The forces created by a rear-end impact move the parts of the body in specific ways. The nature of that movement accounts for at least some of the symptoms that are associated with the resulting injuries.
Whiplash
Following the impact, the head and neck get jerked forward suddenly, and then backwards, just as rapidly. Those quick movements can create the injury known as whiplash. Victims that suffer with such an injury experience headaches, restricted movement, and impairment of cognitive skills, along with chronic pain. The constant pain can limit the victim’s ability to pursue all the activities that are part of a full and useful life.
Spine and back injuries
These result from damage to the spinal cord. Again, pain heads the list of the symptoms in a condition that has long been associated with collisions, such as those caused by a rear-end impact. A number of other symptoms can accompany that pain. That list of additional problems includes a decreased level of sensation in some parts of the body, a decreased range of motion in specific joints and numbness in certain body regions.
Sometimes the nerves in a limb create a prickling sensation. In extreme cases, those nerves could become paralyzed.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Both whiplash and concussion have the ability to trigger development of a TBI. They can cause the brain to move inside the skull, and even to hit the skull. Someone that has sustained a TBI experiences repeated headaches and emotional disturbances.
If someone with an earache were to be in a car that felt a rear-end impact, that could allow the ear infection to affect the brain. In that instance, the symptoms might manifest themselves more slowly. Still, the damage to the brain could result in long-term consequences, including seizures.
More importantly, a seizure could be a sign that surgical treatment might prove necessary. One area of the brain that could get damaged is the one that allows for absorption of the spinal fluid, the fluid that fills the brain’s ventricles. That fluid surrounds the brain, acting like a cushion and then flows into the spinal column. Normally, some of it gets absorbed, so that the ventricles do not start to expand. That normal action could get suppressed, as one of a TBI’s possible effects. Only surgery can correct for such a condition. That is why it helps to hire the services of a personal injury lawyer in Calgary.
Knee Injuries
Anytime that an impact causes a body to get tossed around inside of a vehicle, the knees on that same body could hit a hard object, such as the dashboard. The resulting injury would force the victim to deal with both pain and impaired mobility. Temporary immobilization serves as a treatment. Afterwards, walking allows for restoration of full mobility.