Back injuries are some of the most common injuries that a car accident victim can sustain. These types of injuries can be debilitating and require extensive medical treatment. They can also cause you to lose time from work and incur significant out-of-pocket expenses.
In some cases, a car accident victim may never fully recover from their back injuries and be forced to endure lifelong pain and emotional distress. If you suffered back injuries in a car accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you might be entitled to compensation for your damages.
Types of Car Accident Back Injuries
The back comprises a large area of the body and is made up of muscles, tissues, tendons, ligaments, and bones. Specifically, there are three regions of the spine: the cervical vertebrae (neck), thoracic vertebrae (upper back), and lumbar vertebrae (lower back). An injury to any part of the back can affect many other body parts, resulting in loss of function and disability.
Some of the most frequently occurring back injuries resulting from car accidents include:
- Whiplash
- Soft tissue injuries
- Sprains and strains
- Spinal fractures
- Herniated discs
- Spondylolisthesis
- Spinal stenosis
Even a low-impact collision can cause painful soft tissue injuries that require physical therapy — and sometimes even surgery. In severe cases, a car accident can cause spinal cord injuries that result in total or partial paralysis and loss of reflex function. It’s also not uncommon for back and spinal cord injuries to cause secondary medical issues, such as infections, blood clots, and spinal fluid leaks.
Medical Treatment for Car Accident Back Injuries
Following a car accident, it’s crucial to seek medical attention immediately to rule out internal bleeding or other serious conditions — even if you do not think you were hurt, some injuries do not become apparent until days later. Typically, back injuries are diagnosed through the use of X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, bone scans, and myelograms. If nerve damage is suspected, a doctor may also order an EMG-NCV.
Certain back injuries only require short-term treatment and are commonly treated with pain medication, chiropractic care, physical therapy, injections, and sometimes acupuncture. But if there is serious damage, a surgical procedure may need to be performed to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves.
Spinal fusion surgery may be necessary to join two or more vertebrae together if you have suffered from a herniated disc or spinal fracture. If a herniated disc requires removal, a discectomy may be performed. In addition, vertebroplasty is commonly performed in connection with compression fracture injuries.
Compensation for Car Accident Back Injuries
If your car accident back injuries were the result of another driver’s carelessness, recklessness, or negligence, you may be able to recover your losses from the responsible party in a personal injury action. By filing a car accident lawsuit, you may be eligible to recover your economic damages — including your unreimbursed medical expenses, out-of-pocket expenses incurred due to your injuries, and lost wages. You may also be entitled to recover compensation for your non-economic damages due to the pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life you experienced due to your injuries.
Contact an Experienced New York Personal Injury Attorney
If you suffered back injuries in a car accident, it’s vital to contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible who can advise you regarding your legal rights and remedies. The Dearie Law Firm, P.C. offers high-quality legal services and committed counsel for those who have been injured in car accidents and can help ensure you receive the maximum monetary recovery to which you are entitled.
The Dearie Law Firm, P.C. has convenient office locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, as well as mobile locations serving Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, Westchester, Rockland County, and on Long Island in Nassau County and Suffolk County. Contact us for a consultation.