Whiplash Injuries At Work
Workplace accidents in West Palm beach and throughout South Florida can result in a wide range of injuries, including whiplash. While whiplash is most often associated with rear-end car crashes, it is important to know that whiplash can be a painful injury that can result from various kinds of workplace transportation collisions and other types of accidents. Sometimes symptoms of whiplash do not appear immediately, and an injured worker may not realize they have whiplash until they have been assessed by a health care provider. As such, it is essential to receive a full medical evaluation after any type of workplace injury. If you were diagnosed with whiplash, it is essential to seek advice from a West Palm Beach workers’ compensation attorney about seeking benefits through the Florida workers’ compensation system. In the meantime, it is important to learn more about whiplash and what you need to do in order to be eligible for workers’ compensation.
What is Whiplash?
What is whiplash, and how does this type of injury happen? According to the Mayo Clinic, “whiplash is a neck injury due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, like the cracking of a whip.” As the Mayo Clinic clarifies, “whiplash is commonly caused by rear-end car accidents,” but “whiplash can also result from sports accidents, physical abuse, and other types of traumas, such as a fall.” In some cases, whiplash may be described as a neck sprain or a neck sprain, but the Mayo Clinic explains that “these terms also include other types of neck injuries,” and whiplash is more specific.
How Whiplash Happens in Work Accidents
Many types of work accidents may result in whiplash, and it is among the more common types of injuries that people sustain in on-the-job accidents. The following are examples of some of the kinds of accidents in which a worker might suffer whiplash:
- Car accident while running errands for an employer;
- Truck accident involving a long-haul truck driver or delivery truck driver;
- Slip and fall accident at work, or a trip and fall accident;
- Repetitive stress from workplace task;
- Sports-related injury in a mandatory workplace recreational activity, such as a kickball game; or
- Intentional assault that occurs in the workplace.
Symptoms of Whiplash After a Workplace Accident
If you have any symptoms of whiplash, even after a minor workplace accident, it is essential to be seen by a health care provider. The Mayo Clinic identifies the following as common signs and symptoms:
- Neck pain or neck stiffness;
- Neck pain that worsens with movement;
- Limited range of neck movement;
- Headaches that begin at the base of the skull;
- Pain in the shoulder;
- Pain in the upper back;
- Pain in the arms;
- Arm tingling or numbness;
- Fatigue;
- Dizziness;
- Blurry vision;
- Tinnitus;
- Sleep issues;
- Irritability;
- Difficulty concentrating;
- Memory issues; and
- Depression.
Contact a West Palm Beach Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Did you sustain a whiplash injury on the job, or were you diagnosed with whiplash following an accident that occurred while you were working? Florida law requires you to report the injury to your employer within 30 days in order to be eligible for compensation. One of the experienced West Palm Beach workers’ compensation attorneys at the Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld, P.A. can assess your case and help you to seek the compensation you need and deserve. An advocate at our firm can speak with you today about your workers’ compensation claim.
Sources:
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0440/0440ContentsIndex.html
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/whiplash/symptoms-causes/syc-20378921
