Whiplash is caused when a car is hit by another automobile from the rear side and the force of the collision causes a whipping shock to the neck. It results in neck injury such as neck strain and neck sprain. Whiplash can damage inter-vertebral joints, ligaments, cervical muscles, nerve roots, and discs. This accident causes damage to the soft tissues of the neck and even damages the nerve fibers of the body. The thoracic nerve is an unusual nerve present at the side of chest. This nerve is often injured during accidents as it is present just beneath the surface of the body. Stretching and direct blow does a lot of damage to this nerve during sports. If the whiplash injury does damage to the thoracic nerve then results in thoracic nerve palsy and causes the shoulder blades to protrude.
Whiplash injury can damage the accessory nerve too. This nerve connects the brain and the trapezius muscle. The trapezius is a large muscle and it supports upper back movements. Damage to this nerve causes palsy, reduced muscle mass, involuntary twitching and partial paralysis. It is rare for both the above nerves to be damaged at the same time. At first a whiplash injury only seems like a neck strain or neck sprain, however, the full damage emerges several days after the accident. The person who faces the trauma can make accident compensation claim. The law allows the person who suffered from the trauma to file for whip lash claims.