After the shock and chaos of a car accident, you might feel a sense of relief if you can walk away seemingly unharmed. But what if that initial feeling of being “fine” gives way to a nagging neck pain a day or two later? This is a classic sign of whiplash, one of the most common yet frequently dismissed injuries in a car crash.
Too many people in Wisconsin make the mistake of ignoring that neck pain, hoping it will just go away. This can be a serious error. An untreated whiplash injury can lead to chronic pain and other long-term health problems that can affect your quality of life for years to come. If you are experiencing neck pain after an accident, it is important to seek medical care and to understand your legal rights. The attorneys at Fitzpatrick, Skemp & Butler, LLC can help you do both.
The Hidden Injury: Understanding Whiplash
Whiplash is not a disease or a pre-existing condition. It is a specific type of neck injury caused by the rapid, back-and-forth jerking of the head that happens in a car accident. This violent motion, most common in rear-end collisions, can stretch and tear the delicate muscles, ligaments, and tendons in the neck.
The Deceptive Delay in Symptoms
One of the trickiest aspects of whiplash is that you might not feel it right away. This delay is a normal physiological response. The adrenaline that floods your system during a traumatic event like a car crash is a powerful painkiller. It is only after this adrenaline wears off, sometimes hours or even days later, that the pain and stiffness from the underlying soft tissue damage begin to emerge.
As inflammation sets in, you may start to notice a range of symptoms, including:
- Pain and stiffness in the neck
- Headaches that often start at the base of the skull
- Pain that radiates into the shoulders, arms, or upper back
- Dizziness or a feeling of being off-balance
- Tingling or numbness in the arms
- Fatigue and difficulty concentrating
If you experience any of these symptoms after an accident, no matter how minor the crash seemed, it is a sign that you need to see a doctor.
The Long-Term Risks of an Untreated Neck Injury
Failing to get proper medical treatment for a whiplash injury can have serious consequences. What starts as a sore neck can develop into a chronic and debilitating condition.
- Long-term problems associated with untreated whiplash include:
- Chronic Pain: Many people who do not get treatment for whiplash end up with persistent neck and shoulder pain that can last for years.
- Loss of Mobility: As the damaged tissues heal with scar tissue, you can lose flexibility and range of motion in your neck, making it difficult to turn your head.
- Accelerated Spinal Degeneration: The trauma of a whiplash injury can speed up the natural aging process of the spine, leading to premature degenerative disc disease and arthritis in the neck.
Fighting for Fair Compensation for Your Whiplash Claim
Because whiplash is a soft tissue injury that does not show up on an X-ray, insurance companies often try to deny or downplay these claims. They may argue that you are exaggerating your pain or that your injury is not serious. This is why having an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side is so important.
If another driver’s negligence caused your injury, you have the right to be compensated for all of your losses. This includes:
- The cost of your medical treatment, including doctor visits, physical therapy, and medication
- Any wages you lost because you were unable to work
- The pain and suffering you have endured
How Fitzpatrick, Skemp & Butler, LLC Can Make a Difference
At Fitzpatrick, Skemp & Butler, LLC, we know that a whiplash injury is a serious matter that can have a profound impact on your life. We take these cases seriously, and we fight to make sure that insurance companies do too.
Our attorneys will help you get the medical care you need and will meticulously document your injuries and your recovery process. We will gather all the evidence necessary to build a strong claim and will handle all the negotiations with the insurance company. Our goal is to take the legal burden off your shoulders so you can focus on healing.
If you are dealing with neck pain after a car accident in Wisconsin, do not make the mistake of trying to tough it out. Contact us today for a free consultation. Let us help you protect your health and your right to fair compensation. You will not pay us anything unless we win your case.