1. Neck injuries are
reported by drivers in more than 1 in 5 rear-impact
crashes.
Even though studies show that proper adjustment of a
head restraint can prevent many neck injuries, most of
us still don’t take the time – or know how – to adjust
our head restraints properly. Next time you get in the
car, follow these simple steps to help protect yourself
from neck injuries:
- Whether you’re the
driver or passenger, check out your head restraint
before getting into the car. Get to know how it works.
This will help you find the best position for you:
- Once you’re in the
car, be sure your seat back is in an upright and
comfortable driving or sitting position.
- Facing forward,
reach behind you to adjust the height of your head
restraint. In the optimal position, the top of the
head restraint should be as high as the top of your
head and no lower than 2 ½” below the top of your
head.
- Still facing
forward, feel how close the head restraint is to
your head. In the optimal position, it should be as
close as possible to the back of your head, no
farther than 2 ½” away. If your restraint tilts,
this can help you find the right distance. Adjusting
the height of your seat can help too.
2. Motor vehicle
accidents involving whiplash injury may result in acute
or chronic neck pain that takes several months to
improve.
Whiplash is considered a neck injury, not a back injury
as many people think. According to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, more than 272,000
whiplash injuries are reported every year. Most people
recover from whiplash injuries quickly, but some develop
chronic pain and disabling symptoms. Symptoms can
include neck pain and stiffness, headache, dizziness,
shoulder pain, ringing of the ears, blurred vision,
problems with memory and concentration, irritability,
sleep problems, depression, or fatigue. Be sure that you
are seen by a physician immediately following an
accident even if you feel that your symptoms are just
minor.
3. Symptoms of neck pain and injuries vary
dramatically, but may include:
- General pain located
in the neck area as well as stiffness in the neck
muscles
- The pain may radiate
down to the shoulder or between the shoulder blades
- It may also radiate
out into the arm, the hand, or up into the head,
causing a one-sided or double-sided headache
- The muscles in the
neck are tense, sore and feel hard to the touch
- Acute pain can give
rise to abnormal neck posture in which the head is
forced to turn to one side
- The pain at the base
of the skull may be accompanied by a feeling of
weakness in the shoulders and arms
- There may be a
prickly or tingling sensation in the arms and fingers
4. Many things can
trigger neck pain. These include:
- trauma or injury
- worry and stress
- falling asleep in an
awkward position
- prolonged use of a
computer keyboard
5. If you are
experiencing neck pain, there are things you can do to
help alleviate the pain.
First, be sure to be examined by your physician,
especially if the neck injury occurred after a motor
vehicle or other accident. Once your doctor gives you
the okay, stay as active as possible. Try to go to work
and keep up your normal everyday activities. Bed rest is
usually not necessary and may actually make the pain
worse. Always follow your doctor’s instructions.
Remember that neck pain will often disappear within a
week. If you have pain in the neck for a longer period,
it is a good idea to be examined again by your
physician.
5. Insurance companies pay more when the injured
person is represented by counsel.
This fact comes straight out of an insurance company’s
training manual. People without representation usually
have little knowledge and experience regarding the law,
and insurance companies know this. Insurance company’s
are out there to make money, so keeping accident victims
away from attorneys just makes good business sense for
them--- but not for you.
6. Hiring an attorney does not always mean that you
will have to go to court or spend years of your life
trying to get a settlement.
At Brown & Crouppen, most personal injury cases are
completed in one year or less. As far as going to court,
this is rare. Through a lot of hard work our firm has
developed a reputation in the legal community that
allows us to fairly settle most of our cases without the
need of our clients to be subjected to these unpleasant
parts of our legal system. In short, don’t worry, your
case will probably be settled favorably in a few months
without ever having to appear in court.
7. I can’t afford an attorney.
At Brown & Crouppen our policy with neck injury cases is
that we never charge any advanced legal fees. The only
way a client ever pays legal fees or expenses is at the
conclusion of their case and only if we are successful.
If unsuccessful, the client owes us nothing. We believe
we should make money only after we make you money.
That’s why it does not cost you anything up front to
hire an experienced lawyer for an accident case.
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