Injuries Caused by Rear-End Collisions

Rear-end collisions occur when a vehicle strikes another vehicle from behind. Although they are often minor accidents, some rear-end collisions are more dangerous and cause one or more motorists serious injury. The head, neck, spine, and shoulders are especially vulnerable during an accident like this. Rear-end collisions can cause injuries which leave victims permanently disabled or even dead.

Whiplash is a neck injury which occurs when a sudden force or motion causes a person’s head to move in an unnatural way. This motion causes the soft tissues in the neck, including the muscles and ligaments, to be pushed beyond their normal range of motion. A whiplash injury can cause symptoms including neck, back and shoulder pain, muscle spasms and tightness, concussion-like symptoms, difficulty swallowing or speaking, dizziness, problems with concentration and memory, headaches, and lack of energy. Rear-end collisions are the most common cause of whiplash injuries, but this type of injury can also happen from blows to the head, abuse, falls, and contact sports.

The symptoms of whiplash may not be immediately obvious. Car accidents are extremely stressful events, so when a person is involved in a collision, their body is flooded with the “fight or flight” hormone adrenaline. This hormone increases a person’s heart rate, expands air passages in the lungs, dilates the person’s pupils, and most importantly, blocks the sensation of pain. This stress-induced analgesia can trick a person into falsely assuming they are not injured when they really are. This is one of the reasons both medical and legal experts suggest people involved in car accidents get checked out by a doctor after a car accident – even if they do not immediately feel pain. Some people who have suffered whiplash report not experiencing symptoms until days or weeks after the accident.

While whiplash is painful, it is usually not permanently debilitating. Unfortunately, that cannot be said of all rear-end collision injuries. If a person’s spinal cord is damaged in a car accident, this can result in paralysis or death. Other times, a rear-end collision results in a person’s head being violently hit against the car. This can cause traumatic brain injury or a concussion. Victims of rear-end collisions can also suffer broken bones, lacerations, and disfigurement.

When a negligent driver causes another person to be injured, he or she has a legal obligation to compensate the victim for the damages sustained. Damages can include medical bills, lost wages, decreases in future earning ability, projected future medical expenses, pain and suffering, and occupational and physical therapy costs. If you have been injured by a negligent driver, contact the law office of Corsiglia McMahon & Allard, L.L.P. Call us today at (408) 289-1417 to schedule your free and confidential initial consultation with an experienced San Jose personal injury attorney.

• Whiplash
• Does stress block the feeling of pain?