How Do Whiplash Injuries Usually Happen?

Every reader of this blog has either seen someone they know, someone on the street or someone in a movie wearing a puffy, white neck brace while complaining of having whiplash. Maybe you’re wearing such a neck brace yourself, right now. If you are, you might be interested to know that whiplash is a very common injury that happens to people when their necks and heads get violently jerked in an accident resulting in bruised, torn and aggravated neck muscles.

Here are a few examples of how whiplash can happen to a New York resident:

Car and motorcycle accidents: One of the most common ways for whiplash to occur relates to car and motorcycle accidents. The g-forces involved in a vehicle collision cause the head to whip back and forth, which can painfully damage the neck area.

Physical abuse: If someone violently shakes, punches or physically abuses another person or child, the victim may suffer from whiplash.

Sporting activities: Boxing, martial arts, football and other rough contact sports may result in whiplash injuries.

Horseback riding: It’s not uncommon for horseback riders to knock their heads on trees, or fall to the ground from their horses, which can result in neck injuries.

Bicycling: Just like horseback riding, bicycling provides plenty of opportunities for serious, neck-jarring accidents.

Any blows to the head: Working at a construction site or any place where things could fall or fly through the air and hit the head creates the risk of whiplash injuries.

If you’ve been hurt in an accident caused by another party’s negligence, whether your injury happens to be whiplash, a broken bone or something else, you might want to learn about New York personal injury law to determine if you have a viable claim for damages.