Spinal Cord Injuries That Can Be Caused by a Car Accident

Key Points:

• Spinal Cord Injuries Are Common: Trauma to the spinal cord is a very common injury suffered by car accident victims. These injuries are possible even when all safety measures including seatbelts and airbags are used properly because the spinal cord is highly vulnerable to the forces present in a violent collision.
• Impacts and Damages to the Spine: The physical forces that come into play during a violent collision are enormous. Because the spine is critically important – actually central to the operation of the body – injuries to this area can be devastating. A violent collision may cause the spine to compress, to stretch or to twist and deform in ways that can lead to fractures, dislocations, and damages to the discs that separate the vertabra.. The type and severity of spinal injuries can vary based on numerous factors, including the crash’s speed and angle and the use of seat belts.
•  Spinal Injuries: In this article, we include some of the spinal injuries that can happen as a result from a car accident. Whiplash, ruptured or herniated discs, bruising to the spinal cord, compressions, and  fractures are all common injuries. Each of these injuries can require different specialists, treatment plan, associated costs, and recovery time.
• Symptoms and Treatment:  Because recognizing the symptoms of a spinal injury can be difficult, seeking medical help as soon as possible after an accident is recommended. A medical professional is able to identify and understand the symptoms which can range from a nagging pain in the neck to numbness and/or paralysis. Even when symptoms seem mild, medical evaluation and testing can make your chances for recovery better. It’s advised to initially consult an emergency room physician or a primary care doctor, who might refer patients to specialized experts like neurologists or orthopedic surgeons for further assessment and treatment.

Spinal Cord Trauma Frequently Happens in Car Accidents

As attorneys that focus on car accidents, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to deepen our understanding of the spine. Even with safeguards like seat belts and airbags, the spinal cord often bears the brunt of a collision’s force and displacement. This vital structure is vulnerable, and its injuries can reverberate throughout a victim’s life.

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How Can Car Accidents Injure the Spine?

The sudden and violent motion of a collision—whether from a head-on impact, side crash, or rear-end collision—can jolt the spine, causing it to stretch, compress, or twist in unnatural ways.

Vertebrae, the bones that surround and protect the spinal cord,  may fracture or dislocate under the physical stress of the collision. The discs, which act as shock absorbers  between the vertebrae may rupture or become herniated, pressing on nerves causing  intense pain and neurological complications.

The precise nature of the injury as well as its severity will vary from case to case. No two accidents are alike and can, therefore, create a variety of injuries in a range of severity from mild to catastrophic. Factors that affect the precise nature of the injuries include the speed at which the collision happened, the impact’s angle, and whether or not there were seatbelts and airbags in use. Higher speed impacts usually cause more severe trauma including spinal fractures and damage to the spinal cord which may be permanent. Given the spine’s crucial role in everyday mobility and function, any injury to it demands immediate attention and comprehensive care.

Understanding Key Spinal Injuries Resulting from Car Accidents

**The dollar amounts we provide below are merely approximate figures intended to offer a general understanding of potential costs and do not offer  precise or definitive values.

Whiplash

• Description: Injury to the neck’s soft tissues caused by rapid forward and backward movement of the head.
• Symptoms: Neck pain, stiffness, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision.
• Medical Specialists: Orthopedists, Physical Therapists, Chiropractors.
• Estimated Medical Cost: Varies, but generally from $2,500** to $10,000**.
• Estimated Time to Recovery: Few weeks to several months.
• Treatment Options: Physical therapy, pain medication, muscle relaxants, cervical collars.

Herniated Disc

• Description: A rupture of the intervertebral disc causing it to press on spinal nerves.
• Symptoms: Pain, numbness, weakness in the affected limb.
• Medical Specialists: Orthopedists, Neurosurgeons, Physical Therapists.
• Estimated Medical Cost: $20,000** to $50,000** or more, depending on the need for surgery.
• Estimated Time to Recovery: Several weeks to several months.
• Treatment Options: Physical therapy, pain medication, corticosteroid injections, surgery in severe cases.

Spinal Cord Contusion or Bruising

• Description: A bruise or bleeding on the spinal cord.
• Symptoms: Pain, weakness, numbness, or paralysis below the level of the injury.
• Medical Specialists: Neurologists, Neurosurgeons, Rehabilitation Specialists.
• Estimated Medical Cost: $30,000** to $80,000** or more, based on severity.
• Estimated Time to Recovery: Weeks to months; some effects might be permanent.
• Treatment Options: Medication for swelling, surgery, rehabilitation.

Spinal Fractures

• Description: Breaks or cracks in the vertebrae.
• Symptoms: Pain, difficulty moving, numbness, tingling, weakness.
• Medical Specialists: Orthopedic Surgeons, Neurosurgeons.
• Estimated Medical Cost: $50,000** to $150,000** or more, based on severity and location.
• Estimated Time to Recovery: Several months to over a year.
• Treatment Options: Bracing, surgery, physical therapy, rehabilitation.

Spinal Cord Compression

• Description: Pressure on the spinal cord due to various reasons like a herniated disc, fracture, or blood clot.
• Symptoms: Pain, numbness, weakness, loss of coordination.
• Medical Specialists: Neurosurgeons, Neurologists.
• Estimated Medical Cost: $35,000 to $90,000 or more.
• Estimated Time to Recovery: Weeks to several months.
• Treatment Options: Medications, surgery, radiation therapy (in case of tumors), rehabilitation.

Identification of Spinal Injury Symptoms Following a Car Accident

Following a car accident, understanding the importance of immediate medical intervention is critical. Knowing the symptoms of spinal injuries will help to identify the potential injuries. Unfortunately, not all symptoms are immediately obvious. Because the victim is very often in shock, or under the influence of the rush of adrenaline that follows an accident, some symptoms may take hours or days to become apparent. Delays in seeking medical care can seriously impact the victim’s hope for a full recovery.

Sharp or persistent pain in the neck or back that intensifies with movement is a very common symptom. Another common symptom is tingling, numbness, or a “pins and needles” sensation in fingers and toes.

Other symptoms of spinal injury can include numbness, muscle weakness and/or paralysis in some areas of the body. Trouble with breathing could mean an injury in the area of the upper spine. Also watch for difficulty in walking, issues with balance, sensitivity to touch, heat, or cold, or problems with bladder or bowel control as these may signal a spinal injury.

It is critically important that you seek medical attention immediately if you detect any of these symptoms, even if they seem mild or intermittent. Only a medical professional can identify and treat more severe underlying damage.

Medical Experts for Spinal Assessment

It is wise to obtain medical attention as soon as possible following an accident. An emergency room physician or your own primary care doctor can evaluate your injuries and advise you. These medical professionals may refer you to specialists such as a neurologist or orthopedic specialist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, a chiropractor or pain management specialist.

Delaying Medical Treatment for a Spinal Injury Can Have Devastating Consequences!

Failing to seek medical treatment for a spinal injury following a car accident can result in numerous, serious medical and legal consequences such as these:

Potential Medical Consequences:

Further Damage: Delay in treatment of a spinal injury can lead to further damage to the spine. An injury may seem mild and manageable, but in not taking steps to immobilize or stop aggravating the injury, you run the risk of making the injury more serious or even permanent. 

Potential Complications: If you delay treatment of your spinal injury, you make complications more likely. Blood clots, infections, and increased inflammation can compound the initial injury and lead to longer healing time or, worse, permanent damage.

Mobility Problems: When not treated promptly, some spinal injuries can result in long-term decrease to mobility.This can affect one’s ability to perform everyday tasks and may become permanent.

Long-term or Chronic Pain: If you do not seek medical evaluation and intervention soon after you are injured, you could be opening yourself to a lifetime of pain and discomfort.Medical intervention soon after the accident can help prevent long-term and chronic pain.

Neurological Complications: Because spinal injuries often cause nerve impact, delaying treatment can extend your pain or the way in which your nerves function.

Medical Costs: It stands to reason that if an injury grows worse because of neglect or non-treatment, ultimately,  medical treatment may be significantly more expensive than it might have been if treated timely.

Prolonged Recovery Time: The time it takes to heal and recover can be substantially longer if there’s a delay in receiving medical care.

Consequences to Your Legal Claim

Reduction of the Value of Your Claim:  When the time comes to make your insurance claim, you may have a more difficult time recovering for your damages if you have delayed medical intervention. The insurance company for the at-fault driver may argue that your injury was not severe enough to warrant immediate medical attention. Such an argument can reduce the value of your claim.

Old Injury: It’s likely that the lawyers for the other side will insist that the accident did not cause your injuries if you’ve delayed your medical treatment. They will say that your injuries were pre-existing and their insured did not cause them.Instead, they might suggest the injury was pre-existing or was caused by an unrelated event after the accident.

Missing Medical Documentation: When you seek medical treatment, you are in a position to provide detailed medical documentation. If, on the other hand, you delay treatment, there’s a lack of  medical evidence to support your claim.

Credibility Questions: If you wait to seek medical care, the insurance company and its representatives may claim that you are not telling the truth or exaggerating the severity of your damages.

Statute of Limitations: Delays in obtaining medical treatment will also delay your healing and your ability to seek compensation legally.While not directly related to the delay in treatment, it’s essential to remember that personal injury claims have a statute of limitations.

In conclusion, it’s crucial, both for health and legal reasons, to seek immediate medical attention after a car accident, especially if there’s any suspicion of a spinal injury. The repercussions of waiting can be long-lasting and significantly impact the trajectory of one’s recovery and legal compensation.