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Vehicle and Automobile Accidents

• Reducing The Impact of A Whiplash Injury
• Car Accident Injuries: Neck Pain
• Multi-Truck Accident in Susquehanna County Results in Hospitalization
• Repeat Offender Facing DUI Charges After Accident Lands Passenger in Hospital
• Driver Strikes Mother and Daughter in School Crossing Zone

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Reducing The Impact of A Whiplash Injury

If you have suffered whiplash injury, or luckily have avoided one so far, here is some advice to help you minimise any pain experienced.

A whiplash injury usually occurs when you are stationary or moving slowly in traffic. A vehicle from behind will collide with your vehicle and this causes your body to move backwards and forwards. In this process, your neck muscles are over extended and stretched. It is the fact that your neck stretches both forwards and backwards beyond its normal comfort zone that causes the muscles to stretch and tear leading to the whiplash injury. Whilst many people believe that there must be a significant speed for an injury to be sustained, the truth is that a whiplash injury can be caused even in relatively low speed accidents of a few miles per hour.

Prevention Is Better Than Cure

The first step you can take to reduce a whiplash injury takes place even before you are involved in a car accident. The correct positioning of the car head can make a substantial difference to the extent of any injury sustained. It really is as simple as a two minute injury, so please take the time to adjust your car headrest. The basic guide rule is that the top of your head rest should be no higher than the top of your head but at least as high as your eye level.

If you take the action to adjust your headrest correctly, it will do its best job in the event of an accident.

After An Accident

If you are subsequently involved in a car accident and suffer a whiplash injury, the symptoms you are likely to experience include pain and stiffness in the neck, back and shoulder, often along with dizziness and headaches. The first step is to attend Accident & Emergency or your General Practitioner for a full assessment to ensure that you have not sustained a more serious injury than a whiplash injury.

Even after initial assessment, if any of the symptoms continue, you should return for further assessment from your GP or the Accident & Emergency Department.

Movement Whereas it used to be the case that resting the neck was advised, usually you are not told to keep moving it so that it can return to normal as quickly as possible.

Painkillers If you are experiencing severe pain, your general practitioner is likely to prescribe painkillers to help you through the early days.

Treatment

If you have suffered a severe injury you may be advised to attend for physiotherapy or chiropractic treatment which can help to speed along the recovery process and to minimise the impact of the whiplash injury. You should attend for as long as possible and as soon after the accident as you can. Early treatment can be the difference between a quick and complete recovery or a longterm whiplash injury, so if you are recommended a course of 12 sessions you should not stop receiving the treatment because you think you are better. Taking the medical advice could prevent a relapse.

Claiming Whiplash Compensation

If you have suffered a whiplash injury, the final stage to aid recovery is to consider claiming compensation. Often it is not until a successful whiplash claim has been made that people feel that they can put the event behind them.