Georgia Attorneys for Neck and Back Injuries After a Car Accident

If you sustained back or neck injuries after a car accident that was not your fault, you may be entitled to compensation. While money cannot take away the injury, it can help pay your medical bills and replace your lost wages.

Some back and neck injuries are immediately apparent. However, there are several that can appear in the hours and days following a car accident. These injuries can lead to long-term chronic pain and disability when they are left untreated.

If you are involved in a car accident and would like to speak to an experienced Georgia car accident lawyer, call Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. today at (770) 205-8827, or contact us online. Your first consultation is free, and we do not collect fees unless we get money for you.

Types of Neck and Back Injuries After a Car Accident

A car accident places a tremendous force on your back and neck during the impact. Neck and back injuries are incredibly common after a high-impact accident. Several common types of neck and back injuries occur after a car accident, including:

Whiplash: This is one of the more common causes of neck pain after an accident. Many times, it is caused by rear-end collisions. The injury is caused when the neck and head move back and forth rapidly while your body remains strapped in place. This sudden and rapid movement can cause serious injury and extensive damage to the nerves and muscles. This can take months to heal and rehabilitate.

Soft tissue damage: During a high-impact crash, motion in your neck and back can tear, sprain, or strain the soft tissue. This includes ligaments, muscles, and tendons in the neck and back. Soft tissue injury results in pain, tenderness, and inflammation. It can also cause reduced mobility and muscle spasms.

Spinal stenosis: If left untreated, a back injury can lead to spinal stenosis. This is a progressive disease that worsens over time. Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of the channel in your vertebrae through which your spinal cord travels. The added pressure pinches the nerves inside the channel where the stenosis develops. Symptoms that occur in the months and years after a traumatic injury include numbness and tingling in the arms and legs, or difficulty lifting light objects. You may also lose bladder or bowel control.

Disc herniation: Between each of your vertebra is a spongy structure called the vertebral discs. They are shock absorbers that cushion the vertebrae from jarring into each other. During a car accident, it’s not uncommon for one or several discs to herniate as the force of the impact compresses the structures or knocks them out of alignment. This is also referred to as herniated disc or slipped disc.

The injury can happen anywhere along the spinal cord. Depending on the severity of the injury, treatment can include surgery or physical therapy. However, if it’s left undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to other degenerative spinal disorders.

Facet joint injuries: The facet joints give your back the ability to twist, bend and swivel. They are cushioned by cartilage and fluid, so they move smoothly without crushing each other. An injury can lead to future degenerative spinal disorders that can be debilitating. While the facet joint can be injured, more commonly, the high-impact accident will damage the cartilage that cushions the facet joints.

Thoracic and lumbar sprains and injuries: The lumbar spine is in the lower back and is frequently injured during a car accident. The sudden force exerted on the body damages the surrounding tissue and causes lower back pain. Lumbar spinal injuries are painful and may require surgery or physical therapy for treatment.

The thoracic spine is in the middle to upper back. Impact injuries can trigger terrible back pain in this area that may be caused by fractures or disc herniation. In the thoracic spine area, the vertebrae are narrower than they are in the lumbar or cervical sections of the spine. This means there is a greater chance of nerve injury in the thoracic spine.

Should you have questions that need immediate answers, don’t hesitate to contact Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. to discuss your case. We have the experience you need.

Symptoms of Neck and Back Injuries

While many neck and back injuries are evident immediately after a car accident, some don’t show up for several hours or days afterward. It is vital that you are evaluated by your primary care healthcare provider in the hours after a car accident. This helps document injuries that have happened or may show up in the coming days. Symptoms of a neck or back injury can include:

• Dull, sharp, or burning pain in the back that is confined to a single area or covers a large area
• Numbness or tingling in the arms or legs
• Stiffness or aching along the spine
• Sharp, shooting pain from the lower back to the buttocks and down the leg and into the calf or toes
• Consistent ache in the middle or lower part of the back
• Headaches
• Shoulder pain
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Weakness in the lower extremities
• Pain that worsens by holding your head in one place
• Muscle tightness and spasms

It is important to seek immediate medical care if the pain increases after the injury, spreads down the arms and legs, or is accompanied by weakness or tingling. Severe injuries can result in a spinal cord injury that damages the nerves in the spinal canal. This can result in permanent changes in strength and sensation below the site of the injury.

Paralysis can occur after a spinal cord injury. This results in loss of movement, bowel or bladder control, change in sexual function, and intense pain caused by damage to the nerve fibers.

If you suspect that you have had a back or neck injury after a car accident, do not move. Permanent paralysis and other serious complications can occur with movement. Instead, keep still, call 911, and don’t move your head or neck.

Possible Compensation for Neck and Back Injuries

If you’re involved in a car accident that was not your fault, you may be entitled to compensation from the at-fault driver. Georgia is a fault state, which means the at-fault driver can be held liable for your injuries and losses.

The compensation you receive may include money for:

• Medical expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Lost wages
• Property damage
• Lost earning capacity
• Physical impairment or disfigurement
• Emotional stress

Contact Us So Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. Can Fight for Your Rights

Back and neck injuries after a car accident are painful and may cause permanent disability. If you suffered back and neck injuries in an accident caused by someone else’s negligent behavior, call Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. at (770) 205-8827 today.

Our experienced legal team will help you with every aspect of the process of recovering damages for your injuries. We take care of investigating the crash, collecting evidence, and negotiating with the at-fault party’s insurance company. If we do not reach a fair agreement for compensation, our team is fully prepared to fight for your rights in court.

Your first consultation is free, and we don’t collect any fees until we win compensation for you. Call us today at (770) 205-8827, or contact us online so we can get started on your case.