Back Injuries Following Car Accidents

Mobile and Baldwin County, Alabama

Back injuries sustained from a sudden jolt in a car crash can go undetected, yet cause chronic pain and reduced mobility affecting the rest of your life. That’s why paramedics take precautionary steps to add a neck brace to car crash victims before hospital transportation. Immobilizing the neck area protects the back from further personal injury.

If you suspect that your back pain is the result of a recent automobile accident and the injury wasn’t detected early on, you are not alone. Car accident attorneys such as the ones Long & Waite in Mobile, Alabama have the experience necessary to represent your legal interests in obtaining compensation needed for back injuries associated with automobile accidents – even those difficult to detect.

Back Injury Symptoms from a Car Accident

Here are a few symptoms to consider when determining the likelihood of future back problems from an auto-related accident:

Persistent or intermittent back pain
Radiating arm or leg pain – referred to as sciatica, which occurs when a disc between vertebrae slips out of place and presses against a nerve
Extremity numbness – commonly caused by a pinched nerve
Muscle weakness – due to an underlying nerve injury

Neck Injuries as a Result of an Automobile Accident

Starting at the top of the spine, whiplash is the most common injury in a car accident. Whiplash occurs when the head is whipped quickly forward, then backward from a sudden impact. This type of neck injury can cause damage to joints, discs, nerves, muscles and ligaments of the neck and upper back. The difficulty in diagnosing whiplash often causes the condition to go undetected for a period of time.

In the thoracic area (upper back or mid-back), injuries are a less common, but often associated with the discs. The thoracic region is the largest section of the spine, attaches to the rib cage, and protects the vital organs. When an injury to the thoracic area occurs it’s important to catch early. Immediate treatment is more effective than if pain is allowed to worsen.

The lumbar (lower back) can be injured in an auto accident in a variety of ways, including:

Herniated or Ruptured Discs – according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), complications from a herniated disc can include the more serious cauda equine syndrome, which can cause permanent neurological damage, if left untreated
Sciatica – occurs when a herniated or ruptured disc presses on the sciatic nerve causing shock-like or burning low back pain combined with pain carried through the buttocks and down one leg
Spinal degeneration – disc wear and tear creates a narrowing of the spinal canal causing stiffness or pain while walking or standing for long periods of time

The entire spinal cord is also considered a back injury. Injuries to the spinal cord include:

Bruising – medically classified as a contusion
Excessive pressure – called compressions
Lacerations

Spinal cord injuries can lead to further medical complications including infections, sexual dysfunction, muscle spasms, loss of bladder control, and centralized pain.

Compensation for your Back Pain Injury

The cause of your back pain is often hard to prove in motor vehicle accidents. At Long & Waite, our car accident attorneys in Mobile and Baldwin County, Alabama will aggressively pursue compensation for your present and ongoing back injuries suffered from an automobile accident. Call our office today and receive a free consultation about your accident.

Click here to contact the experienced Mobile, Alabama car wreck lawyers at The Injury Lawyer, PC today.

No charge for services unless we get compensation for you If you have a case, we'll make our 24 hour promise. Within 24 hours, we'll start working to get you the money you deserve. Semi truck (18-wheeler) accidents are different from other kinds of motor vehicle accidents. State and federal laws establish strict guidelines for the operation...