Most Common Types Of Back Injuries From Car Accidents In Arizona

What Back Injuries Can You Get From a Car Crash?

Traffic accidents are all too common in Arizona, and they unfortunately frequently result in back injuries. You may instinctively want to rest and wait to see if your back gets better. However, you could have experienced a serious injury that could cause long-lasting or lifelong pain and discomfort. It’s vital that you seek attention from a medical professional as soon as possible after an accident, especially if you’re experiencing back pain. Additionally, you could also experience symptoms like numbness, fatigue, dizziness, headaches, bladder problems, difficulty walking, and paralysis after a back injury. Familiarize yourself with the following common types of back injuries after a car accident, and call our firm to schedule your free case evaluation.

Herniated Discs

There are discs that cushion the vertebrae in your spine that can be damaged in a car accident. When the nerves surrounding these discs are shifted and pressured, it can result in back and neck pain. It can also cause numbness, burning, and weakness. Some doctors may refer to this injury as a ruptured, bulging, or slipped disc. Therapy and other non-invasive methods can be used to treat this injury, but surgery may be required for more serious herniated disc injuries.

Spondylolisthesis

While difficult to say, this type of injury occurs when vertebrae is displaced due to a stress fracture. This can cause pain, numbness, and weakness. It can also make it more difficult to walk. A physical therapist and chiropractor can sort out symptoms for most spondylolisthesis patients, but surgery may be necessary in severe cases.

Whiplash

Whiplash is a common car accident injury, especially in a rear end collision, which is the most common type of car accident. Whiplash occurs when the affected person is jolted back and forth quickly, tearing the muscles, tissues, and ligaments in the neck. Besides pain, this injury can cause dizziness, stiffness, headaches, blurred vision, and fatigue. One of the difficult parts about whiplash is that the victim may not even notice their injury for several days, weeks, etc. You should always see a doctor to check for signs of whiplash and other neck and spine injuries before signing anything from the other driver’s insurance company.

Spinal Cord Injuries

One of the most serious back injuries from a car accident is spinal cord damage, especially if it is lacerated or severed in the accident. If so, this injury can result in lifelong paralysis. You can expect considerable damages for your future medical treatments and pain and suffering. Surgery is usually required for these types of injuries.

Spinal Fractures

There are 33 bones in your spine, and any of them could be fractured in a car accident. There are also multiple types of spinal fractures. Compression fractures occur when there is too much pressure on the spine, causing the bones to crack and break. A burst fracture happens when the spine is crushed, and can cause pieces of bone to scatter. A flexion fracture occurs when the vertebrae is displaced, breaking the posterior portion of the vertebrae. Any of these types of fractures can also be combined with a dislocation fracture. Like many other spinal injuries, spinal fractures can cause pain, numbness, and weakness. They can also cause bladder issues like incontinence. While many other spinal injuries require active treatment like physical therapy, spinal fractures are usually best treated with rest, except for in serious cases where surgery is required.

Strains & Sprains

Strains are injuries to the tendons that connect your bones and muscles. Sprains are injuries to the ligaments that connect your joints and bones. These types of injuries won’t show up on X-rays and other imaging tests, so your doctor may need to examine you for signs like redness, stiffness, and swelling to diagnose them. Treating the pain from these injuries can be difficult, so it’s best to follow your doctor’s instructions very carefully.

Diagnosis Issues In Back Injuries

One concern in spinal injuries is that they may take a while to appear. After an accident, it could take days, weeks, or even longer for you to realize your back has been injured. Once you have signed a settlement agreement with the other driver’s insurance company, it will be nearly impossible to overturn it to sue for damages related to your back injury. You should always seek some sort of medical attention after an accident, even if just to make sure that you weren’t injured despite not feeling pain. A doctor can conduct a physical exam to look for injury indicators you may have missed. This appointment should be scheduled as soon as possible after an accident to reduce the risk of further injury.

For serious back injuries, the medical treatment could last years, or even the rest of your life. However, you won’t have the rest of your life to pursue a personal injury claim. In Arizona, the statute of limitations, or the time limit you have to file your claim in court, is 2 years from the date of the accident. If your injuries are severe, you will need to project the costs of your future medical treatments in your demand to the insurance adjuster.

Another issue you may have after suffering a back injury in a car accident is the cost of getting diagnosed and treated. If you don’t have health insurance, your bills exceed your policy limits, or you struggle to pay your co-pays, you may be wondering how to pay for treatment for the injuries described above. Your Mesa personal injury attorney can help you seek treatment using MedPay or medical liens. MedPay is a type of coverage that you may have in your auto insurance policy. Medical liens allow patients in personal injury claims to accrue a balance that will be paid out of their final settlement or award.

Contact Our Mesa Injury Attorneys, We Can Help!

If you’ve suffered back injuries from a car accident, you’ve probably incurred several types of damages. Lost wages, medical expenses, and future medical costs are just some damages you may be eligible to collect. Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may also be eligible to collect significant pain and suffering damages. Before talking to the other driver’s insurance company, make sure you review your claim with an Arizona personal injury lawyer. Your claim could be worth far more than you think, and a skilled injury attorney in Tucson will help you get your claim’s full value.

You may be wondering if hiring an attorney and pursuing your claim will really be worth the time, cost, and hassle. You most likely won’t need to worry about your case going to trial- about 95% of personal injury claims settle out of court.

Your Mesa personal injury attorney will work for a contingency fee. Your attorney may quote your case for a contingency fee of about 33% and tell you that’s the industry standard. But you can save yourself a significant portion of your personal injury award by hiring our dedicated Arizona accident team. We charge our clients a guaranteed contingency rate of 25%, which could mean thousands of dollars more in your pocket after a settlement or winning at trial. Check out our Arizona Injury Lawyer 25% Fee Difference.

To get started with your free case evaluation, call or use our online form to request an appointment today. Call our Arizona Injury Attorney office at 602-600-6001.

Mesa Injury Lawyer

1731 West Baseline Road Suite #103
Mesa, AZ 85202
Tel: 602-600-6001
Enail: [email protected]
Website: injurylawyersmesa.com