Common Neck and Back Injuries Caused by Car Accidents
Car accidents can cause serious neck and back injuries that affect your daily life for months or even years. If you’re dealing with pain after a crash, you’re not alone. These injuries are common after many car crashes and they often don’t show up right away.
The force of impact during a car accident puts tremendous stress on your spine and surrounding muscles. Even minor fender-benders can cause significant damage to your neck and back. Understanding what injuries you might have and when to seek legal help can make a big difference in your recovery and financial situation.
A Riverside car accident attorney at the Knez Law Group, LLP, can fight for your rights to full compensation after a crash. When you’re dealing with serious neck and back injuries, you need someone on your side who can handle the complex legal issues on your behalf. After all, your time and energy are better spent focused on your recovery. Reach out to our law firm today at (951) 742-7681.
Whiplash is the Most Common Neck Injury
Whiplash happens when your head snaps forward and backward quickly during a crash. This sudden movement damages the soft tissues in your neck, including muscles, ligaments, and tendons. You might not feel pain immediately after the accident, but symptoms usually appear within 24-48 hours.
Signs of whiplash include:
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Headaches that start at the base of your skull
- Shoulder pain
- Reduced range of motion in your neck
- Dizziness, fatigue, or difficulty concentrating
Treatment for whiplash often includes physical therapy, pain medication, and sometimes muscle relaxants. Severe cases might require injections or other medical procedures. The recovery time varies greatly from person to person.
Herniated Discs Injuries After a Car Crash
The discs between your vertebrae act like cushions for your spine. During a car accident, these discs can tear or slip out of place, causing a herniated disc. This injury can happen anywhere along your spine, but most commonly affects the lower back and neck.
A herniated disc can press on nearby nerves, causing pain that shoots down your arms or legs. You might also experience numbness, tingling, or weakness in your extremities. Some people describe the pain as sharp and electric, while others feel a constant ache.
Recovery from a herniated disc can take months. Treatment options include rest, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and steroid injections. In severe cases, surgery might be necessary to remove or repair the damaged disc.
Spinal Fractures & Facet Joint Injuries
High-impact car accidents can break vertebrae in your spine. These fractures range from minor compression fractures to complete breaks that threaten your spinal cord. Spinal fractures are medical emergencies that require immediate treatment.
Symptoms of spinal fractures include severe back pain that gets worse when you move, numbness or tingling in your arms or legs, and difficulty walking. If the fracture damages your spinal cord, you might lose sensation or movement below the injury site.
Facet joints connect the vertebrae in your spine and help you bend and twist. Car accidents can damage these small joints, causing chronic pain and stiffness. Facet joint injuries often develop alongside other spinal problems.
The pain from facet joint injuries typically feels worse in the morning and improves throughout the day. You might have trouble turning your head or bending your back. This type of injury often requires specialized treatment from pain management doctors.
Treatment for spinal fractures often requires surgery, followed by months of rehabilitation. Some people need to wear a back brace during recovery. The long-term effects depend on the location and severity of the fracture.
Soft Tissue Injuries: Muscle and Ligament Damage
Car accidents commonly cause sprains and strains to the muscles and ligaments in your neck and back. These soft tissue injuries might seem minor compared to fractures, but they can cause significant pain and limit your movement for weeks or months.
Muscle strains happen when muscle fibers stretch or tear. Ligament sprains occur when the tough bands connecting your bones get damaged. Both types of injuries cause pain, swelling, and reduced range of motion.
Warning Signs That Require Immediate Medical Attention
Certain symptoms following a car accident require emergency medical attention. These include:
- Severe neck or back pain that doesn’t improve with rest
- Numbness or tingling in your arms, hands, legs, or feet
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Difficulty walking or maintaining balance
- Severe headaches or vision problems
Don’t wait to see if these symptoms go away on their own. Delayed treatment can lead to permanent damage and a more complicated recovery.
Contact a Riverside Personal Injury Lawyer
If your neck or back injury was caused by someone else’s negligence, you have the right to seek compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Insurance companies often try to minimize payouts, especially for soft tissue injuries that don’t show up clearly on X-rays.
A Riverside personal injury lawyer at Knez Law Group, LLP can help you document your injuries, gather evidence, and negotiate with insurance companies. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t pay unless our law firm collects compensation for you.
Don’t accept the first settlement offer from an insurance company. Neck and back injuries often require ongoing treatment, and you deserve compensation that covers all your current and future medical needs.
Knez Law Group, LLP serves injured clients in the Inland Empire, Orange County, and Los Angeles. For help after a neck or back injury in Riverside, contact our personal injury law firm today or call us at (951) 742-7681 for a free initial consultation.
Andrew J. Knez earned his Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and Criminal Justice from California State University, Fullerton. During his college years, he was a member of the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and interned at the College Legal Clinic, where he assisted underprivileged communities in obtaining affordable legal services. Mr. Knez credits this experience with fostering his appreciation for the law and its positive impact on society. Additionally, during college, Mr. Knez worked as a paralegal, gaining hands-on experience in civil litigation. Learn more here.