Car accidents can cause many different injuries, but many victims suffer lower back and neck pain. If you have been involved in a car accident, you may be wondering what is causing your neck and lower back pain. Perhaps you were in a fender bender or an accident that you did not consider to be serious, but now you are suffering from significant pain.
Suffering back or neck pain after being involved in a car accident is common. If you have been suffering from neck or back pain, you do not have to go through the process of obtaining compensation alone. The attorneys at Heninger Garrison Davis can review your case during a free initial consultation and help you understand your legal options.
How Common are Neck and Back Injuries in Car Accidents?
Over 800,000 neck injuries are caused by car accidents every year in the United States alone. The cost of treatment for these neck and back injuries may be as high as $5.2 billion. The force that goes along with car accidents can seriously damage a person’s neck and back. Drivers and passengers are susceptible to back and neck injuries during car accidents.
Neck injuries vary in type and severity. Some neck injuries are mild, while others are life-altering or fatal. The inertia or impact load of the neck increases during a car accident. Some neck and back injuries may heal on their own within a few weeks or months. Unfortunately, many neck and back injuries result in long-term physical, emotional, and financial consequences to the victim. Common types of neck or back injuries from car accidents include:
- Whiplash
- Ligament sprain
- Disc injury
- Muscle strain
- Herniated disc
- Vertebral dislocation in the cervical spine
- Neck fracture
- Cervical spinal cord injuries
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Whiplash
Whiplash is one of the most common types of neck injuries. 90% of injuries in rear-end car accidents are some type of neck injury. When involved in a rear-end accident, a person’s cervical vertebrae suffer a forceful hyperextension followed by hyperflexion. In other words, the next snap forward and backward quickly when another vehicle collides with the victim’s vehicle. As a result, the soft tissue in the cervical spine can suffer strains or sprains, leading to headaches, forgetfulness, pain, and psychological disturbances. Many people assume that whiplash will go away quickly, but that is not always the case. Many people suffer long-term symptoms from whiplash.
Neck Fractures
Neck fractures are some of the most serious types of back injuries a person can experience in a car accident. They are usually accompanied by cervical dislocation. When a cervical spine is severely dislocated, the bone can become displaced and lock into the position, forcing the ligaments to rupture. These types of injuries require surgery and they can cause paralysis, depending on the extent of the swelling and nerve damage. When a pedestrian or vehicle document blocks with his or her head, they are more likely to suffer a cervical fracture. Elderly individuals and young children are more likely to suffer a fracture in a crash. The angle of force on the head and neck impacts the severity of the cervical fracture.
Cervical Spinal Cord Injuries
Cervical spinal cord injuries are often associated with fatalities or life-altering paralysis. These types of injuries happen when the force of a car accident causes a dislocation, fracture, or other type of damage to the spinal cord. Anytime there is a forceful damage to the spinal nerves, temporary or permanent paralysis can occur. The symptoms vary from patient to patient.
They can include autonomic imbalance, bladder and bowel dysfunction, and more. A person with a spinal cord injury is at risk of respiratory and cardiac failure, which can cause a person to die in the acute phase. Car accidents are the second leading cause of spinal cord injuries. Although the rate of these types of injuries has declined, they still occur and they can have a devastating impact on victims, requiring some to have around-the-clock care.
Contact an Alabama Car Accident Attorney
If you or your loved one have been seriously injured in an Alabama car accident, you are not alone. You may be entitled to compensation through an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit. The sooner you reach out to an experienced Alabama car accident attorney, the better. Contact Heninger Garrison Davis today to schedule your free initial consultation and learn more about how we can fight for your rights.
