Can Whiplash Cause TMJ?

The intensity of car accidents can cause incredible losses for many people, including the onset of whiplash, a condition that damages the tendons and ligaments in the neck and shoulder area. In some situations, whiplash can cause TMJ, a condition more formally known as a temporomandibular joint disorder. If you were in a car accident with whiplash and now have TMJ, we highly encourage you to reach out to our Atlanta car accident lawyer at John Foy & Associates to learn if you have the right to compensation for these losses.

How Does Whiplash Cause TMJ?

TMJ is rather common after suffering a car accident that leads to whiplash. Some studies indicate that as many as a third of people who have whiplash-related trauma from a car crash will develop some type of TMJ. This can happen up to a year after the car accident occurs.

Though you may wonder if you hit your face and jaw during a car accident to cause pain, that is not the only way TMJ can develop in a car accident. Instead, whiplash could be the cause because of the way it moves your head forward and backward in a rapid response to the force of one car striking the other. There does not need to be an actual impact of the head on any surface to cause this type of pain to occur.

Rather than impact, the damage that leads to TMJ is brought on by the stress applied to the joints in the jaw, those hinges at the side of your head that allow your jaw to open and close. The sudden forward and backward action, which causes whiplash injuries, causes damage to this joint as well. That creates the pain and discomfort you have.

If You Have These Symptoms of TMJ, Contact a Car Accident Attorney

Many people do not put two things together to realize that they have suffered additional losses from the car accident. However, if you begin to have symptoms of pain in your neck and shoulders, headaches, and other signs of whiplash, do not overlook the potential additional symptoms related to TMJ. Some of those symptoms include:

• Locked jaw, in which you cannot open or close your jaw easily or without pain
• Pain that is in the jaw joint, face, or neck
• Clicking sounds when opening and closing the jaw
• Anxiety
• Vertigo
• Trouble chewing without pain or with limited movement without pain
• Ringing in your ears

In these situations, it is best to seek out help from your doctor as a first step. Get the care you need, and all follow-up support is recommended as well. Then, let your car accident attorney know that you have also developed TMJ as a result of the accident and the grades of your whiplash injury.

Symptoms Do Not Usually Go Away

One key thing to know about TMJ is that some people experience lingering pain or changes in the movement of their jaw even weeks later. If you have a new pain like this since your car accident, even if you were not outright diagnosed with whiplash, it could be related to your car accident. It is a good idea to be aggressive about pursuing treatment.

Pursuing Compensation After a Car Accident with Whiplash and TMJ

It helps to work with an experienced car accident attorney who has the ability and knowledge to help you prove that your TMJ symptoms relate to your whiplash and car accident. This is not always easy to do since TMJ can develop over time, worsen over time, and may be caused by many other factors. An experienced attorney will help you in a number of ways.

• Gather evidence to prove fault: Your attorney will determine who is at fault for the accident. This is the first step in helping you to get the compensation owed to you.
• Discuss your medical care before and after the accident: Proving that you did not have any symptoms of TMJ prior to the accident, such as from medical records, may help establish that the accident caused the pain.
• Medical expert testimony: In some situations, it may be necessary to have a medical expert testify that it is possible (and likely) that your TMJ symptoms are due to the accident. Accident re-creation software and experts can also help to show this.
• Prove losses related to TMJ: Your attorney will document all of the losses you have related to TMJ as well, including any type of pain and suffering, medical costs, and ongoing limitations you may have.
• Prove financial losses into the future: Your attorney will also consider complex outcomes, such as complications from your procedure or more advanced treatment you need for severe cases.

A car accident resulting in whiplash does not always mean TMJ will occur or that extensive damage will be evident when it does happen. Yet, without fail, you can expect your car accident attorney to question why you developed this complication. If you have any other symptoms or new onset of illness or injury, make sure you alert your car accident attorney to this as well.

Work with Your Doctor to Get Treatment

Just having TMJ is not enough to actually give you any additional financial compensation. It is best that you spend time working with your doctor to obtain effective treatment for the symptoms you have and, when necessary, more aggressive specialist care. If you do not pursue medical care, it will be difficult for the court to believe you suffered any significant loss from TMJ (in other words, get all of the care your doctor recommends for TMJ symptoms you have).

Seek Out a Car Accident Attorney with the Experience to Help You with TMJ and Whiplash

When you have injuries like whiplash and TMJ, the potential complications and implications on your life are likely numerous, and you deserve compensation when someone else causes those losses. At John Foy & Associates, our car accident attorneys are ready to help you navigate what comes next. Set up a free consultation to discuss your case openly with our team.