Even a minor car accident can cause pain and suffering to those involved. A rear-end collision that hardly causes any property damage could lead to a physical injury such as whiplash, for example. Whiplash is an injury to the muscles or tendons in the neck, due to the rapid back-and-forth motion of the vehicle. Minor whiplash may not seem like a serious injury, but it could cause chronic pain and some level of disability for weeks or months after the wreck.
In general, the more serious your injuries, the longer you will experience pain and soreness. Six weeks is the average recovery time after a car accident. Some victims will feel back to normal sooner than this, while others will experience pain and suffering for a lifetime. The exact answer depends on your individual recovery time and the severity of your injuries. Injuries that often lead to extended recovery times include neck or back injuries, spinal cord injuries, and brain injuries. Severe burns can also take months to heal, and leave behind residual pain.