A Missouri motor vehicle collision can have far-reaching effects on the lives of those involved. Sometimes, injuries that appear minor at first develop into chronic problems. One of the most common causes of chronic pain after car accidents is whiplash.
Chronic pain often causes a reduced quality of life. The pain becomes so severe that the accident victim can’t work or even function normally. When another person’s negligence was the cause of a car accident that resulted in whiplash injuries, a recovering victim can seek restitution in court for documented financial losses.
Chronic whiplash pain often involves the facet joints
Between each set of vertebrae along the spine are facet joints. These joints, called ‘‘cervical zygapophysial joints,” are often damaged when whiplash occurs. Tiny tears or fractures of the articular cartilage on the surface of the facet joints cause lesions that result in chronic neck and upper body pain. These lesions typically do not show up on an X-ray and are only visible during a postmortem examination of the neck.
Living with chronic pain after an accident
Car accidents are traumatic. When whiplash or another injury results in chronic pain, it can lead to depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder. Filing a personal injury claim in a Missouri civil court is often a means of obtaining compensation, which can be used to alleviate the financial strain that often arises due to ongoing medical treatments.
