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After a crash, know the signs of a serious neck injury

On Behalf of | Jul 21, 2022 | Car Accidents

After you’re involved in a collision, one of the things you should do is look for signs of injury. Among those that you should be looking for are neck injuries that could lead to paralysis or chronic pain.

A neck injury may not be apparent right away unless it’s very serious. Sometimes, neck injuries have what’s called a “delayed onset,” which means that they become apparent only after the body begins to calm down from the traumatic event. Until then, dopamine, adrenaline and other chemicals released by the brain may hide those injuries.

Unfortunately, if you don’t seek treatment right away, those neck injuries could get worse over time. Then, when the injuries begin to show signs of being present, you could be debilitated by pain and other symptoms.

What are the signs of a neck injury after a crash?

Since not all injuries will be apparent right away, you should always assume that a neck injury has occurred in a crash in which your air bags have deployed or your head whipped around in any sudden manner. Some of the possible injuries you could have might include whiplash, slipped or broken discs or damage to the spinal cord.

Some symptoms you may have immediately following an injury could include:

  • A headache.
  • A stiff neck.
  • Pain in the region where an injury has occurred.
  • Lacerations or visible physical trauma that are bruised or bleeding, causing discomfort or pain.
  • Trouble breathing if the spinal cord was affected.
  • Tingling or unusual sensations across the shoulders, down the arms, or down the back.
  • A lack of sensation around the body.

If you have these or any other symptoms, stay as still as you can until you can be taken to the hospital. The emergency medical team will help stabilize your neck and transport you to the hospital for treatment.

After a neck injury, you could seek compensation

Since neck injuries have the potential to be debilitating and life-changing, it’s valuable to consider filing a personal injury claim against an at-fault driver who caused a crash. Doing this could help you get the compensation you need to receive medical care or replace your financial losses.

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