Neck and Shoulder Injuries | Kent Car Accident Lawyer

Working as a personal injury lawyer, Seattle car accident attorney and Bellevue serious accident lawyer I understand how extensive the bodily damage can be for those involved in a severe auto accident. The damages range from severe head trauma to minor cuts and bruises, but you can never tell immediately how extensive the damage is. Neck and shoulder injuries, for example, often take a few days to emerge so it is important to pay attention to the symptoms after you are involved in an auto accident.

Neck Injuries:

Sprain/Strain: A neck sprain and strain is caused when the ligaments connecting the necks vertebrate are extended beyond their normal range of motion- stretching and straining them so that they produce pain much like a pulled muscle. This can happen in car accidents when the impact causes the neck to extend forward and then snap backwards. A strain does not usually show any signs until 24 to 48 hours after an accident. A sprain can be very uncomfortable and is usually met with the following symptoms;

• Neck pain that is triggered largely by movement
• Muscle spasms and pain in back of shoulders
• Headaches
• Sore throat
• Irritability, fatigue, difficulty sleeping
• Stiffness and decreased range of motion in the neck
• Weakness, numbness or tingling in the arms or hands

Symptoms usually decrease in 4 to 6 weeks after the injury with proper care, severe injuries, however,  can take longer to heal. To help your neck sprain heal more quickly be sure to ice it regularly and let it heal. Your physician may recommend you wear a neck brace to let the ligaments rest.

Whiplash:  Whiplash is perhaps the most common auto accident injury as it is caused simply by the neck being quickly thrust forward then backwards and can be caused by accidents where speeds are as low as 15 miles per hour. Whiplash is essentially a sprained or strained neck- with the ligaments, muscles and tendons strained and stressed from being extended beyond their normal range of motion. The symptoms of whiplash include:

• Neck pain
• Neck swelling
• Tenderness along the back of your neck
• Muscle spasms (in the side or back of your neck)
• Difficulty moving your neck around
• Headache
• Pain shooting from your neck into either shoulder or arm

Fracture: A neck fracture is a very serious condition caused by impact to the neck or head area. A neck fracture is a break in one of the vertebrate in the neck which make up the spine. Because the vertebrate protect the nerves in the spinal column a neck fracture can easily lead to paralysis or death as it is easy for the bone fragments to cut off the nerves in the spinal cord. Symptoms of a neck fracture include:

neck fracture

• Pain in the neck area
• Swelling or bruising of the neck
• Loss of feeling or numbness in arms or legs
• Weakness in the muscles or paralysis of the arms or legs

There are a variety of ways to treat a fracture of the neck depending on the severity of the injury. For minor injuries a neck brace may be worn until the bone heals itself (8 to 12 weeks). For a more severe injury surgery may be required to realign the bones. As with every surgery there are major risks involved including paralysis. A metal plate or screws may be implanted into your neck to hold the bones in their proper place.

Cervical Radiculopathy: Also known as a pinched nerve, Cervical Radiculopathy is the result of one of two things: the body’s degeneration over time or a herniated disk. A herniated disk is the result of trauma to the body which forces the spinal disk into an unnatural position causing pain. The spinal disk is a soft cushion that sits between the vertebrate in the spine, preventing them from rubbing together. With trauma, such as an auto accident, this soft disk gets pushed out of its natural place and moves down, pinching the nerve. Symptoms include:

• 

  herniated disk

  Electrical shocks: If the herniated disk is in the neck the shocks will run down the arms. Ifthe herniated disk is in the low back- shocks will run down the legs.

• Numbness, pins and needles sensation or tingling often occurs in the same areas as the electrical shocks.
• Weakness in the muscles: brain signals can be interrupted making muscles behave substandard.
• Bowl or bladder problems- this can mean your body has suffered cauda equina syndrome, an extremely dangerous syndrome and you need to contact your doctor immediately.

Shoulders and Arms

Arm Laceration

Laceration: Cuts to the shoulders and arms are common in serious auto accidents as can range in severity. Breaking glass or being ejected from a vehicle can cause these injuries and they may require several stitches to close. As a result these lacerations can leave massive scars on the body that can either be left and ignored or spend quite a bit of money on plastic surgery to destroy the evidence.

Sprain and Strain: A arm sprain occurs when the ligaments that connect the bones are stretched and strained out of their normal range. The ligament can tear in a bad injury and will take a span of time to heal. The symptoms include: arm pain, bruising, swelling and arm tenderness. Treatment for a sprain includes rest, icing the sprain for 20 minutes every hour, taking anti-inflammatory medication such as IB Profein or Aspirin and wrapping the injury for stability.

arm fracture

Fracture: Arms will often suffer broken bones or fractures due to the impact in the car accident. These fractures range in severity depending on how hard the impact was, whether or not the victim was wearing a seatbelt and the angle of impact. Common symptoms include: sudden pain, bruising, swelling and may lead the arm to take an usual or bent shape or in severe cases the broken bone may puncture through the skin.

Dislocation: A dislocation occurs when the shoulder bone (humerous) loses contact with the socket of the shoulder blade (scapula). Because the two bones are connected through a ball and socket joint the shoulder is not as stable as other bones in the body and is prone to becoming dislocated or separated. This injury happens often in sports, but can also happen in high impact auto accidents. Shoulder dislocation is accompanied with shoulder pain, lack of ability to move the arm properly. Shoulder dislocations can easily be popped back into place quickly after the accident by a professional.

rotator cuff muscles

Rotator Cuff Injury: The rotator cuff is a group of tendon and muscles in your shoulder which connect your upper arm and shoulder blade in combination with the ball and socket joint. There are a variety of injuries that happen to the rotator cuff ranging from tendinitis to a sprain or tear of the muscles in the shoulder which require surgery to fix. The most common rotator cuff injury in auto accidents, however, is an acute or sudden tear to the tendons/muscles from the sudden force of the accident. A small tear will be uncomfortable for a few days, but a massive tear can prevent the victim from raising their arm entirely.  Ice, rest and anti-inflammatory medication are used for minor cases, but severe cases surgery is often the result.

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