What Are The Most Common Back Injuries Caused By Car Accidents?

On behalf of Lovett Law Firm posted in Spinal Cord Injuries on Tuesday, April 21, 2015.

Back injuries are not uncommon in car accidents. You face extreme forces, sudden stops and impacts, and forced positions that can leave you bruised and battered. The human back is designed to support the entire body, but back injuries can and do cause disabilities, pain and suffering.

Back injuries are among the most common injuries that occur due to car accidents. One of the most common types is called a herniated disc. This slipped disc may be known as a ruptured disc, and it is caused when the impact from the accident forces the disc to break or be pushed out of position.

Not all herniated discs cause paralysis; however, it is possible to be paralyzed by a herniation. This paralysis may be temporary if the disc is pressing on a nerve and can be removed. Pain, numbness and weakness are all common signs of a herniation.

Spinal cord injuries are usually suffered when you’re hit in the back during a car accident. For instance, if you don’t have a seat belt on, are thrown from the car and hit your back on the ground on impact, you could shatter a disc or damage the nerves inside the spinal cord. The higher up the spinal cord the injury, the more likely you are to suffer issues throughout the body.

An injury on the neck can lead to quadriplegia, for example, while the lower back injury may cause a leg to be paralyzed or paralysis from the hips down. Other potential injuries include compression fractures or stiffness due to the muscles around the spinal cord being injured or sprained.

Source: Disabled World, “Back Injuries From Car Accidents,” accessed April. 21, 2015