Over the past few years, improvements in safety technologies and road safety awareness have decreased the number of serious motor vehicle accidents (MVAs). But even with these developments, car accidents remain the leading cause of spinal cord injury.
Data from the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCSC) ranks MVAs as the number one cause of spinal cord injuries.
These injuries can have life-changing effects on the car accident victim as they present a loss of independence and financial stability.
This post discusses everything you’d like to know about spinal injuries from car accidents. Read on to learn more.
How Do I Get a Spinal Injury in a Car Accident?
Every car crash is different, but the trauma in any type of accident can lead to a spinal cord injury. So, how do you get spinal injuries in a car accident?
Technically, the spinal cord is housed in what we call a spinal column. The spinal column is constantly at risk of injury during a car crash.
When a 2,800-pound car collides with another, the impact could go through the much lighter human passenger forward. Often, this forward motion can only stop when you hit a hard surface, such as the steering wheel or the pavement.
And the force at which you strike the surface is enough to damage the spinal column and cause injury to the spinal cord. An injury to the spinal cord affects the nerves and interferes with motor function.
Even a fender bender accident can force you to twist unusually and hurt the spinal column. This perilous force could explain why car crashes have been the leading cause of spine injuries since the 1970s.
Types of Spine Injuries from Car Accidents
Car accidents have been the leading cause of spinal cord injuries in the U.S, according to the NSCISC. Since 2015, about 38 percent of all spinal cord injuries have been caused by car accidents.
There are four types of spinal injuries: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral. But that’s not to say injuries that directly affect the spinal cord are the only type of trauma the spine can endure. Some of the most common spinal injuries from car accidents include:
1. Whiplash
These are the most common spinal injuries from car accidents. Whiplash can occur when a crash causes the upper body, head, and neck to whip back and forth. The whipping motion strains the spine, muscles, and ligaments.
2. Spinal Fractures
High impact accidents can jerk the body back and forth to the point of fracturing the vertebrae bones of the spine. The fractures could shift or exert pressure on the spinal column and spinal cord.
3. Herniated Discs
The spine has some jelly-filled discs that prevent friction between the vertebrae. Unfortunately, a car accident can place too much pressure on these discs and compress or rupture them. Symptoms of a herniated disc include numbness and radiating pain.
4. Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries from car accidents can devastate victims because they can render them fully dependent on others. There are two types; a complete injury that causes total paralysis and an incomplete injury in which part of your body remains functional.
5. Facet Joint Injuries
The spine has facet joints that serve as hinges between the vertebra. But a car accident can gravely injure these joints, necessitating the need for facet injections or physical therapy.
Medical Help – How Do You Treat a Spinal Injury?
Treatment options for spinal injuries in car accidents depend on the injury you sustained and how severe the injury is. But basically, treatment falls under two categories; conservative and surgical treatments.
Conservative Spinal Injury Treatments
The non-surgical medical treatment methods for spinal injury include the following:
- Medications: Medication is the first line of defense against any traumatic injury. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories are used to relieve swelling and alleviate pain. These drugs may be used in conjunction with corticosteroids for better pain management.
- Braces: These are recommended when a car accident weakens any part of your spine. A brace repairs the spine and the soft tissues supporting it.
- Physical therapy: Tailored exercise routine and physical therapy prevent spinal injuries from deteriorating and promote healing. Whether or not you need physical therapy depends on the nature of your injury.
Surgical Treatments for Spinal Injuries
The injury might require spinal surgery if the spine experienced a great deal of impact. Some types of surgeries include:
- Discectomy: Surgery for herniated/ruptured intervertebral discs. Discectomy involves partial or complete disc removal, sometimes done alongside a spinal fusion.
- Disc arthroplasty: An option for car accident victims whose intervertebral disc(s) have been removed. A prosthetic disc is used to replace the herniated one.
- Spinal fusion: A spinal fusion is the best option when a spinal injury compromises the stability of your spine. This surgery involves the creation of a bridge of bone between two or more vertebrae to create a solid column of bones. Grafts, allografts, and tools such as plates and screws serve this purpose.
- Percutaneous vertebroplasty: Your surgeon will recommend this if you have experienced a vertebral fracture that affected the structural form of your vertebra and is causing you excruciating pain. With percutaneous vertebroplasty, you are injected with a medical-grade cement using a needle to go straight into the fractured vertebra to stabilize the fracture.
Legal Help – When Do I Need to Call a Lawyer?
Car insurance companies have lawyers and claims adjusters who begin working on the claim immediately after the car accident.
If they find the insured liable for the accident, the insurance company can try to shift the liability to the other driver to reduce their financial exposure.
A lawyer can protect you from lowballing from a car insurance company. So, you need to call a lawyer immediately if:
- You’ve sustained injuries or car damage. An injury to the spine, is severe and life-changing. An experienced car accident lawyer will protect your legal rights to compensation for your spinal injuries from a car accident.
- Someone else played a role in the car accident. If two cars collide, they might hit the neighboring ones, including yours. Your vehicle could lose control, and you end up sustaining spinal injuries from the same. In such a case, a lawyer will help you seek compensation for your injury and damages.
- Your injuries are permanent. Most spinal injuries from car accidents are permanent. They are likely to render you dependent and impose lifetime surgeries or even job loss. A lawyer can help you receive fair compensation to cater to your current and future costs.
- The other driver’s insurance company is offering you a low-ball settlement. If you reach out to a third-party insurer without a lawyer, you risk agreeing on a meager settlement that may not cover your spinal injury treatment. And once you’ve accepted a payment, filing another claim on the same injury is impossible. So, have a lawyer who can evaluate your injuries and consider spinal cord injuries from the car accident recovery timeline when negotiating a settlement.
Speak to a Car Accident Spine Injury Lawyer
Spinal injuries from car accidents are often traumatic and life-changing. The financial, physical, and emotional costs of spinal injuries can significantly affect you and your family.
At Legal Giant, we care about you and will do everything possible to maximize your compensation in a settlement or lawsuit. Call us today for a free, no-obligation review of your case.
