Key Takeaways
- Back pain is one of the most common complaints after car accidents, and some back injuries are serious or even permanently debilitating.
- Seeing a doctor after a crash provides needed treatment while establishing evidence of your injuries and their extent.
- A severe spinal cord injury can cause limb weakness, loss of feeling, and partial or permanent paralysis, and some damage is irreversible.
- Herniated discs and fractured vertebrae can cause severe or stabbing pain, tingling, numbness, and immobility.
- Thoracic injuries can make breathing painful, while severe lumbar injuries might keep people in physical labor jobs out of work.
Are you dealing with a back injury after a car accident? How do you know if your stiffness and soreness is something more serious? If you or someone you love was involved in an auto accident, we strongly suggest that you see a doctor if you have not yet done so. Seeing a doctor after a car accident serves a dual purpose – you get the treatment you need while simultaneously establishing evidence of your injuries and the extent of those injuries.
Back pain is one of the most common complaints from people involved in car accidents, but sometimes these injuries are serious and even permanently debilitating.
Contact our Portland car accident attorney to learn more about your legal rights and options after an accident.
Injured in a Car Accident? We Can Help You Seek Compensation
Types of Back Injuries Caused by Car Accidents
Spinal Cord Injuries
A spinal cord injury, if severe enough, can leave a person paralyzed. The spinal column is a complex configuration of ligaments, nerves, and bone. If damaged, an individual can suffer from limb weakness, loss of feeling, and permanent or partial paralysis. Sometimes, surgery and therapy can help heal or improve a spinal cord injury. In the most severe cases, spinal cord damage is irreversible. Call a spinal cord injury lawyer in Portland to discuss your legal options for compensation following your crash.
Herniated and Protruding Discs
If you’ve ever heard of a “slipped” disc or a “ruptured” disc, these are common ways people refer to a condition called herniated disc. These discs are found along the spinal column. If they move out of their proper place, they can place pressure on the surrounding nerves. This can, in turn, cause severe pain, tingling, numbness, and even immobility.
Fractured Vertebrae
A fractured vertebrae – also known as a “compression fracture” – is common in older adults but can also be caused by repetitive stress and injury. Most often, vertebrae fractures affect the lower back and cause sharp, stabbing pain. Some cases of fractured vertebrae cause tingling, numbness, and immobility as well.
Upper Back / Thoracic Injuries
Your upper back is the region of the spine known as the thoracic region. Thoracic injuries are commonly caused by sudden trauma, such as trauma from an auto accident. Because the thoracic region of the spine/back is in line with the chest, thoracic upper back injuries can make it difficult for a patient to breathe without pain and difficulty.
Lower Back / Lumbar Injuries
Your lower back is comprised of the lumbar region of the spine. Injuries to the lumbar region can include fractures, herniation of discs, ligament sprains, and strained muscles. Many of these injuries can be treated with therapy, some might require surgery. The most severe lower back lumbar injuries might put a person out of work (if their work involves physical labor).
Disc damage is common in crashes. Learn whether you can seek compensation for an annular tear or fissure.
Can’t Work After a Car Accident?
It might be difficult for some to return to work after injuring their back in a car accident – this is particularly true for people employed in labor-intensive occupations like construction. In severe car accident cases, the injury lawyers at Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC fight for the compensation a client needs to offset the cost of being unable to return to work.
“At Paulson Coletti, ‘liberty and justice for all’ is more than just a phrase – it is our mandate. Our team of trial lawyers is driven to pursue justice for the injured, ensuring that the responsible parties are held accountable. Whether your case settles or goes to trial, you can trust our Oregon personal injury lawyers to be the legal advocates you need so your voice can be heard.”
We’ve Won Millions for Auto Accident Victims!
The Portland car accident lawyers at Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC have won millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements in these types of cases, including:
- $1.2 million – Improper Highway Maintenance Car Accident
- $1.1 million – Passenger Injured in a Car Accident
- $1 million – Wrongful Death Caused by a Car Accident
Learn more about our auto accident case results. If you are suffering from back pain after a car accident, we invite you to contact our firm today for a free review of your case. Everyone deserves a passionate advocate, and at our firm, we have three. Speak with one of us about your accident to learn about your legal rights and accidents following an accident.
“Most cases settle, but each of our cases is prepared as if it’s going to trial. The insurance companies know it and so do the defense lawyers defending them. That’s why we get such great results for our clients.”
