Whiplash is an acceleration-deceleration neck injury most frequently incurred in a motor vehicle accident. It involves soft tissue injury and sometimes bone structure damage. The soft tissue includes ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves. Soft tissue injuries are seldom revealed through x-rays. An MRI is more effective for diagnosing these injuries and any instability in the neck and spine; but due to the expense, an MRI may not be requested by your doctor or authorized by your insurance company.
Whiplash is a descriptive term for the condition, but it has a negative connotation. Since whiplash is difficult to confirm through imaging, insurance adjusters minimize the long-term consequences of this injury. The insurance company is also very suspicious of malingering in cases of whiplash. So, in most cases, it is in your best interest to refer to your whiplash injury as a soft tissue injury.
The symptoms of a whiplash-type soft tissue injury include headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, dizziness, fatigue, jaw pain, arm pain, and arm weakness. All of these symptoms can occur in a rear-end collison when the lower bones in the neck are hyperextended while the upper bones in the neck are hyperflexed. This forces the neck into an unnatural s-shape. The damage to the soft tissue can be more severe and take longer to heal if the blood flow to the area is impeded in any way.
If you sustain a soft tissue injury in a car accident, or any motor vehicle accident, you really need a personal injury attorney that not only has experience but is respected by insurance adjusters for their ability to present a compelling case. TSR Injury Law has attorneys who are excellent litigators. Our partners have been named Minnesota Super Lawyers over many years. They have a reputation for being aggressive and persuasive. Call us with any of your personal injury needs at 612-362-0000.
If you have been in a car accident, you need to report the accident immediately to police and your insurance company and then contact a personal injury lawyer. You need an attorney with the ability to fight back against the insurance companies. 
