What To Do About Neck Pain After a Car Accident

Neck pain after a car accident can range from temporary soreness to herniated discs, nerve damage, and chronic conditions that follow you for life. Getting the right medical care is step one — but making sure someone is fighting to hold the negligent party accountable for every dollar your injury costs you? That's where Thiessen Law Firm comes in.

Here's what you need to do:

Seek medical attention immediately
Document everything — symptoms, appointments, and expenses
Avoid giving recorded statements to insurance adjusters
Preserve all evidence from the accident scene
Contact a Houston car accident lawyer before accepting any settlement offer

Mark Thiessen and Mike "The Insider" Pita have built their reputations on taking the giants down — and they bring that same relentless fight to every neck injury case that crosses their desk. Their results speak for themselves: this is a firm that doesn't settle for less when more is what you deserve.

Don't let the insurance company decide what your pain is worth. Call Thiessen Law Firm at (713) 864-9000 for a free consultation and find out what fighting back really looks like.

What should I do if my neck hurts after a car accident?

Whether you're dealing with immediate agony or delayed neck pain after a car accident that crept up days later, here's what you need to do to protect both your health and your right to compensation:

Seek medical attention immediately

Even if you feel fine at the scene, get examined by a medical professional as soon as possible. Adrenaline is a powerful masking agent, and some of the most serious neck injuries — herniated discs, nerve damage, ligament tears — don't make themselves known until hours or days after impact. A prompt medical evaluation creates the documentation trail that connects your injuries directly to the accident, which is exactly the kind of evidence that holds up when you're pursuing a neck injury lawsuit.

Skipping or delaying medical care is one of the most damaging things you can do to your case. Insurance adjusters will argue that if your neck truly hurt, you would have sought treatment immediately. Don't give them that opening. Go to the doctor, follow every treatment recommendation, and keep every appointment — your medical records are the foundation of your claim.

Document everything

From the moment the crash happens, start building your paper trail. Take photos of the vehicles, the accident scene, road conditions, and any visible injuries. Keep a running record of every symptom you experience, no matter how minor it seems — neck stiffness, headaches, tingling in your arms, difficulty sleeping. Neck pain following a car accident has a way of evolving, and detailed personal documentation shows exactly how your condition progressed over time.

Don't stop there. Hold onto every medical bill, prescription receipt, physical therapy record, and note from your doctor. Track every day of work you missed and every activity you could no longer do because of your injury. Emotional distress after a car accident is also compensable, so document how your injury has affected your mental health, your relationships, and your quality of life. The more thorough your documentation, the harder it is for insurance companies to minimize what you're owed.

Avoid giving recorded statements to insurance adjusters

The other driver's insurance company may call you within hours of the accident, and they'll sound friendly, sympathetic, and reasonable. Don't be fooled. Their job is to get you on record saying something — anything — they can use to reduce your payout or deny your claim entirely. A casual "I'm doing okay" can be twisted into evidence that your injuries aren't serious. An offhand comment about the accident can be used to shift blame onto you.

You are not required to give a recorded statement to the other party's insurance company. Politely decline and refer them to your attorney. Once Thiessen Law Firm is on your case, all communication with insurance adjusters goes through us — so you never have to worry about saying the wrong thing at the worst possible moment.

Preserve all evidence from the accident scene

If you're physically able at the scene, gather as much evidence as possible before anything gets moved, cleaned up, or conveniently forgotten. Photograph skid marks, vehicle positions, traffic signals, and any road hazards that may have contributed to the crash. Get the names and contact information of every witness. Write down everything you remember about the accident as soon as you're able — details fade fast, and your account of events matters.

Evidence doesn't just live at the scene, either. Surveillance footage from nearby businesses, traffic cameras, and dashcam recordings can be central to proving liability — but that footage gets overwritten quickly. The sooner a personal injury lawyer in Houston gets involved, the sooner they can move to preserve evidence before it disappears for good, including evidence that the other party would rather you never see.

Contact a Houston car accident lawyer before accepting any settlement offer

No matter how straightforward your case seems, the insurance company has professionals working against you from day one. You need professionals working for you too. Whether your accident involved a distracted driver, a commercial vehicle, or even Uber & Lyft accidents where liability gets complicated fast, Thiessen Law Firm has the experience and the firepower to handle it.

The sooner you get an attorney involved, the better positioned your case will be. Evidence gets preserved, witnesses get interviewed while memories are fresh, and the insurance company loses its ability to manipulate you directly. Thiessen Law Firm offers free consultations, so there's no reason to wait and every reason to call. The giants aren't slowing down — and neither should you.

What is the most common neck injury in a car accident?

Car accidents subject your neck to violent, sudden forces that the human body simply isn't built to withstand. Even a low-speed collision can send shockwaves through your cervical spine, straining muscles, compressing nerves, and damaging structures that take months — or years — to heal.

These are the most common neck injuries we see in car accident cases:

Whiplash: The most frequently diagnosed neck injury after a collision, whiplash occurs when your head is snapped violently forward and backward, overstretching the muscles and ligaments of your neck. Symptoms can include stiffness, headaches, dizziness, and pain that radiates into your shoulders and arms.
Herniated discs: The impact of a crash can cause the soft discs between your cervical vertebrae to rupture or bulge, pressing on nearby nerves and causing pain, numbness, and weakness that can extend down through your arms and hands.
Cervical fractures: High-impact collisions can fracture the vertebrae in your neck — injuries that range from serious to life-threatening and often require surgery, long-term rehabilitation, or result in permanent disability.
Nerve damage: Compressed or torn nerves in the cervical spine can cause chronic pain, tingling, and loss of function that lingers long after the visible signs of injury have faded.
Muscle and ligament tears: Soft tissue injuries are among the most common and most disputed injuries in car accident cases. Insurance companies love to downplay them — but torn muscles and ligaments can cause debilitating pain and significantly impact your ability to work and live your life.

Neck injuries vary widely in severity, and so do the settlements that come with them.

What is the average payout for a neck injury in a car accident?

A neck pain car accident settlement can range from a few thousand dollars for a minor soft tissue injury to several million dollars for cases involving fractures, herniated discs, permanent nerve damage, or long-term disability. What determines where your case falls on that spectrum comes down to a handful of factors.

The severity and permanence of your injury.
A whiplash injury that resolves in six weeks carries a very different value than a herniated disc that requires surgery and leaves you with chronic pain for the rest of your life. The more permanent and life-altering your injury, the higher the potential value of your claim.

The cost of your medical treatment.
Every surgery, every physical therapy session, every specialist visit, and every prescription adds to the economic foundation of your claim. Future medical expenses — ongoing care, pain management, potential additional procedures — are also factored into what you're owed.

Your lost wages and earning capacity.
If your neck injury has kept you out of work, reduced your hours, or permanently limited your ability to do your job, that lost income is compensable. In severe cases, vocational experts are brought in to calculate exactly how much your injury will cost you over the course of your career.

The clarity of liability.
The stronger the evidence that the other driver was at fault, the harder it is for the insurance company to justify a lowball offer. Cases with clear liability and well-documented injuries consistently produce higher settlements than cases where fault is disputed.

The quality of your legal representation.
This one matters more than most people realize. Insurance companies track which attorneys actually take cases to trial and which ones fold under pressure. When Thiessen Law Firm puts its name on your case, adjusters know they're not dealing with someone who will accept pennies on the dollar — and that changes the negotiation dynamic entirely.

The bottom line is that the insurance company's first offer is almost never their best offer, and it's almost never close to what your case is actually worth. Without an attorney who knows how to document, demand, and fight for full compensation, you're leaving money on the table — money that could cover years of medical care, lost income, and the pain that doesn't show up on any bill.

What damages can you claim for a neck injury?

When someone else's negligence puts you in this position, Texas law entitles you to compensation that reflects the full scope of what you've lost. So what damages can you claim for a neck injury? Here's what may be on the table:

Past and future medical expenses
Lost wages
Loss of earning capacity
Pain and suffering*
Mental anguish
Loss of enjoyment of life
Loss of consortium
Punitive damages

Insurance companies will fight every single one of these categories. They'll question the necessity of your treatment, dispute the connection between your injury and the accident, and do everything in their power to shrink the number they have to write on that check.

That's exactly why having Thiessen Law Firm in your corner isn't just helpful — it's essential. We know every tactic they use to minimize your damages, and we know how to dismantle every one of them.

*Learn more about calculating pain and suffering damages in Texas

Neck pain after a car accident — FAQs

What are the red flags after a car accident?

Severe headaches, dizziness, numbness or tingling in your arms and hands, difficulty concentrating, and pain that worsens rather than improves are all warning signs that your neck injury may be more serious than it appears.

Don't wait for symptoms to become unbearable before seeking medical attention — early diagnosis can be the difference between a full recovery and a permanent condition. It can also be the difference between a strong injury claim and one the insurance company tears apart.

How long do you have to file a neck injury claim in Texas?

Texas has a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims, meaning you have two years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit. Missing that deadline means losing your right to compensation entirely, no matter how strong your case is.

How long does it take for neck pain to go away after a car accident?

It depends entirely on the nature and severity of your injury. Minor soft tissue injuries may resolve within a few weeks with proper treatment, while herniated discs, nerve damage, and fractures can cause pain that lingers for months, years, or permanently.

This uncertainty is exactly why you should never accept a settlement before you've reached maximum medical improvement — once you sign, you can't go back for more.

Should I sue for whiplash?

If someone else's negligence caused your whiplash, absolutely — especially if it has resulted in medical bills, missed work, or ongoing pain that has disrupted your daily life. Insurance companies routinely dismiss whiplash as minor and offer settlements that don't come close to covering the full cost of your injury. A skilled attorney can make sure your whiplash claim is taken seriously and compensated fairly.

What's the average payout for whiplash?

Whiplash settlements vary widely depending on the severity of the injury, the cost of treatment, and how significantly it has impacted your life and livelihood. Minor cases may settle for a few thousand dollars, while severe or chronic whiplash injuries with significant medical expenses and lost wages can result in settlements worth tens or hundreds of thousands.

The best way to know what your specific case is worth is to speak with an experienced attorney who can evaluate your damages and fight for every dollar you deserve.

Don't let the insurance company decide what your neck injury is worth.

Neck pain after a car accident can upend your entire life — your ability to work, to sleep, to be present for the people who depend on you. And while you're trying to heal, the other driver's insurance company is doing everything in their power to make sure they pay you as little as possible. They have adjusters, investigators, and attorneys working that angle from the moment the crash happens. The question is: who is working yours?

At Thiessen Law Firm, we fight giants — and insurance companies that profit from undervaluing legitimate injury claims are exactly the kind of giants we were built to take down. Mark Thiessen and Mike "The Insider" Pita bring decades of combined experience, insider knowledge, and a track record of multi-million dollar recoveries to every case they take on. They don't back down from lowball offers, they don't fold under corporate pressure, and they don't stop fighting until you get every dollar you're owed.

You didn't ask for this accident. You didn't ask for the pain, the medical bills, or the battle with an insurance company that sees you as a liability rather than a human being. But you do get to choose who fights for you — and that choice matters more than you can imagine. Don't leave your recovery — financial or otherwise — in the hands of people who are actively working against you.

Call Thiessen Law Firm at (713) 864-9000 or contact us online for a free consultation. The fight for what you deserve starts today.

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