There are a number of different ways in which a person can suffer injury to the neck area, from injuries affecting the muscles, such as strains; those affecting the ligaments, such as sprains; and those which affect the nerves, which can lead to spinal damage. Equally there can be a number of different causes of medical injuries relating to the neck, including car accidents, falls and even medical negligence, in some cases. Neck injuries can range from those that are minor, if uncomfortable for the sufferer, to those that can cause serious long-term damage. In some cases, a person falling victim to a neck injury may be entitled to make a claim for compensation, if the liability of another party can be established.

The most common types of neck injuries are the relatively minor ones affecting the neck muscles, which include conditions such as muscle strains and whiplash. Strains to the neck muscles are particularly common, although less so than those which affect the muscles in the back. Whiplash is another fairly common injury, directly related to neck muscle strain, affecting the neck and occurring when the head and neck are thrust into hyperextension, before being thrown quickly forward. Whiplash is usually caused by sudden, jolting impact – usually car crashes – and can result in symptoms including stiffness, pain, tingling and numbness affecting the arms and problems sleeping.

Another form of neck injury is nerve damage. This can be particularly serious leading, as it sometimes does, to long-term spinal cord damage – in more serious cases – or a pinched nerve in less serious ones. These types of neck injury can most often lead to medical negligence claims, of the kind dealt with by companies such as Patient Lawyers, as they are amongst the hardest to diagnose and treat. These types of injuries can also arise from errors in medical treatment, and the results can be permanent paralysis, disability, or death.