One of the most common types of injuries to come from a Florida car accident, and especially a rear-end accident, is whiplash. It is important to remember that the symptoms may not show up instantly. You could go to the hospital and feel fine, only to feel the symptoms set in over the coming days or even weeks. For this reason, it is very important to know what those symptoms are so that you can be aware of the signs.
First of all, as you may expect, you could have stiffness and pain in your neck. Whiplash happens because your head does not stop as fast as the rest of your body in a crash, so it jerks back and forth quickly — in just a split second. All of the force of this movement, which is greater when traveling at a greater speed, is on your neck and spinal column.
On top of that, you could start to have consistent headaches. These are also a main symptom for a concussion, which happens when the brain moves within the skull, pressing up against the inside of the skull and compressing itself. This can happen at the same time, as your head is moving violently forward, so the two injuries could be sustained at once. Even without the concussion, though, you may feel the headaches.
Additionally, other symptoms can spread throughout your body. You could feel pain and tingling in your shoulders, and this can move all the way down into your arms. You may feel overly tired and fatigued. Dizziness can set in. Finally, your range of motion, when turning your head, can be drastically reduced.
Source: Mayo Clinic, “Whiplash” accessed Feb. 17, 2015