Whiplash, Concussion, and Other Common Car Accident Injury Types

Although some injuries are more common than others, there are many car accident injury types. Whiplash and concussion are injuries that many auto accident victims suffer. These injuries may not be immediately apparent and can be very dangerous. Oftentimes hours or even days may pass before a car accident victim knows that he or she is injured.

Concussions & Other Head Injuries

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), a concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury or TBI. Any traumatic brain injury disrupts the normal function of the brain. A TBI results from a blow, bump, or jolt to the head. Contact with an object is not necessary. Auto accidents frequently cause concussions and other head injuries.

Symptoms of a concussion or other TBI may be physical, behavioral, or cognitive. They may include nausea, headaches, confusion, or even problems with speech. One dangerous characteristic of a TBI is that the injury may not be immediately apparent. Yet a head injury can cause serious long-term — and even life-long — damage, or even result in death within a short time.

The driver and the passengers in a vehicle can receive a concussion in any accident that involves a collision or sudden stop. Especially if small children are in an accident, you must be alert for any changes in behavior that could indicate head injuries. The best approach for any serious accident is to immediately get a full medical evaluation for everyone in the vehicle to ensure there are no unidentified or unobvious injuries like a concussion or head injury.

If you have a concussion, it’s extremely important to follow your doctor’s instructions until you fully recover. The adverse effects of a head injury may not be apparent until hours, days, or weeks after an accident. But these injuries can be very serious and even life-threatening.

After any type of car accident injury, it’s important to talk with an experienced personal injury lawyer if another person may be at fault for the accident. You should never talk with an at-fault party’s insurance company. Doing so could hurt your ability to collect payment for your injuries.

Whiplash Injuries

Whiplash is a soft tissue injury affecting the victim’s neck. This type of injury results from the forceful, rapid back and forth movement of the victim’s head, neck, and torso. Whiplash is a non-medical term that gets its name because the rapid and forceful movement can be compared to the cracking of a whip. Like head injuries, whiplash is not always immediately apparent after an accident. The most common symptoms include neck and shoulder pain, along with headaches, nausea, blurred vision, or numbness. If these symptoms appear at any time after an auto accident, you should immediately get medical attention.

Any type of car accident can cause whiplash, even one that does not involve high rates of speed. Whiplash is especially common in a rear-end collision. Whiplash can affect a driver and passengers in a vehicle.

Getting an immediate medical evaluation is extremely important both for your treatment and for a potential legal claim. Only a medical professional can diagnose injuries like whiplash, concussion, and other head and neck injuries. Getting a diagnosis, documenting your pain and symptoms, and receiving treatment at the earliest possible time are critical.

Recovery of full compensation for whiplash injuries requires the skill and knowledge of an experienced personal injury lawyer. Insurance companies are notorious for undervaluing whiplash claims or for attempting to downplay the seriousness of your pain. It is never a good idea to talk with the insurance company of the driver who may be responsible for your accident. The insurance company’s goal is to pay you as little as possible, or even nothing at all. Talking to the adjuster can jeopardize your ability to recover compensation.

Other Common Car Accident Injury Types

TBI, concussions and whiplash are just some of the many common car accident injuries. Broken bones, back injuries, and internal injuries also frequently result from an auto collision. All of these injuries can cause long-term or permanent damage and disability.

Back injuries, including spinal cord damage, are very complicated, as are many kinds of internal injuries. Symptoms may not manifest immediately after an accident, which makes these injuries extremely dangerous. If you’re in a serious accident as a driver or passenger, getting a full medical evaluation immediately after the accident is extremely important, even if you don’t feel like you suffered injuries.

Securing full compensation for car accident injuries requires a detailed investigation into the accident, as well as an understanding of your medical history. Completing those tasks requires the right experience. Our Kansas personal injury attorneys at Sloan Law Firm have the skill and knowledge to evaluate and analyze all aspects of your accident and injuries, no matter what the nature of the injuries you received.

Schedule a Consultation With Our Kansas Car Accident Injury Lawyers

From our offices in Topeka and Lawrence, our experienced personal injury attorneys assist clients throughout Kansas, with compensation claims resulting from auto accidents. We also help families who lose a loved one in an accident recover for a wrongful death claim. We invite you to contact us by calling (785) 357-6311 or using our online contact form.