Orange County Whiplash Injury Lawyers
Suffering From Whiplash Injuries After A Car Accident?
One of the most common types of neck injury is the whiplash. Whiplash injuries can result from front-end and side-impact collisions, but most often they occur due to rear-end auto collisions. In fact, over 1 million rear-end collisions occur every year in the U.S. While most whiplash injuries are minor and will heal within a few weeks with proper care, about 20 to 30 percent of whiplash injuries become chronic and will lead to long-term discomfort. For this reason, spotting the symptoms of a whiplash injury, seeking proper care for these injuries, and monitoring the progress of these injuries are all critical tasks for a potential plaintiff after an auto accident has occurred.
SPEAK WITH AN EXPERIENCED ATTORNEY TODAYInjured in an Accident ?
Three Things You Should Know After A Whiplash Injury Has Occurred
Monitor closely the condition in your neck and your extremities for any of the symptoms listed here.
If you suffer from any of the symptoms listed here, seek immediate medical attention from a physician or chiropractor who is experienced in handling whiplash, neck, and back injuries in Orange County.
Call Easton & Easton, LLP as soon as possible so we can advise you what to do next.
Symptoms Of Whiplash
The classic symptoms of whiplash may occur immediately after the incident or may develop several days after the incident. The symptoms may not develop at the same time, and some may become apparent only with the passage of time. Thus, it is important to pay attention to your symptoms immediately after the accident and for several days and possibly even weeks after the accident.
The following are some of the most common symptoms to be aware of:
- Headaches
- Shoulder/Neck/Arm pain
- Dizziness/Vertigo
- Numbness/Tingling/Weakness
- Jaw pain
- Visual Disturbances
- Nausea/Vomiting
- Emotional complaints
Understanding How Whiplash Occurs
To understand how whiplash occurs, you must first understand the proper movements and functions of your spine and neck. Your spine supports your body weight, aids in movement, and serves as a passageway for your spinal cord and nervous system. The spine is made up of 25 bones, or vertebrae, that are individually designed for specific roles. Each vertebrae is separated by a tough disc that cushions the bones and allows flexibility and movement. The spine as a whole, with its many bones and discs, is capable of very large motions. But each individual joint by itself allows only a few degrees of movement.
The neck is the most flexible part of the spine. It allows your head to move in practically any direction. But its flexibility also makes it the area of the spine that is most vulnerable to injury.
The key to the movement of the cervical spine (or neck region) is what is known as the facet joint. The facet joint is part of each neck vertebrae, and it allows the bones to glide smoothly over each other. All of these neck facet joints moving together make it possible for the head to nod forward and backward.
The bottom line on whiplash is this: Your body was not designed for the abnormal motions that occur during a rear end collision. Normally, when your head moves forward and backward, all of the vertebrae participate equally and safely in the motion. Whiplash, however, is not normal motion. During a rear end collision, which takes place in about the same time as a snap of your finger, your head is thrown backwards so forcibly and quickly that your body does not have a chance to respond.
Rear-End Collisions
Let’s look at what happens to your neck during the four phases of a rear-end collision.
Phase I
You’re sitting in your car with your head and neck positioned normally. Figure I shows what your neck looks like in normal position just before a collision.
Phase II
Immediately after impact, inertia keeps your body momentarily at rest, while the car moves forward and then the car seat shoves your back and chest forward. This results in your spine straightening. Inertia initially keeps your head at rest. This rapid straightening creates a great deal of pressure on your neck joints.
Phase III
Next, within just a fraction of a second, your head and neck appear to move backwards, but in reality it’s your chest moving forward that causes your neck to arc backwards. This type of overextension of the neck backward beyond its neutral position is called Hyperextension. The act of your chest and your neck being yanked in opposite directions results in sharp bending in just one or two joints in your neck. Instead of the joints moving together in little movements, all of the stress is focused in one small area of your spine, resulting in a hyperextension injury.
Phase IV
Finally, your head rebounds forward, resulting in a hyperflexion injury, which is the flexion of the neck forward beyond its normal limit.
Front-End Collisions
If you were injured in a front-end collision, the biomechanical procedure is reversed, and you would first suffer a hyperflexion injury and then a hyperextension injury.
Why Whiplashes Can Be So Painful
All of the most common symptoms of whiplash can be traced either directly or indirectly to the trauma your neck experienced.
There are three major types of injury that whiplash can cause: muscle and ligamentous injury, nerve injury, and facet joint injury.
Muscle And Ligamentous Injury
Most whiplash pain involves muscle and ligamentous tissue, since they are the most easy to damage in a collision. During the impact, the muscles and ligaments in your neck are stretched beyond what they normally experience. Muscle and ligamentous damage is accompanied by swelling and tenderness of the muscles in the neck and shoulders. Fortunately, most muscle and ligamentous injuries heal quickly and usually don’t require extensive or lengthy treatment.
Nerve Injury
Just as muscles are stretched during the rapid motion of whiplash, so are nerves. Most nerves are able to handle such motion. But if your head is turned or if your head restraint is not adjusted properly, a nerve can be stretched too far or pinched. Nerve injuries can be more difficult to treat than muscle damage. In some cases, nerves that are trapped by bones or muscles may require more extensive therapy or even surgery.
Facet Joint Injury
Facet joint injury can show itself in a variety of ways. Pain in the area of the joint is the most common symptom. Facet damage, though, can also result in pain that is felt elsewhere in the body – shoulder and arm pain are common whiplash complaints that may be related to facet joint injury.
Treatment of joint damage can be more difficult for many reasons. First, the joint itself does not have a good supply of blood, which makes it hard for the tissues to heal. Secondly, constant motion of the joint and swelling can irritate the injury.
Effective Treatment
Your doctor can determine the cause of your pain, and help you decide the best treatment. The goal of treatment is to help the damaged tissues heal from the injury. This may take time, depending upon the diagnosis.
We believe that aggressive treatment during the first few weeks after an injury provides the best chance of complete recovery.
At Easton & Easton, LLP, our years of experience allow us to seamlessly assess and coordinate medical care to make certain the full extent of our clients’ injuries are identified, treated, and provable. So, if you need assistance finding an experienced doctor who will treat your symptoms aggressively, our personal injury lawyers in Orange County can help.
We understand the tricks, stratagems, and defenses the insurance companies and their attorneys use to defeat or minimize a claim, and at Easton & Easton, LLP we utilize our experience, skill, and dedication to make certain our clients do not fall victim to the insurance companies’ tricks and stratagems.
Please call us at 800-461-8259 for a free initial consultation. If we do not take your case, there is no charge.
Your Story Is Important To Us.
CALL US SO WE CAN HEAR IT.
Easton & Easton has been recognized by TopVerdict.com Top 10 Motor Vehicle Accident Settlement in Los Angeles for 2025, for the case Bicyclist v. Inattentive Driver — recognized more than 75 times by TopVerdict.com over the past 5 years — including fifty-eight #1 recognitions, and a recognition that arrives in the firm’s 35th anniversary year.
Easton & Easton holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau — the highest rating available. Trust is earned. We've earned it.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen anew each year since 2014 by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers as one of the "Best Law Firms" for the Southern California Metro Area.
Easton & Easton was voted #1 in 2026 (People's Choice Award). This recognition means the most to us — because it comes from the community we serve. Voted #1 in 2022, 2024, 2025, and 2026 — four #1 wins, including three years in a row
Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton were selected to the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 — an invitation-only organization recognizing the nation's premier trial attorneys. Selection is based on case results, leadership, and reputation. When you need attorneys who are ready for the courtroom, you want a team that's already proven they belong there.
All five partners of Easton & Easton — Doug, Brian, Matt, Travis, and Gabe — were selected to Best Lawyers in America® 2027. This is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. Selection is based entirely on peer review, representing the consensus opinion among leading lawyers in the community. When other attorneys are asked who they trust, they name us.
Our $4.5M settlement in Dump Truck Operator v. Equipment Rental Co. has been recognized as #1 in California for 2025 in two categories: • #1 Paraplegia Settlement in California — 2025 • #1 Rollover Accident Settlement in California — 2025
Our $4.5M settlement in Dump Truck Operator v. Equipment Rental Co. has been recognized as #1 in California for 2025 in two categories: • #1 Paraplegia Settlement in California — 2025 • #1 Rollover Accident Settlement in California — 2025
We were recently honored for our efforts in securing a $32,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as the #1 Bicycle Accident Settlement in California in 2024 by TopVerdict.com.
Easton & Easton was named a Tier 1 firm in Southern California by U.S. News & World Report — the highest ranking a law firm can achieve. Selection is based on client feedback, peer reputation, and professional excellence. When independent evaluators rank the best, we're at the top.
Gabe Mendoza, Alexandro Garza, Billy Seidlitz, and Aaron Sinfield were selected to Super Lawyers Rising Stars — honoring the top 2.5% of attorneys 40 or younger in California. Three attorneys — John, Billy, and Aaron — were selected for the first time in 2027. The next generation of Easton & Easton is already among the best in the state.
Easton & Easton was voted "Best Personal Injury Law Firm in Orange County" by readers of the Los Angeles Times in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Three years in a row — chosen by the people we serve
Doug, Brian, Matt, Travis, and Saul were selected to Super Lawyers — a distinction earned by only 5% of California attorneys. Selection is based on peer nominations, independent research, and professional achievement. Doug Easton has been selected for 19 consecutive years. Matt Easton was also named to the Top 50 Orange County Super Lawyers for 2027. When you hire Easton & Easton, you're hiring attorneys in the top 5%.
Easton & Easton was recently honored for securing a $26,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as a Top 10 Personal Injury Settlement in California in 2023 by TopVerdict.com.
Easton & Easton received the "People Love Us On Yelp" award in 2016 due to exceptional client satisfaction reviews.Our clients don't just hire us — they recommend us.
Easton & Easton was recently honored for securing a $32,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as one of the Top 20 Personal Injury Settlements in the entire United States in 2024 by TopVerdict.com.
Brian, Matt, and Travis Easton are lifetime members of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum — a distinction held by less than 1% of U.S. attorneys. Membership requires securing a verdict or settlement of $2 million or more. When you hire Easton & Easton, you're hiring proven results - because Results Matter.
Doug Easton has held the "AV Preeminent" Rating for over 30 years, and Matt Easton received this prestigious distinction in 2015. The AV Preeminent rating is the highest possible rating for both legal ability and ethical standards, based on the legal profession's oldest peer review rating system — dating back to 1887. When your peers have trusted your ability and integrity for over three decades, that says everything.
We were recently honored for securing a $26,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as a the #1 Personal Injury Settlement in Los Angeles County in 2023 by TopVerdict.com.
Brian Easton was selected to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) in 2015. ABOTA is one of the most premier associations of trial attorneys and judges, requiring a proven track record of jury trials as lead counsel and approval by a majority vote of the ABOTA board. Membership isn't given — it's earned in the courtroom.
Travis Easton, Gabe Mendoza, and Brenda Kocaj were selected to the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 — an invitation-only honor recognizing the nation's top young trial attorneys. At Easton & Easton, experience and ambition work side by side.
Easton & Easton was honored for securing a $20,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as one of the Top 10 Personal Injury Settlements in the entire United States in 2019 by TopVerdict.com.
Both Doug and Matt Easton have been selected as Top Personal Injury Attorneys by Avvo with scores of 10 out of 10 — based on skill, experience, results, peer evaluations, and client reviews. A perfect score. No room for higher.
Easton & Easton was honored to have been chosen by the LA Times Reader's Choice Poll as "The Best Personal Injury Law Firm in Orange County" for 2018-2020 (each year the voting took place).
We were recently honored for our efforts in securing a $1,850,000 verdict for a client, which was selected as one of the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California in 2016 by TopVerdict.com.
20+ prestigious awards and recognitions. Exposed to the harshest scrutiny. Earning the highest honors. Recognized by every major legal organization — year after year.
Awards/recognitions noted are from organizations recognized within the legal profession as bona fide.
No purchase was required for selection. Selection methodologies available upon request.
*Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
“We look for the human story behind every injury or wrongful death. We prepare our cases for trial; reaching out to the jury with the most compelling evidence possible for the best verdict possible. Insurance companies know this and come to the table prepared to negotiate in good faith. Call us to see how we can turn your story into fair compensation.”
Partner W. Douglas Easton
What Our Clients Say
“Client testimonials reflect individual experiences; results vary. No guarantee of outcome.”
Contact
Contact
ES