Neck Injuries and Car Accidents

Car headrests or restraints are designed to limit the backward movement of the occupant's head in an auto accident and therefore prevent or minimize a whiplash injury. This type of injury occurs when the car is struck in a manner that causes the head to move backward and then forward very suddenly.

The truth is that headrests can help but they can't prevent all neck, head and back damage, or even death, during an accident.

Like any other type of injury resulting from an accident, neck injuries can be as minor as a soft tissue injury, or severe, resulting in partial or total paralysis:

• Neck fracture. The vertebrae that protect the spinal column can be broken or crushed. This damage causes severe injury and even paralysis.
• Pinched nerve. When too much pressure is placed on a nerve by a bone or tissue, it won't function properly. A pinched nerve in the neck can cause numbness, skin pain or muscle weakness into the shoulder and arm or down the leg.
• Herniated disc. Excessive pressure placed on the spinal column by forceful neck movement can cause a disc to herniate or bulge. The damaged disc puts pressure on the spinal nerves that will cause numbness, pain and weakness.
• Neck sprain or strain. These injuries are caused by stretching or tearing of the neck's muscles or ligaments and can result in severe pain and stiffness.

The more severe and long-lasting a neck injury is, the greater the amount of long-term support that will be required for victims of car accidents. Types of support include:

• Immediate and future medical care and testing
• Repeated stays in rehabilitation facilities
• Daily home care or, in some instances, 24-hour care
• Home and/or vehicle modifications
• Medical equipment such as a wheelchair
• Permanent lifestyle changes

Over a lifetime, these expenses can total millions of dollars. Add to these the costs of lost wages when the victim is unable to work, and the lack of support to the family, you can see how devastating a neck injury suffered in a car accident can be. It's important to get a qualified, experienced law firm like the Law Offices of Diana Santa Maria, P.A. involved soon after the accident to secure fair compensation for your injuries.

Whether in a car, boat, bicycle, bus or truck accident, if you or a family member has experienced neck trauma, please contact us immediately. Our experienced attorneys have the right expertise to fight for the compensation you deserve if you have been injured in any type of vehicle accident or a premises liability accident. Please call us for a free consultation. Attorney Diana Santa Maria, personal injury attorney in Fort Lauderdale, will fight to secure justice for you and your family. You can reach us at (954) 434-1077 or contact us via the website.