The Ways You Can Suffer Trauma to Your Neck in an Accident | The Typical Symptoms

You’ve been involved in a motor vehicle collision or fallen down a set of stairs, and you’ve suffered some type of neck injury. How can you tell if it’s serious? What are the different types of neck injuries? What are the telltale signs that you need immediate medical care?

The Different Types of Traumatic Neck Injury

Research indicates that more than 800,000 Americans seek treatment every year for neck injuries suffered in a motor vehicle accident. Those injuries can take many different forms:

  • Sprains, strains or whiplash-like injuries—The sudden and violent snapping of your head back and forth, which can happen in virtually any collision, can cause tears in the muscles and other connective tissue in your neck
  • Pinched nerves—Trauma can cause bones, tendons or tissue to put pressure on nerves or nerve endings, which can lead to significant pain
  • Broken bones in your neck—You have seven cervical vertebrae in your neck, as well as your clavicles, your hyoid bone and a bone connected to your sternum
  • Herniated disks—The vertebrae in your neck have soft pads or cushions in between them, minimizing friction or damage. An accident can cause a tear in the outer wall of that disk, causing a bulging disk.

How Do You Know How Serious Your Neck Injury Is?

It’s common to have stiffness, tenderness or discomfort when you try to turn your head after a neck injury. Headaches will often accompany a neck injury as well. If the headache persists for more than a few hours, your neck injury may require immediate care. Other signs of a potentially serious neck injury include:

  • Pain that radiates down one arm
  • Chills or fever
  • Tingling and numbness in your extremities
  • Weakness in your legs or arms
  • Any inability to move an arm, leg, finger or toe

Let Us Help You Protect Your Rights When You’ve Suffered a Neck Injury

At the Law Office of Michael R. De La Paz, we have more than 26 years of experience protecting the rights of personal injury victims in South Padre Island, McAllen, Laredo and Houston, across Texas and nationwide. We have a comprehensive understanding of the challenges involved in recovering full and fair compensation after a TBI, and will use our considerable experience, skill, knowledge and resources to help you get the outcome you want. Arrange a free consultation today to evaluate your potential case.

Handling Accident Cases Nationwide, Including, But Not Limited to Texas, Florida, New Mexico, Illinois and Oklahoma