Injuries from car accidents are a common occurrence in Spokane. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, in 2014 a car accident occurred every five minutes, a person was injured in a crash every eleven minutes, and a person was killed in a crash every nineteen hours.

Car accident injuries vary from mild to serious depending upon the severity of the crash. The most common injury associated with motor vehicle accidents, particularly from rear-end collisions, is whiplash, also known as neck pain or cervical sprain.

Whiplash can be extremely painful, disrupting daily activities and affecting your day-to-day life. Consulting a Spokane whiplash lawyer from Craig Swapp & Associates is your best course of action if you are suffering from a neck strain injury and want to seek financial damages.

 

What Is Whiplash?

The impact from a car accident can cause your neck to whip back and forth abruptly, causing the neck muscles to stretch beyond their normal range. Whiplash is the most common type of soft-tissue injury, occurring most often to drivers and passengers involved in rear-end collisions.

Regardless of the type of car accident, a crash does not need to happen at high speeds for a whiplash injury to result. A low-speed crash can also force the neck back and forth, straining the neck and causing whiplash.

 

Common Symptoms of Whiplash After a Car Accident

Following a Spokane car accident, it can be a challenge to diagnose whiplash and other neck soft-tissue damage. The pain may appear immediately after the accident, or it may show up days later and gradually worsen over time. Pain from whiplash may last for weeks, months, or be long term.

The painful symptoms of whiplash include the following:

  • Neck stiffness and tightness
  • Increased pain with neck movement
  • Decreased range of motion in the neck
  • Headaches and migraines
  • Tenderness or pain in the arms, upper back, and shoulders
  • Tingling or numbness in the arms
  • Dizziness and fatigue
  • Difficulty concentrating

Treatment may include immobilization of the neck with a brace or cervical collar, range-of-motion and physical therapy, muscle relaxants, and massage therapy. In severe cases of whiplash injuries, where muscle or ligament damage is extensive, cervical traction and even surgery may be necessary.

The medical expenses that result from whiplash can leave you in serious debt—and that doesn’t even take into account the pain and suffering you experience. However, if the car accident wasn’t your fault, you have the option to seek compensation from those responsible.

 

How We Can Help You with Your Whiplash Injury

Neck strains and sprains may cause pain and suffering affecting your everyday life, resulting in lost wages and extensive medical bills. A Spokane whiplash lawyer from Craig Swapp & Associates can help you recover the compensation you deserve for your injury.

The attorneys at Craig Swapp & Associates represent neck injury victims across the state of Washington who suffered their injuries due to the negligence of another. With our experience and resources, we will fight for your rights. For a free case consultation and evaluation, call us at 1-800-404-9000 or fill out the form at the bottom of this page.