No one is surprised when a high-speed motor vehicle accident causes catastrophic injuries to a driver or passenger. When a motorcycle accident leads to a rider being thrown into traffic, or a truck crashes with a passenger vehicle after the driver fails to see a stop sign, the human body is subjected to tremendous forces.

The best intentions of safety advocates and designers of passenger restraints cannot protect people from all car accident injuries. Even low-speed impacts can cause painful and disabling spinal injuries or traumatic brain injuries.

One common scenario that may cause little damage to a vehicle but significant harm to a person inside is a seemingly minor impact between cars in traffic due to distracted driving. A rear-end collision in stop-and-go gridlock that results when a driver's attention is focused on making a cell phone call or responding to a text can cause a quick velocity change to passengers in the forward vehicle.

One study of whiplash injuries by Swedish traffic safety researchers concluded that a rear-end impact that causes a velocity change of as little as six miles per hour can cause harm. Other researchers determined that women are at a greater risk than men for whiplash related disorders at a particular level of crash severity. The most common harm in these situations is musculoskeletal injuries of the neck, but complaints of neurological symptoms are also an important area of concern.

Proof of injury in such cases often requires a dedicated effort by the injury victim's car accident attorney. This means aggressive legal action backed by expert assessment from biomechanical engineers of available vehicle crash evidence, such as damage to bumpers or electronic data, to calculate the g-forces experienced by the injury victim.

A personal injury lawyer must also work closely with treating physicians and surgeons to establish causation of a neck injury, concussion or spinal injury, or aggravation of an existing condition. Whiplash injuries are no minor matter to a person with a painful condition that interferes with their ability to work or enjoy life's simple pleasures. Compensation for any type of car accident injury can help a plaintiff regain lost income and obtain adequate treatment to restore health.