You may think that most of the car accident victims that we work with here at Kirshenbaum & Kirshenbaum, Attorneys At Law, Inc. have suffered major injuries. If your car accident only resulted in minor problems such as whiplash, you may feel as though you don’t need any assistance. However, even relatively minor car accidents can cause serious issues. While you may think of your whiplash as a small problem, it can easily leave you needing lifelong medical care.
At first glance, whiplash may not seem like such a big deal. You may even be in the kind of accident that’s known to cause it and feel no immediate effects. However, it’s not uncommon for the searing neck and head pain associated with whiplash to show up hours or even days afterward.
You may think that such pain can easily be treated with ice and painkillers. However, the muscle strain that causes whiplash will often not be localized to just your neck. The shearing and straining can continue down your spine, causing persistent back pain. If left untreated, whiplash could contribute to disc deterioration, as well as the development of arthritis. In fact, according to information shared by TruckingInfo.net, as many as 60 percent of whiplash victims require long-term medical care for their pain, while 10 percent may become permanently disabled.
Another frightening aspect of whiplash is how easily it occurs. Many car accidents that cause whiplash involve vehicles colliding at less than 12 mph. While that may surprise you, consider that the threshold speed at which neck injuries can occur is only 5 mph. Knowing this may call into question your decision to not seek help following a minor car accident.
