Among some of the most common injuries to occur in Philadelphia car accidents are back injuries, such as a herniated disc. Many people don’t understand the severity of this type of injury or the extent of the back’s role in many everyday tasks and activities. Read more on herniated disc settlement values.
If you have suffered one of these injuries during a car accident, you have likely discovered that several physical, emotional, and financial ramifications have to be dealt with. Treating back injuries can be expensive, and the injury is likely something you will contend with for the rest of your life. If your accident was caused by another driver’s negligence, you can hold that person responsible by seeking financial compensation for your back injury and the financial burdens and pain and suffering you’ve experienced as a result. A Philadelphia car accident back injury lawyer from the Pearce Law Firm can help you throughout this process.
Understanding the Severity of Back Injuries
A back injury could be anything from a fractured vertebra to a severing of the nerves in the spinal cord. Back injuries can greatly decrease your mobility, limiting the types of activities you can take part in and greatly reducing your quality of life.
Pain and other sensations can be another issue, as almost all signals from the body travel through the spinal cord to the brain. This means you may feel pain when you shouldn’t, or you may not feel things that you should.
Impacts of a Back Injury
As anyone who has ever experienced a back injury will tell you, this type of injury can affect your life for years after the accident happens-and some spine injuries are permanent. It’s very rare for a back injury not to impact other areas of your life, such as not being able to get to and from work for a while. Even if you experience only minor back pain after your accident, you should be aware that what at first seems to be a minor spine injury can become serious and long-term, and may even result in paralysis.
A person can have a neck or back injury that does not affect the spinal cord. Even a broken neck or broken back does not necessarily involve the spinal cord because one can break the bones of the neck and back (which protect the spinal cord) and not injure the cord itself. These kinds of neck and back injuries can heal. However, sometimes a person can develop chronic pain even though the spinal cord was not injured. There are also soft tissue neck and back injuries, which are different than spinal cord injuries. If you also suffered a neck injury in the accident, a neck injury lawyer can help you understand your legal options.
See Frequently Asked Questions About Severe Injury Cases
Symptoms of Back Injuries
Extensive testing is required to determine the full extent of a back injury, and limited movement is almost guaranteed to be a part of the treatment plan. Some of the most common symptoms that occur when you have a back injury include the following:
- Difficulty getting comfortable, whether standing, sitting, or lying down
- Back pain and limited mobility
- Headaches and migraines
- Loss of sensation or tingling in the extremities
Headaches and migraines after a car accident can sometimes be associated with a head injury. If you are experiencing these symptoms along with back pain or other injuries, speaking with a head injury lawyer may help you understand your legal options.
Because you might not notice the severity of your back problems right away, you could be injured far more than you think. After any car accident, you should always see your doctor for a full medical evaluation.
Serious Back Injuries After a Motorcycle Accident
In a motorcycle accident, the rider can suffer spinal damage on impact, during a fall, or when hit by crash debris. A back injury can cause the nerve pathways to be cut or compromised, leaving the victim unable to control some body parts and systems, whether voluntary or involuntary. Depending on what part of the spine and how many neurons are damaged, injury or paralysis can occur.
The impact a back injury has depends on which section of the spine was damaged and how badly:
- Cervical Spine – This is the topmost section of the spine. These Injuries affect the neck, shoulders, arms, hands, diaphragm, and the back of the head.
- Thoracic Spine – This segment controls many organs, the chest, parts of the back, and the abdomen. Damage can cause paraplegia, or paralysis of the legs and lower part of the body.
- Lumbar Sacral – These injuries affect parts of the legs, buttocks, internal genitals, lower abdomen, and back.
- Sacral Spine – This is the lowest part of the spine. These injuries affect the external genitals and sexual function, bladder and bowel function, legs, and feet.
Many Types of Common Back Injuries
There are numerous types of back injuries. Some of them start at the neck, while others involve the tailbone. Many back injuries involve fractured vertebrae or even nerve damage. Back injuries usually affect multiple areas of your body-not just your back itself, which is one of the reasons why a back injury is considered such a serious matter.
- Whiplash (the neck is an extension of the spine)
- Broken or chipped vertebrae
- Severed or pinched nerves
- Displaced or herniated discs
- Paralysis, both paraplegia and quadriplegia
No matter what type of back injury you suffer, you will likely have to endure at least a temporary change in your lifestyle while it heals, as well as financial damages such as medical bills and lost income due to time off from work. When you work with a Philadelphia spinal cord injury lawyer from our office, we can see to it that your medical needs are met.
Financial Loss from an Accident-Related Back Injury
Because back injuries can be extremely serious accident injuries, the financial loss can extend much further than just the treatment expenses. You will most likely need ongoing testing and consultations with several different types of doctors, as well as home medical equipment and modifications to your home and vehicle to accommodate the injury.
Long-term pain medication and physical therapy might also be necessary for your recovery. All of this can add up to quite a financial burden and doesn’t even take into account the lost income from not being able to work. If you have suffered a back injury in a car accident because of someone else’s negligence, you could be entitled to financial compensation that could help you move forward.
Rather than suffer from a back injury alone, let the experienced attorneys at the Pearce Law Firm navigate the process on your behalf and get you the compensation you deserve.
