Neck pain is a common symptom following a car crash. The violent nature of many accidents will force the head to whip around, stretching or tearing soft tissue in the neck. In violent accidents, the bones in the neck can even crack or be pushed out of alignment. Go to the hospital immediately to receive medical treatment. Some car accident neck injuries are potentially life-threatening, while others can lead to long-term disability.
A Warner Robins, GA car accident lawyer at Griffin Law Firm, P.C., can help anyone struggling with neck pain. We can review whether you can submit an insurance claim or sue personally for compensation.
Causes of Car Accident Neck Pain
Neck pain is often the result of the head whipping back and forth in the moments after a crash.
Although a seat belt will restrain a motorist’s chest, their head is free to move around and is only limited by the soft tissue and vertebrae.
In other cases, a neck injury stems from the steering wheel or dashboard slamming into the neck. This is a traumatic injury.
Neck injuries are common in a variety of car wrecks, including rear-end collisions, rollovers, and T-bone accidents. Injuries tend to be more serious in high-speed collisions, but even a crash at a slower speed can lead to a painful injury.
Common Neck Injuries
If you feel neck pain following a car accident, go to the hospital immediately. A doctor can order imaging tests to see the extent of any injury.
Whiplash
Whiplash affects the soft tissues in the neck and upper back. A motorist can suffer whiplash when their head snaps back and forth or to the side. The violent movement stretches the soft tissue to the point that ligaments, tendons, or muscles might tear.
Whiplash has common symptoms:
- Headaches
- Neck stiffness
- Blurred or double vision
- Sleep interruption
- Dizziness
- Numbness or tingling in the arms
- Pain in the neck
- Memory problems
If you experience neck pain following a car accident, you could have whiplash. Treatment typically involves managing pain and immobilizing the head, at least temporarily. Over time, an injured victim can work to reintroduce movement and strengthen their neck muscles. Although whiplash is often seen as “minor,” many people cannot work due to the pain.
Bulging or Herniated Discs
The vertebrae in the neck are called cervical vertebrae. In between are discs that provide cushion and allow a person to tip their chin up or down without pain. Unfortunately, a violent accident can damage these discs.
The disc might get pushed out of alignment, or the disc could be torn, with the softer inner material extruding out. If you experience neck pain following a car accident, you might have a damaged disc.
This injury often requires conservative treatment to reduce swelling. However, serious injuries often require injections and even surgery. Some of the most common herniated disc treatments include:
- Epidural Steroid Injections (ESI): Epidural steroid injections are administered near the nerve root to reduce inflammation, swelling, and nerve irritation to reduce pain and promote healing.
- Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections (PRP): PRP injections involve removing the platelet-rich plasma from the patient’s blood and injecting it near the herniated or bulging disc to promote healing and reduce the pain.
- Microdisectomy Surgery: This is a spinal surgery to remove the lamina (root of spinal canal) to increase the space around the nerves.
- Spinal Fusion Surgery: This spine surgery removes the damaged disc and permanently joins two or more vertebrae together to eliminate the motion between the vertebrae. The goal of this procedure is to relieve pain and provide stability to the spine.
- Artificial Disc Replacement: This spinal surgery replaces the damaged disc in the neck and back with an artificial disc to relieve pain, create stability and preserve range of motion.
Cervical Fractures
A cervical fracture is a break in any of the seven cervical vertebrae. A fracture can lead to instability in the spine. If a piece of bone breaks off, then it can press against a nerve or cut into the spinal cord.
Treatment depends on the break. Typically, doctors immobilize the neck to keep the fracture from worsening. Surgery is sometimes necessary to put the vertebrae back into alignment.
Pinched Nerve
A bone fragment or muscle could press on a nerve, leading to constant pain. The pain will continue until the compression is relieved, which could require surgery. When left unaddressed, the pinched nerve can cause the death of the nerve.
Facet Injury/Facet Syndrome
Facet joints are small joints near the vertebrae which aid in movement. A car accident can injure the facet joints, which can increase instability in the neck. A person might need their neck immobilized so the vertebrae do not shift. When the facet ligaments are stretched or torn, conservative treatment often does not relieve the pain.
How are facet injuries diagnosed?
- Physical Exam: Doctors often perform a physical exam and look for tenderness over the facet joints, range of motion limitations, and pain from facet loading tests.
- Pain Pattern Analysis: Facet pain is often described as deep, aching pain in the neck or back that worsens with extension and rotation.
- MRI Scans: Magnetic resonance imaging can find facet capsule tears, joint effusion (fluid), facet ligament damage, and disc herniations.
The most common treatment plan for facet injuries, also known as facet syndrome, include:
- Medical Branch Blocks: Medial branch block are injected near the medial branch nerves that supply the facet joints to provide temporary pain relief and to locate the facet joint that is causing the pain.
- Facet Joint Injections: Fact joint injections are done to diagnose which facet ligament is damaged and to provide temporary pain relief.
- Radiofrequency Ablations (RFA): RFA procedures burn the nerve that is sending the pain signal from the damaged facet ligament.
- Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections: PRP injections inject platelet-rich plasma that is removed from the patient’s own blood and injected to promote healing of the torn facet ligament.
Displaced Vertebrae
This is one of the most serious injuries a motorist can suffer. One or more vertebrae could be forced out of alignment. This type of injury will likely compress the spinal cord, leading to paralysis.
A displaced vertebra could slice into the spinal cord, leading to long-lasting impairment and disability. A serious accident might leave a person paralyzed in all four limbs, which is called tetraplegia or quadriplegia.
An injured victim will likely need emergency surgery to relieve the compression and stabilize the neck. Ongoing treatment can include physical therapy to help strengthen muscles.
Can You Receive Compensation for Car Accident Neck Pain?
Neck pain often leads to considerable income loss. Few people can go to work when it is painful to turn their head or tip their chin up or down. Our legal team can seek financial compensation for any lost income caused by a car accident, including lost benefits.
We can also seek damages for other economic losses, like medical bills, car repairs, or rental costs. Our firm can also negotiate for pain and suffering compensation.
Car accident neck pain can disrupt your sleep schedule and lead to anxiety, depression, or irritability. A settlement should also include compensation for non-economic losses like mental anguish or distress.
There are some limitations on settlements, including the defendant’s resources. Some drivers only have the state’s minimum car insurance, which is currently $25,000 for bodily injuries to one person. In addition to neck injuries, our clients often struggle with concussions and other painful conditions. They deserve compensation for all damages.
Another limitation is a victim’s own negligence. In Georgia, you can receive a smaller settlement if you are partially to blame for the crash that resulted in a neck injury.
Speak with a Car Accident Lawyer in Warner Robins, GA
Griffin Law Firm, P.C., is an established firm that has tackled many different accident claims for people in the 31088 zip code. If you were hurt in a rollover, sideswipe, or other accident, you should call our office. We can review the evidence to reconstruct who is to blame. Then we can negotiate a settlement with the at-fault driver or their insurer. Contact us to schedule a consultation with a member of our office.