Summary
- Blunt force trauma and whiplash caused by a car accident can damage the back and lead to severe injury
- Damage to the mid-back during a car accident can cause a thoracic spine injury
- Car accident victims can suffer lumbar spine injuries when they sustain damage to the lower back
- Spinal vertebrae can suffer enough damage during a car accident that a victim experience bone fractures
- The facet joints that stabilize the spinal cord and vertebrae can sustain damage during a car accident
During the impact of a car collision, a victim can sustain a back injury from a direct blow to the back or whiplash. Car accident impact can damage the spinal cord’s vertebrae, discs, and joints. This can result in severe injuries that can lead to significant physical pain, restrictions in movement, loss of bladder control, and possibly paralysis.
Some severe back injuries caused by car collision impacts can include thoracic spine injuries, lumbar spine injuries, bone fractures in the back, or facet joint injuries. These injuries can cause significant economic and non-economic damages, including medical bills, lost wages, and mental anguish. Victims of a car accident can file civil claims to pursue payment for these damages.
Car Accident Impact Can Damage the Thoracic Spine
Car accidents can lead drivers and passengers to suffer physical damage that can result in severe injuries. The back and spinal cord can sustain damage during a car accident from blunt force trauma and whiplash that can cause severe injuries.
One of the back injuries car accident victims can suffer is a thoracic spine injury. The thoracic spine is the area of the spine in the mid-back that connects to the ribs and chest. Direct trauma to this area of the back during a car collision can cause a thoracic spine injury.
Car accident victims can sustain fractures to the bones in this area and damage to the spinal nerves. This injury can lead to pain radiating throughout the body to areas like the legs, arms, ribcage, and anterior chest.
Lumbar Spine Injuries Caused by Car Accidents
Other parts of the spinal cord can sustain damage during the impact of a car collision and result in a back injury. A lumbar spine injury results from damage to the lower back. This part of the spine contains the five largest vertebrae and can lead to significant changes to the body when this part sustains severe pressure.
The lumbar spine can help to facilitate movement and stabilize the rest of the body, meaning damage to this area of the spine can affect how someone moves. Damage to this area through direct trauma can lead to paralysis, muscle weakness, and severe lower back pain.
Car Accidents Can Cause Bone Fractures in the Back
Car accident impact can also cause broken bones when the vertebrae in the back sustain significant damage. Blunt force trauma to the back during a car accident, which can come from a direct blow from another vehicle or a hard object, can fracture vertebrae.
Mild vertebrae fractures can heal over time. However, significant damage to the back during a car accident can result in vertebrae fracturing into multiple pieces. Broken bones in the back and spine can cause physical pain, nerve damage, and affect the brain’s ability to transmit signals to the rest of the body.
Facet Joint Injuries Caused by a Car Accident
Two facet joints sit between each vertebra and provide structural support to the spine and back. They can help facilitate movement and help someone straighten their back. However, these joints can sustain damage during a car accident, leading to a facet joint injury.
Facet joints can dislocate, fracture, or become inflamed from the impact of direct trauma during a car accident. This car accident injury can lead to back stiffness, difficulty bending the back, dull pain in the back, and difficulty moving.
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Your Back Injury Claim
At The Russo Firm, our car accident attorneys can help those who suffer back injuries to pursue compensation for car accident damages. We understand the physical impact of a back injury and how the injury can result in significant medical expenses and pain and suffering.
Our car accident lawyers can use their decades of experience helping other car accident victims to craft a sound legal strategy to hold the liable party accountable for causing your back injury through negligence. Contact the car accident attorneys at The Russo Firm today at (561) 270-0913 for a free case evaluation or leave a message on our online contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Back Injuries from Car Accidents
How Can a Car Accident Cause a Back Injury?
Car accidents can cause back injuries through blunt force trauma to the back. The impact of a car collision, such as a rear-end collision, can expose the back to direct impact that can damage the back. A heavy object can impact the back during a car collision and damage the back to the point of injury.
A car accident victim can also shake violently during the impact of a collision, which is called whiplash. This shaking of the head, back, and neck can also cause a back injury. The bones, discs, and joints in the back can sustain a severe impact from the twisting or sharp blow caused by whiplash.
What Treatments Can Help Heal a Back Injury from a Car Accident?
In the aftermath of a car accident, victims should seek medical attention for severe injuries. Someone who suffered a back injury should go to the hospital immediately after an accident so a doctor can diagnose their injury and determine what medical treatments can help treat the severe car accident injury.
After diagnosing the severity of the injury, a medical professional can prescribe medication that can help alleviate the physical pain of the injury. This can include muscle relaxers, pain relievers, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and antidepressants. These medications can help treat a minor back injury.
However, more severe back injuries will require significant treatment. One such back injury treatment is physical therapy to help strengthen the muscles damaged by the impact of a car accident. Car accident victims may also require surgery to help treat their severe back injury, including spinal fusions, disc replacement, and decompression.
How Can a Car Accident Lawyer Help You Recover Damages from a Back Injury?
Car accident victims can sustain economic and non-economic damages from a car accident that can affect their finances, physical condition, ability to work, and mental health. They can file a civil claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company to pursue compensatory damages.
Having a good legal team is crucial because some insurance companies may try to limit your settlement, so you will need a team that will fight to get you the compensation you deserve
A crucial step in the civil claim process is hiring a car accident lawyer, as car accident victims require someone with experience in their corner. A car accident attorney can use their expertise with car accident laws and the process of a car accident claim to help them recover compensation for damages.
Some ways an experienced car accident lawyer can help with the car accident claim process include assessing the cost of damages, determining whose negligence caused the accident, explaining car accident laws in your state, collecting tangible proof, and negotiating a settlement.
