If someone falls on their neck and appears to be ok what else should you look for?

Answer 1

Don't assume they're okay - tell them to lay still, then check the body for any signs of numbness. See if they can move arms/legs, fingers & toes, but tell them not to move their head. Never, ever assume - if there's a fracture or other injury, and you move them thinking they're okay, you could inadvertently paralyze them if they're injured and don't know it because of nerve damage. Wait for medical assistance to arrive.

This happens (too often) in auto accidents where "Good Sams" move a victim from a vehicle thinking it's going to explode, because they can't tell the difference between oil smoke and steam and real fire smoke. Vehicles explode often in Hollywood movies; rarely in real life.

In one specific case I know of, people on the scene of a car accident removed a woman from her car who had a neck injury but appeared all right. They thought it was on fire - it was just oil smoke and steam from the engine. By moving her prior to EMT arrival and thus not having her head/neck immobilized, they aggravated the injury, which in turn severed her spinal cord, making her a quadriplegic. I should also note that if you're trained, you could be sued for something like that. Most states have Good Sam laws for untrained people, but they don't protect sheer stupidity.

That being said, if there's no doubt the person will die unless they're moved (and you'd better be sure, or you might have to live with the consequences if you're wrong), then risking a move is the only option. Try to immobilize the head/neck if possible, or at least tell them to try and keep their head from moving if possible.