Car accidents frequently result in neck injuries. These injuries can range from mild and short-lived to severe and persistent, affecting you for months or even years. A common neck injury is whiplash, which occurs when the neck is forcefully and rapidly moved back and forth in a whip-like motion.
If you’ve suffered a neck injury in a car accident, immediately seek medical attention. Once you have sought medical help, you must take the necessary steps to secure the legal compensation you deserve. A Philadelphia car accident lawyer can be a valuable resource in this process by navigating through the complex legal landscape of personal injury law.
Types of Car Accidents
Any type of traffic wreck has the potential to cause a neck injury. However, collisions between motor vehicles represent 78% of all injuries. The most common types of car accidents are detailed below.
- Rear-End Collisions: A rear-end collision occurs when the front end of a tailing vehicle impacts the rear end of a leading car. In many cases, liability lies with the driver of the tailing car.
- Side-Impact Crashes: Side-impact crashes, known as ‘T-bone’ crashes, usually occur at intersections when the front end of one vehicle hits the side of another. This crash commonly happens when one car runs a stop light or stop sign and fails to observe the proper right of way. Unsurprisingly, the driver who fails to observe the proper right of way is usually at fault.
- Head-On Collisions: A head-on collision occurs when the front ends of two cars that were traveling in opposite directions hit each other. Some accidents happen when a driver goes the wrong way down a one-way street or exit ramp. Head-on collisions also occur when a driver crosses into another lane or over a median. In these collisions, the driver going the wrong way or crossing into another lane is at fault.
- Rollovers and Their Effect on Neck Injuries: A rollover accident occurs when a vehicle tips onto its side or roof. Most severe-to-fatal injuries resulting from rollover crashes occur in the head or neck region.
Symptoms of a Neck Injury from a Car Accident
Car accidents can trigger a diverse array of neck injuries. The most typical is whiplash. However, a car accident can also lead to a slipped or herniated disc, cervical spondylolisthesis, pinched nerves, and other types of neck injuries. These injuries can manifest in various immediate and delayed symptoms, some of which are detailed below.
- Neck Pain and Stiffness: One of the most common symptoms of a neck injury is neck pain and stiffness. Neck pain and stiffness is a general term for discomfort in the neck that makes it hard to move or use.
- Headaches: A cervicogenic headache is a headache that results from a neck trauma. It begins in the neck and is felt throughout the head.
- Dizziness: After a neck injury, someone may begin to suffer from cervical vertigo. This vertigo makes the victim feel dizzy and lightheaded even when they are not moving. This condition can limit a person’s ability to perform everyday tasks.
- Blurred Vision: A neck injury can also result in blurry vision. Blurred vision worsens over time and can come on suddenly after a car accident.
- Numbness or Tingling: A pinched nerve in the neck can result in numbness and tingling that radiates throughout the upper body. Numbness is a partial or complete loss of feeling, while tingling is a feeling of sharp points throughout the body.
- Shoulder, Arm, or Back Pain: Due to the interconnected nature of these body parts, pain may radiate down a victim’s shoulders, arms, and/or back after a neck injury.
- Loss of Range of Motion: When the neck is injured, it often can not move fully and easily in its usual manner.
- Swelling or Bruising: Bruising occurs when blood vessels break and leak blood under the skin. Swelling occurs when fluid and white blood cells move into an injured area. Both symptoms can occur due to a neck injury.
What Compensation Can I Get for Neck Injuries in a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
It is crucial to understand that the type and amount of compensation you may be eligible for depends on the unique factors of your case. These factors include the severity of your neck injuries, the type of treatment you receive, the actions of the other party, and the impact the injury has on your life. There are various forms of compensation:
Compensatory Damages:
Compensatory damages, designed to reimburse the injured party for any losses they have incurred because of the accident, aim to put the injured party in the same place they were before the accident. These types of damages are divided into two categories: economic and non-economic.
- Economic Compensation: Economic damages are losses that can be quantified in monetary terms. These include reimbursement for medical bills, property damage, past and future lost earnings, and any other financial losses that stem from the injury.
- Non-Economic Compensation: Non-economic damages are losses that are not precisely quantifiable. These damages include pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment, and disfigurement.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages, a rare and serious form of compensation, focus on punishing the defendant for particularly reckless or malicious behavior. They are meant to deter others from repeating similar conduct. Punitive damages are seldom awarded in personal injury cases in Pennsylvania, as they are only granted when the defendant’s behavior has been particularly egregious, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
How can I Prove My Neck Injury was Caused by the Car Accident?
In a personal injury lawsuit, proving that the incident in question caused your injury is vital. Causation can be proved in a variety of ways, including but not limited to medical records that can provide valuable information about the nature and extent of your injuries, expert witnesses that can testify to what your injuries are and how they were caused, and accident reports that can provide essential details about the accident.
Statute of Limitations for Neck Injury After a Car Accident
The statute of limitation is the deadline for filing a lawsuit. Pennsylvania’s statute of limitation for a personal injury claim is two years subject to certain exceptions. This means that you have two years from the date of the car accident to file a claim for your neck injury.
However, if you are a minor at the time of the accident, the clock does not start ticking until your 18th birthday. This means you have until the age of 20 to file a lawsuit.
Get Legal Help For Your Neck Pain Today!
While you are recovering from a traumatic neck injury, the last thing you need is the stress of navigating complex legal issues alone. You need someone trustworthy on your side.
At The Law Offices of Greg Promushkin, P.C., our dedicated legal professionals will guide you through the legal process and fight for your deserved compensation. Contact us for a FREE consultation today at 215-799-9990. Let our experienced personal injury lawyers fight for you!