Neck Injury Attorney in Atlanta

Neck Pain after a Car Accident

Although football-related head injuries are in the headlines a lot more than collision-related head injuries, the two are very similar.

Many players who sustain head injuries insist that they “feel fine” and therefore they want to go back into the game even if they are hurt. Part of that sentiment is bravado and an unwillingness to let down the other guys on the team, but much of it is very sincere. The brain is very good at hiding its own injuries, so head injury victims often do “feel fine.” That’s why college and professional football have the concussion protocol, which takes the play-or-no-play decision out of the hands of players and coaches.

Next, specifically with regard to youth football, the danger lies not in the bone-jarring hits. Instead, the motion alone is often sufficient to cause brain injury. Researchers recently followed a North Carolina high school football team for a season. Although none of the players sustained concussions, almost all of them showed brain injury symptoms because their heads snapped forwards or backward on almost every play.

What Are Common Neck Injuries in Atlanta Car Accidents?

The neck is a complex network of bones, soft tissues, and nerves that support the head and carry signals between the brain and the rest of the body. When people sustain neck injuries in car accidents, consequences can range from soft tissue injuries to moderate neck pain to life-changing loss of function and permanent disability.

Some of the most common types of neck injuries caused by car wrecks include:

• Pinched nerves – When bones or soft tissues are pushed out of place or swollen after a car accident, they can put pressure on surrounding nerves, causing an uncomfortable “pinched” nerve feeling.
• Whiplash – Whiplash is a painful injury caused by soft tissue strains or sprains in the neck. Car accidents are the most common cause of whiplash, which can leave crash victims with chronic neck pain for months or even years.
• Herniated disc – Soft, rubbery pads known as discs act as shock absorbers between the individual bones of the spine. A herniated disc can be a debilitating neck injury that occurs when spinal discs are damaged and their gel-like interior slips or bulges out.
• Cervical dislocation – Cervical dislocation occurs when the ligaments in the neck are damaged, and spinal bones become dislocated as a result. This abnormal separation can cause severe neck pain and dangerous instability.
• Spinal cord injury – If a bone fragment or foreign object comes into contact with the cervical spinal cord, it can result in severe and potentially permanent nerve damage. Depending on the location and severity of the injury, victims may lose some or all sensation or motor function below the neck.
• Cervical fracture – A neck fracture is a traumatic injury that requires urgent medical treatment. When one of the seven cervical spinal column bones is broken, victims can experience severe spinal cord trauma and permanent loss of function.

What is Whiplash?

Whiplash is a condition that can develop when the head moves suddenly and unnaturally, whether front to back or side to side. It is an injury commonly associated with vehicle accidents. Symptoms of whiplash include neck pain when moving head backward, forward, or side to side, minimal range of motion, neck tightness, knotted muscles, tenderness, stiffness, and headaches at the back of the skull which migrates towards the forehead.

How Does a Bone Fracture Happen During a Car Crash?

The violent forces involved in a collision between two automobiles can easily break bones in nearly any part of the body. Bones often splinter, fracture, or shatter when:

• A person is struck by or against hard objects, such as dashboards, vehicle interiors, vehicle exteriors, or road surfaces
• A person is thrown forward or jolted back in an unnatural way
• Someone’s limbs or digits become unnaturally bent, twisted, or crushed
• A person instinctively braces their arms or legs in front of them before a crash
• Someone is thrown from or crushed by a vehicle during the crash

Is it Necessary to See a Doctor for a neck injury After a Car Crash?

Yes. You should always see a doctor after a motor vehicle collision, even if you don’t initially think you got hurt. Many car accident injuries, such as neck injuries, are not immediately apparent after a wreck. It’s best to visit your primary care physician or local urgent care clinic as soon as possible to ensure any injuries you do have are appropriately diagnosed and treated.

In addition to receiving the care you need, visiting the doctor can be crucial to the success of your injury claim. Everything your doctor learns about your condition should be meticulously recorded in your official medical records, containing vital evidence of your injuries. Neck injury lawyers in Atlanta.

Diagnosing Car Accident Head and Neck Injuries

Similarly, after a serious car accident, many victims tell doctors that they feel fine and have not hurt their heads. Most routine diagnostic tests, like X-rays, seemingly confirm that there is no physical injury, so many victims receive little or no treatment.

But many neck injuries are soft tissue injuries that do not register on standard diagnostic machines. Since the doctor cannot see the impact, the doctor must take patients at their word when they say they feel fine.

About one in five head and neck injury patients either do not seek any treatment at all or leave the emergency room with undiagnosed injuries. So, car crash victims usually need to see a car crash injury specialist who can identify these injuries.

Treating Car Accident Neck Injuries

Later, as physical therapy progresses, such a physician can also ascertain when the injury is better, because many head and neck injury physical therapy patients continue to insist that they “feel fine.” Car accident physical therapists must also work to keep the patients motivated and in therapy.

These issues are especially acute with regard to whiplash, which is one of the most common car crash neck injuries. Seat belts protect against trauma injuries, but do almost nothing to keep the head still during a crash, especially at high speeds. If not properly treated, whiplash causes chronic symptoms like persistent neck, upper back, and arm pain. Sometimes the pain travels up and down a person’s nerves, which doctors call “radiculopathy.”

Car crash victims should always consult injury specialists to properly diagnose and treat head and neck injuries. For a free consultation with a personal injury attorney, contact Butler Kahn. We routinely handle car wreck cases throughout Georgia.

How Can Atlanta Neck Injury Attorney Help?

Neck injuries such as whiplash and cervical dislocations can be excruciating and cause enduring side effects and require ongoing care. Medical expenses and the cost of physical therapy and other treatments can become very expensive. Unfortunately, insurance companies frequently downplay the severity of these injuries simply because they cannot be seen on x rays. Victims must often fight aggressively to get insurers to take a neck injury claim seriously.

That is where an experienced neck injury attorney comes in. At Butler Kahn, our Atlanta injury lawyers know exactly what tactics insurance companies use to avoid paying their fair share of a personal injury claim. With our help, you can determine how much your claim could be worth and use that knowledge to demand the financial recovery you deserve from the insurance company.

What is the Statute of Limitations for a neck injury after an Atlanta Car Accident Injury Lawsuit?

The Statute of Limitations for a car accident injury lawsuit, in the state of Georgia, is two years. What this means to you is that you have two years from the date of the accident to file your lawsuit. While two years may seem like a long time, there’s quite a bit of research, investigation, and more than your Atlanta personal injury attorneys at our law firm need to do to ensure a successful conclusion to your lawsuit. So, do not delay. If you do not file your lawsuit within that two-year time frame, you will have given up your opportunity to do so.