Minimizing your injuries is a typical thing after a car accident. People, when they don’t seem to be obviously hurt, tend to ignore the need to seek medical attention and avoid high bills. That might seem like a good idea at that time, but ignoring medical attention after a car accident can be a really big mistake. This especially applies if you suffer severe whiplash.

Whiplash is probably the most common injury we can experience in a car accident and the majority of people think that this is a minor injury from which we can recover pretty easily. Now, this might be true for most cases, but if it’s a severe case it can cause years of pain and discomfort.

When our head gets jerked front and back suddenly and with great amount of force, we call this whiplash. This jerking can stretch our neck muscles and tendons and in severe cases, it can also injure your spine. Suffering from whiplash is usually followed by:

• Neck pain
• Feeling dizzy
• Blurry vision
• Trouble concentrating
• Headache
• Jaw pain

Not all of these symptoms develop all at once and some might even take weeks to manifest. Because of this, you might feel that you’re totally fine after the accident. But what appears to be a sore neck, might end up being something severe.

Complications after a severe whiplash

If you suffered a minor whiplash, you will most likely recover from it if you take care of yourself. But those that suffer severe whiplash might feel pain for years without any relief in sight.

If you suffered neck injuries in the past or you’re an elderly person, you are at particular risk of developing serious complications from whiplash. We’ve all heard stories where people claim they suffered whiplash only to get a bigger insurance settlement, but the reality is that the consequences of whiplash can be really difficult to manage and live with, including:

• Chronic headache
• Spine damage
• Constant soreness
• Vertigo or dizziness
• Nerve damage and stiffened neck

These symptoms can be persistent even after you had proper medical guidance and therapy. Sometimes, the pain can be so severe that you can find it hard to move your neck without experiencing severe pain. This can all impact our ability to function and work normally. We can minimize these symptoms with medication and physical therapy, and that’s why seeking medical attention after a car accident is so important.

After a car accident

After a car accident, no matter how small you think your injuries are, you need to make sure that you seek medical attention as soon as possible. Even if your injuries aren’t so severe, it’s important to be sure and alleviate all doubts and fears.

Furthermore, we highly recommend that you don’t settle with the at-fault insurance company too quickly. Some of these symptoms take time to develop, and they know this. So they will urge you to strike a deal as quickly as possible so they could compensate you as little as possible. Instead of settling with an insurance company, we recommend that you consult with the personal injury lawyer who knows the entire system inside and out and can provide the best guidance on how to handle these type of cases.