What You Can Expect When Hit from Behind
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about four of every ten motor vehicle accident in the United States are rear-end collisions. The causes are many, from distracted driving to excessive speed, tailgating and failure to consider adverse weather conditions.
The Types of Injuries Frequently Associated with Rear-End Collisions
In nearly every rear-end collision, one or more of the passengers in the front car sustain a whiplash injury. Whiplash involves a violent snapping back and forth of your head (much like the action of a whip), pushing your head and neck beyond your normal range of motion. You can expect strains, sprains and muscle pulls in your neck and may also incur damage to your discs. Your discs provide a cushion between the vertebrae that compose your spinal column and that carry many of the nerve bundles that affect your motor skills. Discs may be herniated or ruptured, impinging on nerves and causing pain, inflammation and stiffness. You can also suffer damage to other connective tissue, such as ligaments and tendons, as a result of whiplash.
Because they tend to happen at relatively slow speeds, rear-end crashes don’t typical trigger the deployment of an airbag. That usually requires that the vehicle be traveling about 20 mile per hour or more. Nonetheless, the impact may be sufficient to slam your head or face into the steering wheel, the dashboard or the windshield. If the airbag does deploy, though, you can sustain fairly serious injury.
Contact Gregg A. Wisotsky, Partner at Javerbaum, Wurgaft Hicks Kahn Wikstrom & Sinins, PC
I offer a free phone consultation to every prospective client. For a complimentary evaluation of your case, contact my office online or call me at 973-241-7468. I will come to your home or the hospital to meet with you, if necessary. All major credit cards are accepted.
