Car accident victims often leave the scene grateful that they don’t feel injured, only to wake up the next day in tremendous pain. In many instances, this pain is so intense that the victim cannot perform their job, and they may struggle to do crucial tasks like dressing, bathing and feeding themselves. If you recently had this experience, you may have suffered soft-tissue damage, commonly called whiplash.
Delayed pain injuries like whiplash do not cause much pain in victims at first, which is why it is always wise to get a full medical examination from a qualified doctor as soon as possible after an accident. A doctor can look closely for any injuries that you might not feel, diagnosing and treating them before they get worse. If your doctor finds injuries, they can give you medical documentation that is useful if you need to build a personal injury claim.
Whiplash is a temporary injury, but it is still a serious matter. If you can’t work, you may lose your income, and you may deserve compensation for these losses and most of your medical care. A strong personal injury claim can help protect your rights while you recover.
Whiplash can bring your life to a halt
Whiplash is a broad term that covers many different injuries to muscles throughout the body. Depending on the severity of the injury, a victim may feel stiffness and pain after a few minutes, or may not feel pain until the next day, after sleeping.
Many victims feel surprised and frightened when they wake up to find that they can’t move some portion of their body, or that movement takes great endurance. It is certainly unsettling to wake up this way after going to sleep assuming that you were not injured in an accident. While these injuries heal over time, they can last for many days or even weeks.
Some people suggest that whiplash is not a serious injury, or that victims are faking their pain. Those of us who have experienced whiplash in the past understand that the pain it causes can practically paralyze a victim, even if they seem perfectly fine at the scene of an accident.
Protecting your recovery
If you suffered whiplash injuries in a car accident, it is wise to seek professional medical care instead of simply waiting out the pain. If your injuries were the result of someone else’s actions or negligence, then you may have grounds for an injury claim. Seeking treatment quickly for your injures helps you heal more quickly and completely, and creates a strong basis for your claim. With a well-built legal strategy, you can rest assured that your rights are protected while you focus on healing from the injury.