If you do not know what a whiplash injury is, it is a type of neck injury which occurs due to a sudden movement of the neck, either forward, backward or sideways. When the soft tissues of our neck get sprained, that injury is called a whiplash injury. The common causes of whiplash injuries are due to a car accident, a physical assault in which a person is badly shaken or jolted and sometimes even because of contact sports such as football. Whiplash is not an injury that is not curable, but it involves a lot of pain. On many occasions, people take these types of injuries very lightly, but in reality, it has a drastic impact on your lifestyle, which is not good for your health.
- The Symptoms
The symptoms of whiplash are really difficult to ignore. Sometimes it may take a few days for one to experience whiplash. It includes numbness, pains in arms and shoulders, difficulty in moving neck, irritability due to ringing of ears, vision blurriness, depression, insomnia and headaches that can’t be tolerated at all. If one confronts from any of these symptoms, especially including the neck pains, do consult medical assistance immediately because the faster you treat yourself, the faster you will get relieved from all the pain.
- Treatment Plans
If the doctor has prescribed a treatment plan for the patient, then he should follow it carefully. Though during that treatment course, one might have to travel to insurance companies, attorneys, or juries. A whiplash injury can also be caused by home remedies which include ice packs, painkillers, or ointments and other types of drugs that should be prescribed by a doctor only, use a neck brace or collar to support the neck and apply a moist heat, but after few days of icing.
- Recovery Time
The recovery time always depends on how serious is the whiplash injury. Most cases are resolved in a few days whilst other cases take 2 to 3 weeks to recover. Until the recovery time, you should know that the impact of a whiplash injury on your lifestyle will be drastic. If you play contact sports then it is even worse for you as you cannot play that until you fully recover from the injury. If you want to treat yourself in the fastest way, physical exercises are the best. Remember that the exercises you conduct should be consulted by a doctor or a physician.
- Prevention
No one can prevent sudden road accidents, but you can exercise daily to make your neck and back muscles stronger. People who sit in the same position the whole day should take a break and stretch their back or neck.
- Insurance Claim
When filing an insurance claim, you should always stick to the facts and do not try to give opinions. Many people make a mistake of telling the insurance company about their pains and severity of their injury, you should just have to tell them that you are receiving medical treatment, and that’s it. Admitting the faults should be on your not-to-do list, and if the insurer tells you to undergo a medical examination by their physician, do not admit it, as the physician will be in the favor of the insurer only. All of these points will prevent you from receiving less compensation.
- Collection of Evidence
All types of medical information should be collected. Your medical statements before the accident and after the accident too. The test results should also be collected, as they show about the diagnostic test after the whiplash injury and your recovery from the injury. Never throw the bills and receipts you pay for the bills, the insurance company always need those bills as written proof.
- Legal Assistance
Manage to seek legal assistance from a lawyer which will help you negotiate your case, and the lawyer will also fill all the obligations from the insurance company. The lawyer will also help you file a case against the insurance company if they do not make a fair payment to you.
The above mentioned tips might help you recover from the whiplash injury, which is due to a car accident. Stay safe and healthy!
