Is It Normal to Experience Headaches After a Car Crash?

March 30, 2018

If you have developed headaches after a car crash in Elgin, SC, they are probably the result of an injury or several injuries you sustained. The cause of a headache is closely related to its type. Before we discuss the common types of headaches car accident victims experience, there are two things you should consider doing right away:

  1. See a doctor to discover the cause of the headache and receive adequate treatment
  2. Consult an Elgin car accident lawyer, as you may be entitled to compensation from the party at fault for your accident.

Common Types of Headaches After a Car Crash in Elgin SC

  • Post-Traumatic Headache – According to the American Migraine Foundation, this type of headache is the result of a head trauma and sets in when the sufferer regains consciousness or within seven days from the injury. It may be associated with dizziness, memory and concentration problems, insomnia, light-sensitivity, fatigue, and mood changes. When it lasts more than three months (it may last for years), doctors refer to it as persistent post-traumatic headache.
  • Concussion Headache – This type of headache usually follows a serious car accident injury to the head, and it is often associated with confusion, short-term amnesia, brain fog, double vision, dizziness, slurred speech, loss of balance, and even loss of consciousness. Sometimes, the headache and some of the other symptoms persist for months or even years, doctors labeling them as post-concussion syndrome.
  • Muscle Strain Headache Also known as tension headache, it is the result of a spasm or strain of the head, neck, or upper back muscles, or of normal movement changes following a car accident injury.  Associated symptoms are low motion range of the upper back, neck, and head, pain during some movements, muscular tenderness, local swelling and redness. The pain usually fades within days.
  • Whiplash Headache – Whiplash is a common car accident injury occurring from the forced forward and backward movement of the head and affecting especially neck muscles. Approximately 80% of those sustaining whiplash injury also develop a related chronic headache that can last for weeks, even months. Other symptoms are visual disturbances, neck stiffness and pain, fatigue, dizziness, memory and concentration problems, sleeping difficulties, and irritability.
  • Fracture Headache – This type of headache accompanies, as the name suggests, fractures of the skull bones or cervical vertebrae, and affects the neck, the back of the head, or the fracture area. Associated symptoms are bruising, bleeding from the nose, ears, around the eyes, or any open wounds, visual disturbances, drowsiness, confusion, seizures, slurred speech, nausea, and vomiting.
  • Pinched Nerve Headache – Sometimes, car accident injuries lead to spinal nerve compression. Its symptoms, commonly referred to as cervical radiculopathy, include headaches, inflammation, pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness radiating along the nerve pathway.

Sometimes, headaches are a sign of more severe injuries or health problems. If yours persist and you did not seek medical attention after the accident, you should do it as soon as possible. Besides diagnosing or ruling out more serious conditions, you will also receive treatment for your headache and improve your quality of life.

Depending on the type of headache, the necessary treatment may include anything from painkillers, antidepressants, blood pressure, and anti-seizure medicines, to physical therapy, relaxation therapy, nerve stimulation, cognitive behavioral therapy, and even surgery. It can reach huge amounts, and bring about severe pain and suffering.

If it happens to you, and someone else was at fault for the car crash that caused all this, you may have the right to seek compensation from them or their insurer. The compensation can cover any or all of the following:

  • Car repairs or replacement
  • Medical expenses and recovery costs
  • Lost wages and earning capacity
  • Pain and suffering

In order to obtain it, you will have to prove that all the damages and losses you want compensated were the direct consequence of the car accident, the party against whom you file the compensation claim or their insured client were at fault for the accident, and you actually incurred all the damages and losses for which you seek compensation.

An experienced car accident attorney in Elgin, SC, can explain everything and provide all the guidance and assistance you need. If you have not contacted one yet, you should do it as soon as possible. Under South Carolina law, you have three years from the accident date to seek compensation for injuries and damages. However, time flies by, and the sooner you take action, the sooner you will receive the due compensation.

Contact an Elgin, SC, Car Accident Injury Lawyer Today

No matter how serious or difficult to treat your headaches after a car crash are, you should not cover their treatment from your own pocket or allow them to negatively impact your quality of life without at least obtaining compensation.

Contact the Connell Law Firm now, and we will help you prove the cause of your headaches and obtain the compensation you deserve for your Elgin car accident injury. We will take over all the paperwork and legal procedures, and let you focus on your recovery and getting your life back on track.

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