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A day after the accident, about a week ago now, you started having issues with your neck. You hadn’t had any issues prior to the collision and seemed fine immediately afterward, which was odd considering the size of the accident. You and your daughter were stuck just past the on-ramp at the Four Corners while on your way to Woodmoor. The traffic ahead of you was terrible but your daughter really wanted to get a new bathing suit, so you stuck with it.

Suddenly, your car jerked violently forward and was forced into the car in front of you. You quickly glanced in the rearview mirror as your head flew forward and saw several cars speeding down the on-ramp straight toward you. The car that hit you apparently didn’t see that traffic had stopped and the cars behind him appeared to be equally surprised with the abrupt stop. You immediately snapped your arm across your daughter’s chest to help brace her for more impacts. Sure enough, the line of cars behind you consecutively crashed one into the next, causing your car to jerk and rumble several more times.

Once the collisions stopped, you checked your daughter for any injuries, (made her move her neck around to see if there was any pain, while you did the same yourself), and after you were satisfied that you were both okay, you got out of the car to assess the overall damage. 

But now, after a week of pain, dizziness, and the inability to move your neck, you’re thinking maybe you weren’t alright; perhaps the accident did cause damage that you just weren’t aware of at the time. 

Multiple-Force Damages

Whiplash can be a serious and extremely painful consequence of a car accident. The force that snaps your head forward can cause pulled neck muscles and tears leading to whiplash symptoms. However, when you experience not one, but multiple impacts, your head and neck are placed in even greater risk for long-term damage.

  • The initial accident will generally contain the most force but can in itself produce two impact points (front and rear impact) that affect your neck. When you’re hit from behind, the force can cause your head to be thrown forward and then snap back; if there is a car in front of you that you’re pushed into, the impact from the front can force your head back even further and then snap forward—causing the potential for four separate force-related injuries.
  • Consecutive impacts resulting from the chain-reaction accident may have less force (as it will be filtered through more cars), but could cause minor damage to become a traumatic injury.  Imagine that you have a rubber band, and you’ve stretched it as far as you can; now imagine attempting to stretch it further by slowly pulsing it outward. Eventually, after enough pulses, the rubber band will snap. The same principle applies with pulled neck muscles. If you’re already injured, additional forces (pulses) could make these injuries significantly worse and even cause paralysis.

If you’ve recently been involved in a multi-car pile-up or chain-reaction collision and are experiencing pain in your head, neck, or back, or are having dizziness or sleep issues, seek medical attention immediately. You never know how serious an injury can be until proper tests are performed. Concerned about how to pay for medical treatment? Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your rights and the potential for a car accident claim. Don’t allow the dread of a medical bill to keep you from getting the treatment you deserve. Call now.

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