10 things you need to know after being involved in a car accident:

1. A majority of people involved in car accidents are injured.  You may be injured and not know it.
2. Onset of pain or whiplash is often delayed after an accident, sometimes taking hours, days or weeks later to present.
3. Medical professionals all agree that the first 72 hours after an accident are the most critical and a time which treatment can be most effective.
4. Injuries have been shown to occur at crash speeds of 6.2 mph and less.
5. Damage to your vehicle does not correlate with bodily injury.  (Your car may not show much damage, but your body might).
6. A soft-tissue injury is permanent.  If you do not receive treatment for this type of injury, scar tissue can form in your muscles leaving them less flexible and prone to re-injury in the future.
7. If you are not injured, you can sleep better at night knowing you had an extensive exam and x-rays and found out everything was fine.
8. Statistics show the longer you wait for treatment after you are injured, the longer it takes to heal and will require more treatment.  Injuries usually will not heal on their own.
9. Rear impact accidents are more likely to cause a neck injury.
10. It is imperative that you wear a seatbelt while in a car because it prevents serious injuries and death.  The only downfall may be that a seatbelt decreases body movement, causing greater neck movement which may lead to neck injuries.  Seatbelts do save lives though and should be worn at all times!!