4 Factors that Can Increase the Risk of Sustaining Whiplash in an Auto Crash

Whiplash is one of the most common injuries that result from auto wrecks. In fact, while whiplash injuries can be sustained in very low-speed collisions (like when vehicles are only traveling at 5 to 10 mph), they can also occur even if the crash impact causes no damage to the vehicle.

Not every driver (and passenger), however, is equally susceptible to suffering whiplash in traffic accidents. And below we will point out some of the specific risk factors for auto crash whiplash injuries.

When Auto Crashes Are Most Likely to Cause Whiplash Injuries

In general, there will be a greater risk of sustaining whiplash injuries in a car accident if or when:

1. There is no awareness that the crash/impact is impending – When vehicle occupants are not expecting to be hit by another vehicle or be in a collision, they will not be prepared with a “stabilization” response to brace themselves for the impending force. This, in turn, generally means that passengers in vehicles tend to sustain more severe whiplash injuries than drivers, as drivers will usually be more alert to the possibility of collision (by, for instance, looking in their vehicle’s mirrors).
2. The vehicle occupants are female – In general, female’s necks tend to be less bulky and muscular than male’s necks. This means that females tend to have less protection around their cervical spine when the outside force of a crash exerts a significant and abnormal impact on it.
3. The occupants’ heads are further away from head restraints – The further vehicle occupants’ heads are from their head restraint/support, the greater the likelihood for whiplash will be (and the more the whiplash injuries will tend to be) when a crash happens. This is because a greater distance between the head and the head support means that there is more room for the head to be whipped back and forth in a collision (as opposed to the support cutting off this motion when the head snaps backwards).
4. The occupants are drunk, older than 65 and/or have a pre-existing whiplash/neck injury – In any of these circumstances (or combination of circumstances), there will also be a far greater risk of suffering whiplash injuries in traffic crashes because alcohol impairment, being elderly and/or having an existing neck injury can make the neck far more susceptible to trauma when an outside force is exerted on it.

Contact a Littleton Car Accident Lawyer at Littleton Lawyers™

If you have been hurt in a traffic crash, contact a Littleton car accident lawyer at Littleton Lawyers™ to find out more about your options for financial recovery. Since 1983, our attorneys have been fighting on behalf of injured people and aggressively standing up against injustice, inequality and intolerance.

To get more information about your potential case and rights, attend a free, no obligations initial consultation with one of your attorneys. You can set up a meeting by calling us at (303) 794-7422 or emailing us using the form on this page.

From our law offices in Littleton, we represent clients throughout Colorado, including in the Denver Metro Area, Arapahoe County, Adams County, Jefferson County and the cities of Lakewood, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Castle Rock, Westminster, Centennial and Aurora.