an affected area
• The range of reflexes and sensations in the affected body part

Suppose the doctor deems it necessary to peer further. In that case, they may prescribe different diagnostic imaging tests like CT scans, X-rays, and MRIs. 

What Are the Complications of a Whiplash Injury?

A severe neck injury, like a whiplash, if left unchecked and untreated, can lead to more serious conditions that can adversely affect your quality of life. Examples of severe whiplash injury complications are the following: 

• Severe neck pain
• Reduction in range of motion of a body part
• Pain that spreads to other parts of the body

Often, people with whiplash injuries feel better within a few days or weeks. Most don’t have any long-term effects from the injury. However, there are instances where the pain doesn’t subside even after months. 

One can easily predict the outcome of any injury from the onset, which is why seeking a doctor’s advice is crucial. 

How Do You Treat Neck Pains After an Auto Accident?

Immediately after an accident, don’t take matters into your own hands and treat yourself or other victims of the accident if you’re not a medically licensed professional. 

Wrongful treatment can be much worse than the accident itself. Rely on the aid provided by the first responders and medical personnel who will be at the accident scene after your initial 911 call. 

Find a Reputable, Quality Pain Specialist

Find a reputable and qualified pain specialist once you’re out of the accident scene and away from immediate danger. A pain specialist is a doctor specializing in pain relief.

It’s best if you find a quality pain clinic for your pain. Some doctors provide holistic, non-invasive treatments, while some focus on prescribed medication. 

You need to look for a reputable specialist and someone compassionate. Remember to check whether the specialists you prefer are:

• Qualified and trained
• Have many positive reviews from people
• Have good recommendations from friends or other family members

Surgical Treatment Options

Sometimes, surgical treatment may be necessary. If this is the case, many options can be used to resolve your severe neck injuries. The following are options your doctor may recommend to treat your injuries.

• Kyphoplasty: A procedure typically performed to resolve fractured spine vertebrae. 
• Microdiscectomy: A surgical procedure to remove a bone spur or disc.
• Fusion surgery: A process that fuses discs to stabilize the neck area.
• Robotic spine surgery: A surgical process to treat lumbar stenosis or a spinal canal narrowing in your lower back. 

Nonsurgical Treatment Options

For injuries that don’t need surgery, doctors may rely on nonsurgical treatment options used to resolve neck injuries caused by car accidents. 

These procedures aim to relieve neck pain and resolve the injury so it won’t worsen. The following are some nonsurgical treatment options specifically for neck injuries: 

• Applying ice to a painful area
• Following up with moist heat application after the swelling subsides
• Using pain relievers upon the recommendation of a doctor
• Using anti-inflammatory medications prescribed by your doctor
• Use of neck braces or collars
• Chiropractic therapy
• Physical therapy
• Spinal cord stimulator
• Epidural steroid injections (ESI)
• Radiofrequency ablation (FRA)
• Face and medial branch blocks

How Do You Treat Whiplash?

After your initial check-up with your doctor, you can do the following methods to treat your whiplash injuries. Note that it’s best to consult first with your physician before following any of the recommendations enumerated in this list. 

Stay Active

You can slowly recover from a whiplash injury by staying active and exercising. With your physician’s advice, you can continue your normal activities as much as possible. In most cases, not being active may prolong your recovery. 

Adapt Your Activities

You may need to adjust how you move your neck to allow the injury to heal. Adapting your activities to your situation is crucial so you won’t exert undue pressure on your neck. You may need to reduce your chores, physical activity, or other strenuous activities. 

Try an Ice Pack

You can use an ice pack to ease the pain from your neck injuries, especially when it comes and goes. You can apply an ice pack for up to 20 minutes after the injury. You can buy an ice pack kit or use things from your freezer, like a bag of peas wrapped in a towel to avoid cold burns. 

Consider Your Posture

You should always be aware of neck and spine injuries and follow the correct posture for recovery. You need to keep your back straight when standing, sitting, or walking to avoid stiffness or pain development. 

If you’re working behind a desk, it’s best to move around occasionally, maintaining good posture as you walk to avoid stiffness. You can also add back support to help improve your posture. 

Physiotherapy

You can get additional help to regain the movement of your neck through physiotherapy. This therapy uses gentle exercises, massages, and manipulations to help restore your body’s maximum range of motion after an injury. Psychotherapists can also teach you the different exercises that don’t cause any damage or pressure to your neck. 

See Your Doctor or Pharmacist

In the end, you must see your doctor when you have any injuries, seek their advice or recommendations, and their prescription if medication is required. It’s always best to consult a medical practitioner for concerns like neck injuries due to a car accident. 

Don’t Rely on Self-Healing of the Neck Pain

Always be cautious about any self-healing tips you may get from anyone, including advice online. Neck injuries are no simple matter. These injuries require qualified professionals trained to treat damage in a sensitive area. 

Other Small Lifestyle Tips

Here are some tips to remember when recuperating from a neck injury from a car accident. 

• Sleep on your back instead of on your side
• Use two or three pillows to support your sleep
• Don’t make sudden movements in your neck
• Avoid placing your mobile phone between your shoulder and head

What Should You Avoid When You Have Whiplash?

While recuperating, neck injuries can dramatically affect your activities. Here are some activities that might be better avoided when you have whiplash injuries from a car accident. 

1. Driving: Your time on the road requires full concentration and presence of mind. Any sharp pain or discomfort can reduce your concentration, which may lead to an accident. 
   
   Likewise, it’s best not to drive after taking medication, like pain relievers that make you drowsy. You can be violating the law if you’re driving while impaired due to the medication. 
   
   
2. Wearing braces for too long: A neck brace can protect your neck from injury and prevent it from moving too much. However, wearing it more than is needed can result in dependency, which can lead to slow recovery. 

3. Lying around too much: Too much rest can also slow down your recovery. You need a balance of physical activity and rest. Too much of anything can cause problems for you. 

4. Doing too much: Don’t do anything too much during your recovery. You shouldn’t exert too much on any activity that can strain your neck. 

5. Not seeking therapy: Not seeking therapy for neck injuries can lead to severe problems. Some injuries are not readily apparent, which may lead to severe complications if not treated promptly. So, it’s always best to seek therapy when needed, especially if advised by a physician. 

Proving Neck Pain After a Car Accident

Soft tissue injuries like those involved in neck injuries may not appear on diagnostic tests immediately. As a result, these kinds of injuries may be hard to prove, especially if you’re filing an insurance claim or demanding compensation through a lawsuit against the driver at fault. 

However, it doesn’t mean you can prove these car accident injuries. You only need to connect your injuries to the accident and provide proof to approve your claim. 

Get Medical Treatment for Neck Pain After a Car Accident

You can get a medical evaluation immediately after a car accident. You can get a licensed medical practitioner’s advice, opinion, and determination that will link your injuries to the accident. However, you may need to seek a doctor at a specific time frame after an accident. 

If you’re unsure about the time limit given to you by an insurance company on when to go to a doctor, talk to an experienced personal injury lawyer. 

Insurance Companies Try to Minimize Your Financial Recovery for Your Neck Injuries

Sprains, whiplash injuries, and strains in the neck area don’t appear immediately on diagnostic scans from X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs. 

As a result, insurance companies will treat most neck injuries due to car accidents with a grain of salt. Insurance companies sometimes resort to the following tactics when dealing with neck injury claims.

• Persuading or pressuring accident victims to accept a settlement immediately after an accident
• Accusing accident victims of faking injury claims or exaggerating their injuries to get more compensation
• Asking an accident victim about their condition, and if they say, “I’m fine or I feel good,” they will use those statements to dispute their claims afterward
• Delaying a car accident investigation to stall the claims process
• Placing the liability for the accident to the accident victim filing an insurance claim
• Seeking ways or using investigators to find evidence contradicting a claimant’s statement
• Monitoring the social media profile of a claimant
• Questioning the claimant to get answers that can be used against the claimant to disprove a claim 

What Steps Should You Take After a Car Accident to Protect Your Legal Rights to Compensation?

A car accident victim must get the right compensation and insurance coverage they deserve. However, because insurance companies tend to seek continued profit for their company, approving a payout tends to be a tedious and rigorous process. 

This problem is more apparent when the claimant doesn’t have the needed evidence or the legal knowledge of how the insurance claims process works. 

Get Legal Representation

When dealing with an insurance claim, it’s best that you have the help of a personal injury lawyer to help you navigate this legal process. 

You can visit PersonalInjuryLawyerSearch.org and check out a list of law firms and legal professionals in a nationwide online directory. 

Understand Your Legal Rights After Suffering Neck Injuries in a Car Accident

If you’re a car accident victim, you should know your legal rights and assert those rights whenever needed. As a victim, you can file an insurance claim from your insurance company or seek compensation from a driver at fault. 

You may need the help of a legal expert to assert these rights, especially as other parties may counter your claims and charges. 

How to Recover Money for Your Medical Care and Other Losses

Through the help of your personal injury lawyer, you can recover the money you’ve paid for your medical care and other losses. The following are the types of damages that you can get compensated for.

• Medical and treatment bills
• Follow-up care bills
• Medication
• Physical therapy
• Lost wages due to inability to work after the accident
• Pain and suffering
• Other intangible losses

Prepare an Insurance Claim or Personal Injury Lawsuit

Ensure that before you accept any terms or settlement, you have worked with your personal injury attorney to check if everything you agree to is fair. You can file a personal injury lawsuit against other parties if the people responsible for the accident are uncooperative or deny your claims. 

However, filing a personal injury lawsuit has a specific time limit when the court accepts such a case or statute of limitations, which may differ between states. Your personal injury lawyer will know these limitations and ensure you file your injury lawsuit promptly. 

If you need a personal injury lawyer, visit PersonalInjuryLawyerSearch.org and access our vast directory of law firms, lawyers, and attorneys ready to help you in your personal injury cases. 

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. How can I prevent whiplash?

You can prevent whiplash using the following precautionary methods:

• Use an active head restraint system, which automatically moves the headrest pillow in the case of a rear-end crash. The rest moves up to catch the head as it whips back to reduce the whiplash.
• Observe correct sitting posture and position.
• Follow the two-second rule when driving. This rule means keeping a safe distance from the next car and not tailgating.   

2. Should I go to the ER for neck pain after a car accident?

If you feel pain in the upper back or neck after a car accident, you must seek medical attention when given the chance. Furthermore, if you’re experiencing pain in the head or at the place of injury, don’t hesitate to go to the hospital’s emergency room (ER). 

3. How can whiplash be proven?

You need to submit the necessary documents to an insurance adjuster or the person assigned by an insurance company to investigate insurance claims from policyholders. 

You’ll need a medical diagnosis that proves you have whiplash injuries due to the car accident. A personal injury lawyer or attorney can assist you in gathering these documents to support your claims. 

4. Is it worth suing for whiplash after an auto accident?

Yes, it’s worth it, especially if the driver at fault isn’t cooperating with you or disputing your innocence in the car crash and blaming you for the accident. 

Another reason for you to file a lawsuit is when your insurance company can’t cover all of the damages caused by the accident, and you need further compensation from the driver who caused the accident. 

References

1. Whiplash (Neck Strain)
   https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/11982-whiplash
   
2. Whiplash
   https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/whiplash/symptoms-causes/syc-20378921
   
3. Spondylolisthesis
   https://www.ohsu.edu/spine-center/spondylolisthesis
   
4. Herniated Disk (Slipped, Ruptured or Bulging Disk)
   https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12768-herniated-disk
   
5. Pinched nerve
   https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pinched-nerve/symptoms-causes/syc-20354746
   
6. What Are Special Damages? Definition & Examples
   https://www.forbes.com/advisor/legal/personal-injury/special-damages/
   
7. What Are General Damages? Definition & Examples
   https://www.forbes.com/advisor/legal/personal-injury/general-damages/
   
8. Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
   https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/lumbar-spinal-stenosis
   
9. Neck Pain After A Car Accident: Causes & Common Injuries
   https://www.forbes.com/advisor/legal/auto-accident/neck-pain-after-car-accident/