With the warm spring weather, many locals are enjoying outdoor dining at Worcester’s cafes and restaurants with patio seating. The patio at the Wholly Cannoli on Grafton Street, however, recently became the unlikely scene of a shocking car accident.
The episode was triggered by a rear-end crash just up the street from the restaurant. Surveillance video shows one car rear-ending another, which then clips the rear corner of a delivery truck in front of it. After hitting the truck, the car kept going, swerving across the street and coming to a stop amidst the tables and chairs on the restaurant’s patio.
Fortunately the seating area was empty of customers at the time. However, at least two people were reportedly taken to local hospitals.
Any time a Worcester driver is the victim of a rear-end accident, like the one that set off this chain reaction, certain types of injuries are all too common. Because they likely don’t see the car approaching from behind, victims rarely have a chance to brace themselves for the impact. They may suffer from whiplash — a type of injury that occurs when a victim’s head snaps quickly back, then forward again, often as a result of a sudden impact.
Whiplash symptoms in minor cases can clear up in a matter of weeks, but they do have the potential to endure for months or even years. They should be diagnosed by an expert like a chiropractor or neurologist who can accurately assess the severity of the injury and prescribe treatment. Victims may also want to consider speaking with a legal professional about pursuing damages from the other driver in a rear-end collision. Medical expenses for long-term treatment can be significant, and victims have the right to seek compensation for their pain and suffering.
