According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), car crashes happen once every minute throughout the nation. Toward the top of the list of common injuries, back injuries rank especially high. One specific type that people can suffer from is damage or trauma to the discs in the spine.
What is a herniated disc?
The spine is formed by small bones called vertebrae. In between each of these vertebrae are jelly-like substances called discs. Each disc has an outer layer that is a shell (annulus), with a liquid substance inside (disc nucleus). The main purpose of these discs is to act as shock absorbers for the vertebrae.
A herniated disc (also referred to as bulged, slipped, or ruptured disc) occurs when a piece of the disc nucleus is pushed out of the shell into the spinal canal because of a tear or rupture.
When this happens, the disc structures can push against the nerves in the spine and cause severe back, neck, leg, and hand pain.
Back injuries from car accidents can be a lifelong problem. Unfortunately, many people feel as if they aren’t injured and don’t seek immediate medical care after the crash. They hope that any effects of the collision will fade over time and they will be fine.
But by failing to seek medical care after a wreck, car crash victims run the risk of not healing properly and experiencing a lifetime of uncompensated pain.
What are the symptoms of herniated discs?
Symptoms can vary greatly depending on the position of the disc and the size of the herniation. If it is pressing on a nerve, there may be a low backache or no pain at all. If it is pressing on a nerve, there could be numbness, pain, or weakness to where the nerve travels. Usually, a herniated disc is preceded by low back pain or intermittent episodes of low back pain.
If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms below after a car accident, we strongly recommend immediately seeing a doctor or other medical professional.
Back pain: Sudden or intense back pain is a strong sign that you’ve suffered a disc injury (100) from your auto accident and is probably the most common symptom. This is especially true for the lower back because the bottom two discs are the most likely to herniate in a car accident.
Ruptured discs in the lower back will put pressure on the sciatic nerve causing sharp pain in the legs and feet. Usually, only one side is affected. The pain is described as a shock or electric-like and can be more severe when standing, walking or sitting. Over time, the herniated disc can cause chronic pain and numbness while weakening the back muscles.
Numbness in back, legs, or hands: Those affected may also feel burning, tingling, and numbness from the buttocks to the calf, foot, toes, hands, and fingers. These symptoms may prevent a victim from doing daily activities due to pain or discomfort.
Neck pain: There may also be nerve compression in the neck that causes dull or sharp pain in between the shoulder blades. This pain may radiate down the arm to the hand or cause numbness or tingling in the shoulder or arm. Pain may increase with certain movements of the neck.
What should you do if you have a herniated disc after a car accident?
If you haven’t yet, you should set up an appointment with a doctor. Depending on the extent of the injury, it’s possible you may need physical therapy or even surgery.
We also recommend meeting with a personal injury attorney who is knowledgeable in the area of car accident damages. Car insurance companies want to make people feel bad about hiring a personal injury lawyer, but this is just one tactic among many they use to deny or diminish rightful injury claims. The fact is, minimum insurance is required by the state of California for when you’re injured by someone else’s negligence.
Like most car crash lawyers, we offer a free case evaluation where we will review the facts of your case, discuss your injuries, medical bills, missed time from work, and others. We provide an honest and friendly assessment of your case. We won’t sugarcoat it.
If you have questions about a herniated disc or other injury suffered in a car crash, give us a call today at (916) 619-5452 or fill out our form on our website and someone will be in contact shortly.
