Each time you get into your car, you take a small risk of sustaining a back injury. A study by the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCSC) found that between 2015 and 2018, motor vehicle accidents were the leading of spinal cord injury (SCI). Car accidents are responsible for 39.9 percent of all SCIs.
No, we’re not trying to say that cars are unsafe, and you should avoid them altogether. But even if the risk of a crash is small and the subsequent risk of a back injury is negligible, it’s still something that can happen when you are involved in a car accident.
The impact of an accident, including a minor impact of a fender bender, may cause you a wide range of back and spinal injuries. This article will discuss the most common car accident back injuries from a car accident. Read on to learn everything you need to know.
How Common Are Back Injuries from a Car Accident?
Back injuries, otherwise known as spinal cord injuries, are more common than you can imagine.
According to the NSCSC, the U.S records 17,810 new SCIs annually. Currently, more than 300,000 people in the U.S are living with SCI.
Unsurprisingly, car accidents are the leading cause of SCIs, accounting for 39.9 percent of these cases. Only falls come close to this; they account for at least 32 percent of SCIs.
The American Association of Neurological Surgeons further says that auto accidents are responsible for SCI among younger populations, while falls remain the main cause of SCIs seniors.
These statistics should send a clear message to drivers: being careful on the road is the only way to prevent car accident back injuries.
Delayed Pain – How Long Do Back Injuries Take to Appear?
Injuries such as cuts, bruises, and broken bones are immediate and visible in any car crash. But when it comes to back injuries, pain may take time to appear.
When you leave the accident scene with no visible injuries, you become excited that you escaped unhurt. You fail to understand that you might have sustained injuries, but the adrenaline rush masks the pain. It is not until you go home trying to relax that the pains from the back injury begin to unmask.
Often, you wake up the next day with stiff and sore parts of the body that initially felt normal when you went to sleep. And sometimes, the pain may not be noticeable until days or weeks after the accident.
Pain delay after a collision is particularly common in spine injuries because of the complex nature of the spine. An example of a back injury that manifests with delayed pain is sciatica.
The problem with delayed pain is that you might overlook going to the hospital. When you do, a manageable back injury could deteriorate and cause permanent paralysis or chronic low back pain.
Also, beware that ignoring symptoms could affect your ability to win a personal injury claim against your insurance company.
So, it’s crucial to go to the ER immediately for a checkup and diagnosis of back injuries after car accident.
What Are Some of the Most Common Back Injuries?
Most back injuries from auto accidents result from whiplash. The effect of whiplash could be felt from the neck to the lower back, with the pain ranging from slight to acute. Here are five of the most common back injuries caused by car accidents.
1. Sprains and Strains
Lumbar spine sprains and strains are some of the most common low-impact car accident back injuries. Typically, the accident’s impact could overstretch or tear your lower back muscles, tendons, and ligaments. When this happens, it results in sprains and strains.
Sprains and strains will leave you with severe lower back pain, tightness, and muscle spasms. Unfortunately, imaging doesn’t show this type of injury. So, it would help if you discussed its possibility with your physician.
2. Facet Joint Injuries
A high-impact auto accident could hurt the facet joints connecting your spinal vertebrae. Apart from direct injury, an accident could cause damage to the cartilage that cushions the facet joints or cause the fluid that lubricates the joints to leak.
When this happens, you will experience low back pain, swelling, and stiffness. It can even lead to a degenerative spinal disorder known as facet joint syndrome.
If unattended, this injury can lead to debilitating effects. So, do not overlook any back pains after being involved in a car accident.
3. Herniated Discs
The spine consists of discs that cushion the vertebra and serve as shock absorbers. A herniated disc (also called a ruptured or bulging disc) results when the impact of the collision shifts the discs and compresses the surrounding nerves.
Symptoms of a herniated disc differ depending on where the herniation occurs and can include:
- Muscle weakness around the affected nerves
- Tingling or numbness in the arms and legs
- Sharp, burning pain radiating from the shoulders or lower back to the arms or legs
There are cases where a person may not experience any symptoms of a herniation. That’s why you shouldn’t wait; seek the advice of a physician immediately after being involved in an accident
4. Vertebrae Fractures
Like any other bone, vertebrae risk fractures of all types and can occur anywhere along the spine. Most vertebrae fractures are mild and heal without much intervention.
But any significant trauma to the spine could result in severe back pain car accident injuries such as:
- Burst fractures- Several fractures leave bony fragments that injure the spinal cord, resulting in paralysis or death.
- Flexion fracture- Collision throws the upper body forward while the lower body remains intact, tearing the vertebra apart.
- Vertebra compression fractures- Front side of the vertebra collapses while the back stays in place, creating a wedge shape. VCF is mainly linked with osteoporosis.
Spinal fractures cause moderate to severe pain that worsens with movement. They can also cause numbness, muscle weakness, tingling sensation, and loss of bowel function.
5. Spondylolisthesis
Sometimes stress fractures may displace the vertebrae, resulting in spondylolisthesis. Typically, spondylolisthesis crams nerves together.
Symptoms you’ll likely experience are pain, numbness, general body weakness, and difficulty walking.
Treatment of this injury will depend on where the displaced vertebrae are located and the displacement range. Physical therapy can do, but surgery may be necessary in severe cases.
Final Verdict
Back injuries significantly affect your physical, mental, social, and financial health. The spine is a crucial part of your body that, if injured, can result in lifelong damage that will change your life within the blink of an eye.
At Legal Giant, we understand the severity of the pain and suffering that people undergo after a car accident or back injury.
If you or your loved one has been involved in a car accident that resulted in a back injury, contact our experienced attorneys for help. Call us to schedule your consultation today!
