The Hidden Health Consequences of Whiplash That Often Go Undiagnosed

Whiplash has got to be one of the most counterintuitive injuries you can suffer from after a car accident.

It doesn’t sound serious. It doesn’t look serious. But boy are there some hidden health consequences to whiplash…

Consequences that can haunt you for YEARS. Possibly the REST OF YOUR LIFE.

Yep, even though whiplash is COMMON after a car accident, that doesn’t mean you’re not laying your health out on the line.

And the scariest part?

Many of these serious health issues never even get diagnosed.

In fact, there are over 3 million reported cases of whiplash in the U.S. every year. And doctors often miss the injury completely.

If you’ve been in an accident, you NEED to know what they are.

Let’s dig in…

You’ll Learn:

Why Accident Victims Miss Whiplash Symptoms
Hidden Health Consequences of Whiplash
Why Undiagnosed Whiplash Hurts Your Settlement
How to Prevent Undiagnosed Whiplash

Why Accident Victims Miss Whiplash Symptoms

Alright, first things first…

With whiplash, the symptoms don’t always present themselves IMMEDIATELY after an accident.

Sometimes it can take days. Other times weeks. But eventually, after sitting in that car seat for hours trying to gather your thoughts… the pain starts.

This delayed onset is the MAIN REASON why so many accident victims suffer from undiagnosed whiplash.

It’s a domino effect:

Accident victim feels fine after car accident
No immediate trip to the doctor
Whiplash symptoms develop weeks later
No connection is made to the accident
An innocent victim goes uninsured because of an untreated injury

You feel fine when you leave the scene of the accident. So you don’t go to the doctor like you should.

Weeks later, you start to experience pain in your neck and back. But since most symptoms don’t appear right away, you just think “eh, must be from the accident.”

Then, because you never officially diagnosed with whiplash, the injury can come back to haunt you years later when it’s time to settle…

Whiplash cuts both ways. You can end up paying for treatment OUT OF POCKET later down the road or it can drastically reduce the value of your settlement. That’s why having the right traffic accident representation from the start can make all the difference in protecting your car accident settlement negotiation.

Hidden Health Consequences of Whiplash

One of the most common misconceptions about whiplash is that it’s just a stiff neck.

How much can your neck hurt, right?

Wrong.

Whiplash has some serious hidden health consequences.

WHEN YOU HYPER-EXTEND YOUR NECK the impact sends forces into your bones, discs, muscles, joints, and spinal cord.

Some of the worst problems associated with undiagnosed whiplash include:

Chronic neck pain and stiffness. Many people mistake whiplash for a typical stiff neck. However, whiplash can actually cause long-term and debilitating pain in the neck region. Studies have shown that over 50% of all whiplash patients develop chronic neck pain.

Chronic back pain. Same thing with your back. Whiplash can do a number on your spinal discs and muscles. Especially the lower portion of your spine.

Persistent headaches and migraines. Suffering from headaches or migraines that start in your neck and move upward? Yup. That can be whiplash too.

Cognitive issues. Memory loss, inability to concentrate, and brain fog are very common with whiplash patients. Don’t let someone tell you otherwise.

Dizziness and loss of balance. Ever feel dizzy after getting whacked in the head? That’s your body attempting to heal itself. With whiplash, the injury can disrupt your sense of balance which can lead to falls, injuries, and even more pain.

Jaw pain. Never would have thought THIS could be related to whiplash, right? Your jaw joint is connected to your cervical spine. So when you injure your neck from a car accident, your jaw can pay the price.

Sleep disturbance. Neck pain, headaches, cognitive issues, and chronic pain… THEY ALL cause terrible sleep at night. Which in return, causes your body more stress and pain. It’s a vicious cycle.

Notice a trend here?

NONE of these issues are blatantly obvious when you leave the scene of an accident.

In fact, most accident victims experience ZERO symptoms until weeks later.

How Undiagnosed Whiplash Hurts Your Settlement

Look, unless you work in the insurance industry or you’ve been in a fair share of car accident lawsuits…

You probably have no idea how this stuff works.

So here’s the breakdown…

When your accident claim hits the insurance company, they want ONE thing…

Quick, inexpensive settlement.

How do they do this?

By SHIFTING THE BLAME onto YOU.

How can they shift blame if you didn’t go to the doctor right away? Simple.

They claim that your whiplash symptoms were caused by something else.

Maybe you went to Disneyland and hurt yourself on a roller coaster.

Maybe you just slept funny.

The truth is THEY DON’T CARE.

Bottom line is that whiplash severely hurts your settlement because you have ZERO evidence to support your injuries.

As mentioned above, whiplash symptoms can take days, weeks, sometimes even months to surface.

If you don’t go to the doctor RIGHT AFTER your accident, you’re fighting an uphill battle when it comes time to settle.

Talk about some cruel insurance tactics…

What To Do After Whiplash Injury Symptoms Appear

So whiplash is rough. Really rough.

But the good news is, there are some steps you can take to PROPERLY heal from a whiplash injury.

Unfortunately, most people leave the scene of the accident WITHOUT EVER SEEING A DOCTOR.

Here’s what you should be doing instead:

Go to the doctor within 72 hours of your accident. Even if you feel fine. This cannot be stressed enough. If you wait too long, there’s a good chance your injuries will go undocumented and you’ll be left to pay for treatment out of pocket.

Ask for an MRI and X-ray. You don’t want to just walk out of that doctor’s office with a clean bill of health. THERE CAN BE SERIOUS DAMAGE TO YOUR SPINAL CORD FROM WHIPLASH. Always insist on an X-ray and MRI just to be safe.

Document everything. Symptoms, pain levels, doctor visits, neck pain, etc. You name it. Write it down. Later on down the road you’ll be glad you did.

Don’t neglect your physical therapy. You’d be surprised how many people skip their physical therapy sessions after being involved in an accident. If your doctor gives you PT as part of your treatment plan, TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.

SAVE EVERYTHING. Insurance companies ALWAYS find a way to reduce your settlement amount. You have to make sure you have a solid paper trail to dispute their claims.