Neck pain after a car crash is common. The violent jolt of an unexpected impact is enough to cause at least some muscle soreness. But if you are experiencing severe or sharp pain shooting through your neck, you may have a more serious neck injury. Without proper treatment, that pain is only going to get worse – and could become chronic.
At TSR Injury Law, our experienced Minnesota car crash attorneys know all too well how insurance companies try to dismiss neck injuries as minor. But we also know that some neck injuries can cause victims to suffer debilitating pain that severely limits their daily activity and quality of life. Don’t let insurance companies dismiss your neck pain.
Call (612) TSR-TIME for a free case review today!
Early action protects your health – and your legal rights!
Why Are Neck Injuries So Common in Car Crashes?
Your neck doesn’t have the same protection as the rest of your body, leaving it vulnerable to the worst of the impact during a car crash. Seat belts can protect your body, and airbags can cushion your head, but there is nothing to protect your neck from twisting or being violently jolted in multiple directions. Your head is kind of a wrecking ball during the collision, yanking your neck and hyperextending it far beyond what is normal movement.
Side impact collisions jerk your neck sideways in an even less natural movement. Rear-end collisions are especially notorious for the back-and-forth “whip-like” motion. Even “minor” fender-benders can generate enough force to tear the delicate muscles, ligaments, and discs in your neck.
Safety features in modern cars today make a significant difference in crashes and help save lives. But none of them do much to prevent the physics of what happens to your neck when a car slams into something and forcefully stops.
What Types of Neck Injuries Often Happen in Car Crashes?
The type and severity of a car crash neck injury depends on the force and angle of the vehicle at impact, along with other factors. These neck injuries are among the most common after a collision.
Whiplash
Whiplash is by far the most common neck injury after a collision, especially a rear-end crash. It is caused by the sudden violent “whip-like” before and back movement at impact that stretches your neck tissues well beyond their normal range. Recovery can take weeks to months, or whiplash injuries can become permanent, depending on the force of the crash and the severity of your neck injury.
Herniated Discs
The cushion-like discs in your neck are fragile and can rupture or bulge during a car crash. Once the cushion is damaged, the boney part of your spine presses directly on your nerves. This damage can cause severe pain, numbness, and even weakness in your neck and your arms.
Cervical Fractures
Neck fractures are serious and may require surgery to repair the damage, followed by a lengthy recovery. In some cases, these injuries can be life-threatening.
Muscle Strains and Sprains
Torn or overstretched muscles and ligaments cause pain, stiffness, and limited movement. Proper treatment is required to aid their recovery.
Nerve Damage
Pinched or damaged nerves can cause chronic pain, tingling, or loss of feeling in your neck, shoulders, and arms.
Spinal Cord Injuries
The most severe neck injuries affect the spinal cord and can cause partial or complete paralysis, requiring lifetime medical care and support. In addition to suffering full functional loss, victims may also experience breathing problems, loss of bladder and bowel control, and other severe secondary complications.
When Should I See a Doctor for Neck Pain After a Car Crash?
Go to the emergency room immediately if you cannot move your neck, feel numbness or tingling in your arms, or have severe pain. These symptoms signal potentially serious injuries that need immediate attention. You should go to an urgent care center or local ER after a car crash, even if you initially feel fine. Adrenaline can mask pain for hours or even days. By the time you feel that deep ache or sharp shooting pain, damage has already worsened.
Don’t wait until the pain is unbearable to see a doctor. Many neck injuries start with mild discomfort then explode into debilitating pain days later. Early diagnosis and treatment help to prevent minor injuries from becoming worse – or, in some cases, permanent problems.
Why Are Neck Injuries Hard to Prove After a Car Crash?
Neck injuries are often harder to prove simply because there is no visible damage. When you have a broken bone or a deep cut, everyone can see the injury. But neck pain is internal, which gives insurance companies plenty of room to question whether you are really hurt.
Let’s look at some specific reasons insurance companies tend to push back and why your neck injury may be harder to prove than other car crash injuries.
- May Not Show Up on X-rays: Your torn muscles and stretched ligaments are real injuries causing real pain, but basic X-rays cannot capture this damage.
- Delayed Pain: Your pain might not start right away: Many people feel fine after a crash, then wake up in serious pain days later. Insurance companies use this delay to try to argue that something else caused your injury.
- No Visible Injury: Unlike a cast on a broken arm, others cannot see your neck pain, making it easier for insurers to minimize the damage.
- Preexisting Neck Injury: Any neck injury in your past medical history becomes a convenient excuse to minimize or deny your claim.
- “Normal” Wear and Tear: If you are over 30, your MRI may show some disc degeneration. Insurers will try to blame your pain on aging, not the crash.
- Pain affects people differently: The insurance company might try to say you are overly sensitive to pain and say that many people just push through it.
- Inconsistent Medical Records: If you tell the ER doctor one thing and your family physician another, insurance companies pounce on any inconsistency to reduce the value of your claim.
Why Delaying Medical Treatment Can Hurt Your Health – and Your Claim
You may think that if you “tough it out” the initial soreness you feel in your neck will go away on its own, but that’s a big risk.
Internal Neck “Soreness” May Involve Serious Internal Damage
Neck injuries may involve internal damage that you cannot see or feel immediately. Herniated discs, torn ligaments, and nerve damage often get worse without prompt diagnosis and treatment. Early medical care may often help you heal faster – and with a more optimal recovery, while waiting to see a doctor may limit your treatment options.
Time Gaps Can Hurt Your Claim
From a legal standpoint, time gaps between your crash and when you seek medical treatment give insurance companies the ammunition they need to deny or reduce your claim. They may argue that if you were truly injured, you would have gotten immediate medical care. Insurance adjusters may also try to claim your injuries were caused by something other than the crash or that you are exaggerating your pain.
The Insurance Company’s Goals Are Not the Same as Yours
Insurance companies may sound friendly when you speak with them, but that is their job. It is crucial to remember, however, what their real objective is when they call: To pay out as little out on a claim as possible. Think of it from a business perspective. If the insurance companies always paid the full amount of a claim without investigating or pushing back, they would not be profitable.
Our Minnesota injury law firm has the same objective as you do: to recover the maximum possible compensation for your injuries and other losses.
Why Do Insurance Companies Often Fight or Minimize Neck Injury Claims?
Insurance companies are businesses focused on profit, not your recovery. Every dollar they pay for your neck injury is a dollar less in their pocket. They employ teams of adjusters and lawyers trained to find reasons to deny or reduce claims. This is especially true with internal damage, like neck injuries.
Specific reasons insurance companies fight to minimize your neck injury claims is because:
- Neck Injuries Are Expensive: Surgery, therapy, and missed work add up fast.
- You May Give Up and Give In: Insurance companies know from experience that the longer they can stall your claim, the more likely you are to take whatever they offer out of frustration.
- Your Crash Was Minor: Insurer may try to claim you only had a “minor” fender bender crash which is unlikely to cause the injuries you are claiming. Even though doctors prove every day that low-speed crashes can cause serious neck damage, they may still insist otherwise.
- Other Doctors Minimize Your Injuries: Insurance companies often pay doctors to examine you who conveniently always take their side. These “independent” medical exams are setups designed to minimize your injuries.
- You Don’t Have a Lawyer: Many crash victims may opt for a low, inadequate settlement because they worry that hiring an attorney is too hard or expensive.
- Delaying Your Claim Makes Them Money: Every day the insurance company can delay paying you earns them more interest in their bank account while you drown in bills.
These reasons may make you feel like you don’t stand a chance of getting fairly compensated for your car crash claim. But the good news is, our experienced car crash attorneys in Minnesota deal with these tactics every day. When we represent you, your case is in good hands – and we are always prepared to take your case to trial.
What Are the Long-Term Consequences of a Serious Car Crash Neck Injury?
You may not know the full impact of your car crash neck injury for months – or even years. Insurance companies often push for quick settlements, knowing that the real costs can’t be calculated yet.
If your neck damage is permanent, a lot of things may change, and you may have to adapt every part of your life around your pain and new limitations.
Long-term consequences victims with serious neck injuries from a car crash may face:
Long-Term Physical Consequences
- Chronic, persistent neck, back, and even arm pain, stiffness, and muscle spasms.
- Nerve damage, which may cause mild to severe tingling, numbness, and weakness in your arms, and hands.
- Reduced or limited mobility; being unable to move your neck easily or freely, which can restrict you from sports and other activities, including driving.
- Spinal degeneration is common over time, but a severe neck injury can accelerate this, causing you to develop osteoarthritis or other damage over time.
- Paralysis is more likely with severe spinal cord injuries, especially if you fractured one or more vertebrae.
- Chronic headaches or migraines
- Poor sleep quality due to pain interfering or interrupting sleep patterns.
- Reduced quality of life due to pain, suffering, and reduced ability to work or enjoy your daily life.
Impact to Your Mental Health
- Depression is a common outcome for victims with life-altering neck injuries.
- Cognitive issues may arise for some victims with neck injuries, who may have trouble concentrating or remembering things. For some, they may experience “brain fog.”
Changed Career Path
Physical jobs may be impossible in the early weeks and months following your injury. For some, desk jobs may cause too much pain, even after reaching their maximum medical improvement. This can make disability or early retirement a necessity rather than a choice.
Unable to Enjoy Activities You Used to Do
Simple activities you once enjoyed may become difficult or impossible. Playing with your children, exercising, or even sitting to read for extended periods can trigger severe pain. Sleep problems are common, as finding a comfortable position becomes challenging. This lack of quality rest affects your mood, energy, and overall health.
Long-Term Impact to Your Financial Stability
Medical bills accumulate as you need ongoing treatment, prescription medications, and even surgery. Lost wages strain family budgets – sometimes relationships – especially if you cannot return to your previous earning capacity. Home modifications, assistive devices, and hired help for household tasks add unexpected expenses.
These long-term consequences make securing adequate compensation essential for your future stability.
Did You Hurt Your Neck in a Car Crash? Here’s What You Need to Do First to Optimize Your Claim
If you have neck pain after your Minnesota car crash, your priority is to protect your spine while preserving your legal rights. Neck injuries are medical emergencies that need immediate attention. These critical first steps protect both your health and your claim:
- Go to the emergency room immediately: Don’t drive yourself – call an ambulance or ask a friend or family member to drive you.
- Tell ER staff and doctors that you were in a car crash and have neck pain. Make sure they document that your neck pain started with the car crash.
- Follow any medical restrictions given to you by the treating physician.
- Attend all recommended follow-up care, physical therapy, and other medical appointments.
- Keep every medical record and receipt as this provides evidence for your claim.
- Don’t talk to insurance adjusters yet as they may ask for a recorded statement – even before you know how badly you are hurt.
- Call a Minneapolis personal injury attorney to see if you have a claim. They can manage the insurance companies while you focus on getting better.
- Document your daily pain levels and limitations every day.
Injured Your Neck in a Minnesota Car Crash? Call TSR Injury Law Today
If you suffered a neck injury in a Minnesota car crash, you may be facing challenges that go much further than your initial pain. Yet before you can see a dime in compensation, you will have to prove your invisible damage was caused by a negligent driver. The good news is – you don’t have to do this on your own.
At TSR Injury Law, we understand that you are facing many challenges and difficulties today. But don’t let insurance companies dismiss your pain or pressure you into accepting less than you need or deserve. We have helped countless crash victims in Minnesota recover fair compensation. We would be honored to help you with your case, and there are no upfront costs or fees to pay.
Call TSR Injury Law for your FREE, no-risk consultation today. (612) TSR-TIME
