Understanding Whiplash and Other Common Car Crash Injuries

What is Whiplash?

By a vast majority, whiplash is likely the most commonly experienced symptom by individuals who have been involved in a car crash of some type. Despite this fact, there are many who are unsure of whether whiplash is really a medical condition. This is because it is not a proper term that is used by medical doctors, and this creates confusion regarding the actual meaning of the term.
We at Siegfried & Jensen are here to tell you that whiplash as the result of a vehicle accident is very real. In reality, the term has been in existence since before cars were around. If you experience whiplash after a vehicle accident, we would like to offer the assistance of an experienced personal injury lawyer who can be there to consult you about how you may seek compensation from the at-fault party.
We are going to offer you some knowledge concerning the basics of who plays. This includes signs that you have it and how to treat it. Whiplash is a term that is used to describe a broad array of medical conditions that are related to ligaments, muscles, and the spine. It often occurs when the neck is extended suddenly by an aggressive force of some kind, usually a car crash or similar accident. Your head is thrown about abruptly, and this stretches the anterior longitudinal ligament, which is primarily used to stabilizing the outer area of the spinal cord.
When experiencing whiplash, your spine may take the shape of S, leading to other muscle injuries. There are commonly injured muscles when this occurs, and these often retain pain for a longer duration of time after the accident or collision.

Other Types Of Injury

• Herniated and Ruptured Disc Injuries. Several vertebrae compose the spinal cord – these are bony casings that serve to protect the spinal column. Jelly-filled discs located between the separate vertebrae prevent them from coming into contact with each other. Sadly, in the event of an auto accident, these discs can shift, tear, or at times rupture. If this were to happen,  the victim may sustain either a ruptured or herniated disc. Symptoms usually include numbness and radiating pain confined to specific areas of their body (often times the limbs). Conservative care may help to remedy the issue (for example, resting, chiropractic care, etc.), but ultimately some sort of surgery is likely to be required, especially involving more serious cases.
• Spinal Fractures. When you are involved in a crash, your body can potentially be jerked around abruptly in many directions. This pressure can cause compression fractures in your spine. In this event, you may also experience a spinal fracture of some kind. Symptoms of this can vary, from numbness to extreme pain. Sometimes it even affects your control of the bladder. If you want to seek treatment, you would have to consider surgery, physical therapy, and also getting a decent amount of rest.
• Spinal Cord Injuries. These types of injuries to the spinal cord can be extremely devastating, even more so than other damages to the spinal cord. This is largely because, despite the spine being able to repair itself, the modern medical field has not yet found a way to repair the nerves that protect the spinal cord. This leaves the victim only to hope that the severity of their condition will lessen over time. This could be the case once the inflammation decreases. However, many victims with spinal cord damage are forced to rely on experimental treatment procedures or clinical trials of some kind. Regardless of the route taken, those who experience injury to their spinal cord often need a large amount of support, assistance, and medical treatment.
• Facet Joint Injuries. Joints are what allows the body to bend, move, and twist. Facet joints are found int eh spine, and they act like hinges between the separate vertebrae in the spinal column. Unfortunately, these joints that are self-lubricating are often harmed in the event of a terrible car accident. In the event this happens to you, you may require facet injections, physical therapy, chiropractic sessions, and other procedures in order to repair them. You can be owed compensation due to the medical expenses that you were forced to acquire after the crash. You can also receive compensation for lost income or time that you missed from work. In many cases, it is likely that you will be owed something due to the pain and anguish you endured after the crash.
• Spinal Stenosis. If you are involved in an accident, you may experience feelings of pain, numbness, or other complications due to injuries to your spine. Victims who sustain similar injuries can be entitled to compensation depending on their individual circumstances. You should discuss this with an experienced legal professional in order to learn more about what to do next after suffering spinal damage in a car crash.

Car Crashes in Utah

Vehicle collisions that cause whiplash and other injuries are common in the state of Utah, with a car crash happening daily every 10 minutes. Not only is that true, but a person is injured in an accident every 23 minutes, and a person loses their life because of a traffic crash every 36 hours. It is crucial that you are prepared if you are injured in any kind of accident to regain compensation for any and all damages.
For decades, Siegfried & Jensen has been helping the residents of Salt Lake City and the surrounding areas who have suffered from an injury related to a terrible accident or event. We believe that one of the best ways to keep families and communities safe is to make sure that at-fault parties are held accountable today.
We have recovered over $850 million for our clients. Our firm boasts a 97% success rate with our combined 35,000 cases.
We also understand that having someone on your side can mean the difference between declaring bankruptcy and rebuilding your life and moving forward, especially when you’re up against an insurance company or a hospital. If you or a loved one has been the victim of a car accident or personal injury, please contact our offices at (801) 845-9000 to discuss your case with an experienced Salt Lake City car crash attorney today.