According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCSC), vehicle crashes are the number one cause of spinal injuries. Since 2010, car wrecks account for 38% of all spinal cord injuries in the United States.
While accident victims can sustain an injury to various parts of the body in a car wreck, those to the spine are typically the most severe. They also tend to be the most commonly experienced injury in more serious accidents.
The following is an explanation of the 5 most common spinal injuries that car accident victims may experience
Whiplash
Whiplash is the most common spinal injury that car crash victims sustain—especially when they’re rear-ended. It is caused by a forceful, rapid back and forth movement of the neck. It involves vertebrae, nerves, ligaments, muscles, tendons, discs, or a combination of these structures. While most consider it a neck injury because of where the initial trauma occurs, it can also affect the spine.
Some car crash victims experience multiple injuries to the spine, which can be compounded by whiplash injuries. Studies report that some whiplash victims feel symptoms for up to 3 years after the initial collision. While some movies use neck braces and whiplash for comedic relief, it can be a serious injury that causes a lifetime of pain and emotional distress for the car accident victim even at low speeds.
Unfortunately, this portrayal of whiplash in the movies and our society plays into the hands of insurance companies denying and reducing the value of otherwise legitimate claims.
Disc Injuries
The spine is comprised of several small bones called the vertebrae. They protect the spinal column and are separated by small jelly-filled discs as shock absorption. The force of an auto collision can cause these discs to shift, tear, and even rupture resulting in serious pain and injury.
A herniated disc is an injury where the jelly of the disc is pushed out of the shell and into the spinal canal. This can cause serious pain by pressing on the spinal canal or nerves.
Symptoms of disc injuries include numbness and radiating pain throughout specific areas of the body. The pain will typically extend through the back, shoulder, arms, and legs with this kind of injury. Depending on the severity, conservative treatment like chiropractic or physical therapy may correct the problem. But for more serious injuries, surgery may be necessary.
Spinal Fractures and Spondylolisthesis
During a car accident, the body may be swiftly jerked in multiple directions. This can cause intense pressure and a compression fracture on the spine. If this happens, the victim may experience a spinal fracture, spondylolisthesis, or both. Spondylolisthesis is a condition where fractured vertebra shifts or places pressure on to the spinal column.
Symptoms vary from pain and numbness in specific areas of the body to a loss of bladder control. Depending on the severity, treatment for this type of injury may include surgery, physical therapy, rest, and possibly immobilization of the spine.
Spinal Cord Injuries
An injury to the spinal cord can cause the most lasting and serious damage. While the spine itself can be repaired, there is currently no way to repair the bundle of nerves it protects. Unfortunately, victims are left hoping that the injury will become less severe as the inflammation resolves or may be left to try experimental treatments and clinical trials. Either way, if someone experiences this type of injury, they will need support, treatment, and assistance from those close to them and medical professionals alike.
Facet Joint Injuries
Facet joints are found in the spine and act as a hinge between each vertebra. The joints in our body allow us to bend, twist, and move. Injuries to the facet joints are very common in car crashes and result in pain and inflammation. During a collision, they can be torn away from one another or dislocated, especially in the neck from a whiplash injury.
Victims who suffer this kind of injury may require physical therapy, chiropractic, facet injections, acupuncture, or ablation procedures.
Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces within your spine that puts pressure on the nerves that travel through the spine. But unlike the above injuries, it doesn’t actually happen from a car accident. What can happen though, is that where there aren’t any symptoms of the stenosis (asymptomatic), a collision can cause them to appear (symptomatic). This means that someone can have this condition without even realizing it, but a car accident can trigger pain, numbness and other complications.
While showing that your injuries are actually from the accident is required to prove negligence, if an accident exacerbates or triggers an injury, the at-fault party can be found liable for the additional damage (i.e., what pain or injury was actually caused from the accident). Showing this may require an MRI and a doctor’s report to support the claim.
Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer
My name is Dan Hanecak and I am a Sacramento personal injury attorney. If you’ve been in a car accident and sustained spinal injuries from the negligence of another, you may be entitled to having your medical bills covered and compensation for lost wages, future earning capacity as well as pain and suffering.
When you call our firm, you will speak with me about your case and I will provide you with free and honest advice. Our aim is to try to help you figure out the next step. We understand that this is a difficult time in your life and we are here to help. Call me at (916) 619-5452 or fill out the form on our website and I will be in touch with you personally.
