Neck Injuries
St. Louis, Kansas City, and Jefferson City, Missouri
If you have been in a car accident and suffered an injury, chances are good it is a neck injury. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), neck injuries account for 66 percent of bodily injury claims for car insurance coverage.
If you are suffering from an auto-related neck injury, you may suffer any level of damage from recurring pain to debilitating restriction of head movement. At The Bradley Law Firm, we offer help to Missouri residents who are the victims of neck injuries caused by auto accidents.
Types of Neck Injuries
There are a number of types of neck injuries which you might sustain from an auto accident, including:
- Nerve damage
- Disc damage
- Muscle strain
- Ligament rupture
- Cervical vertebrae fracture
Any of these types of injuries may be temporary or permanent, and some may require thousands of dollars of costly medical care to repair. Along with medical treatment, you may require rehabilitation which only adds to the expense of healing from a neck injury.
Causes of Neck Injury
Rear end collisions are the most frequent cause of neck injuries in auto accidents. Neck injuries, or whiplash, are caused when the head is thrown forward or back, injuring the ligaments, muscles, vertebrae or spine.
Individuals at greater risk for neck injuries include:
- Drivers
- Women
- Tall individuals
- Elderly individuals
Protection from Neck Injury
What many people refer to as a “head rest” is in fact a safety device intended to prevent whiplash and neck injuries during car accidents. Head restraints on seats are required to comply with government standards which aid in the prevention of neck injury. Newer automobiles are more likely to have more effective head restraint devices.
Your head restraint, or head rest, should be positioned near behind the center of gravity of your head. For most people this is approximately three inches lower than the top of the head. If your head restraint is too high or too low, it will be less effective or ineffective to protect you from neck injuries.
How to Respond in an Accident
During an accident, if you suffer a neck injury you should not refuse medical attention at the scene of the accident. Many insurance companies will argue that refusing medical attention at the accident site implies that you did not sustain injury at that time. You may be required to provide a medical report to your insurance company or the other driver’s insurance company in order to receive compensation. You can learn more about responding to injuries at the accident scene by visiting our What to do After a Car Accident page.
If you have suffered a neck injury from a car accident in the St. Louis, Jefferson City, or Kansas City areas of Missouri, please contact The Bradley Law Firm today to learn more about receiving compensation for your pain and injuries.