Being involved in a car accident can be quite terrifying. Right after an accident, you can be in a state of shock, which prevents you from noticing the seriousness of your injuries. If you experience neck and back pain after the crash, you might worry that it could be a symptom of a more serious injury. Any injury in the neck or back can affect your ability to perform daily activities, including your job duties. When this happens, you need to seek compensation for resulting losses including lost income. To ensure a successful car accident claim, you must seek legal advice from a reliable attorney.
A lot of car accidents lead to injuries. With the force of the crash, your back and neck are particularly predisposed to injuries. When another car suddenly hits your car, your spine absorbs most of the impact, possibly causing ruptured intervertebral discs. Sometimes, your spine’s violent snapping motion can injure your spinal cord.
In addition, your neck may suffer an injury during a crash because of inertia. If the accident stops the car’s forward movement immediately, your body still propels forward. Because the seatbelt holds most of your body, your neck can move forward before it irked forcefully backward, leading to an injury.
Back and Injuries that Can Develop Due to a Car Accident
Car accidents can lead to different back and neck injuries such as:
- Disc ruptures. Your vertebral discs cushion the vertebrae. Despite the toughness of this cushion, the discs can still rupture or move during an accident, depending on its intensity. Such injuries can lead to severe pain. When an injured disc presses on a nerve, permanent nerve damage can happen.
- Vertebral fractures. These are vertebral breaks that can be very painful. For mild fractures, rest is often enough for them to heal. But surgery may be required for serious fractures.
- Whiplash. Usually, your neck tends to forcefully move forward and back during a crash. This sudden stress can lead to injuries in your ligaments, tendons, nerves, and muscles in your neck. Fortunately, whiplash often heals with just rest and ice unless a more severe injury has developed.
- Spinal cord injuries. Mild injuries to your spinal cord can lead to a tingling sensation or loss of sensation. However, serious spinal cord injuries can result in partial or complete paralysis.
- Facet joint injuries. The force of a crash can lead to painful facet joint damage. When not treated, this can result in facet joint syndrome, which is a chronic degenerative disorder.
