What is Whiplash?
Apr 19th, 2007 | By Michael L. Saile, Jr., Esq. | Category: Blogs, Common Injuries from Car AccidentsWhiplash is commonly used by the public to describe a neck-type injury that is sustained as a result of a car accident.
Whiplash is technically called a cervical acceleration-deceleration injury in the medical and engineering fields. When there is a rear impact and the occupant’s first motion is up. This is called the ramping effect and is due to the spine pushing against the seat flattening the spinal curve. This upward motion in many cases causes the head to rise above safe levels of the headrest. The neck and head fully extend past its normal limits tearing ligaments and discs causing sometimes permanent injuries. The head then “whips” forward while the brain is still going backwards. The fluid area in the back of the brain and the brain itself collided or slams into the hard and rigid portion of the back of the skull. This collision inside the skull can cause bleeding or swelling of the brain. The neck and head then goes past its normal limits forward and tears ligaments and discs then “whips” back once more with the brain hitting the front of the skull.
The damage to the brain is called a Coup-Contrecoup Injury and can cause bleeding in the brain. The whiplash motion can cause serious neck, head and back injuries such as disc herniations, bleeding and tearing of tissue of the brain, and muscle and ligament sprains, strains, and tears. Often time, these are permanent conditions.
Auto insurance companies may not want you to believe this but whiplash can be caused from a single vehicle car accident with little or no damage to the vehicle.
The author, Michael L. Saile, Jr., Esq. of Saile & Saile LLP, Attorneys-at-Law focuses his practice on fighting for plaintiffs’ personal injury victim’s rights in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. We handle all serious injuries, car accidents (both limited and full tort), wrongful death, slip & fall downs, construction accidents, Septa, NJ Transit, and other cases other cases. We are located just outside of Philadelphia in lower Bucks County. Please visit our personal injury only website at www.pa-nj-injurylawyer.com for more injury information.
Long term effects from work accidents may lead to disability or paralysis of the employee. How will they support their family, pay their medical bills and prepare for retirement?