Can You Sue for Lower Back Injuries in Car Accidents?
- August 11
- Evans/Reilley
- Car Accidents
Have you been in a car accident and are confused about what to do next? Most people are worried about the cost of medical treatment and may hesitate to make decisions early on in a case because they are waiting to see what happens next. When it comes to possible back injuries, you should never wait. It is possible you can sue for lower back injuries in a car accident, but there are several steps you need to take first.
You should seek medical care as soon as possible after any accident, because you may not realize you are injured at first. You may be in shock, or you might have so much adrenaline from the accident that you don’t feel the pain yet. See a doctor so you can describe the impact and get the help you need right away. Even if you don’t feel the pain for days or weeks, going to a doctor right away will protect you in case you have a potential claim later.
The proof of your visit will show what happened and that you were not injured before the accident. You can speak to a spinal injury lawyer in Austin, TX
for free if you have any questions.
Can You Sue for Lower Back Injuries in a Car Accident?
Because of the high impact during a car crash, many people suffer injuries to their muscles and backs that they may not be aware of right away. Back and spine injuries are especially common and can range from mild to life-threatening. If you can prove the necessary elements, you may be able to sue for the injuries you received. People with legal representation of attorneys usually get bigger settlements, and it costs you nothing to call a spinal injury lawyer to get an initial consultation. Find out if you can sue for lower back injuries in your car accident. If you have a case, we can help.
When you speak to an attorney, you can rest assured that your attorney will not share your information with anyone. You can explain what happened and be honest about whether you had any preexisting conditions, such as an earlier back injury. You may still be able to recover even if you already had back problems if the accident made your problems worse. Your attorney will help you decide whether you have a case and how much your case might be worth. You may be able to get compensation for:
- medical bills
- rental car reimbursement
- repair expenses
- time off from work
- pain and suffering
- any other expenses reasonably related to the accident.
Lower Back Injuries in Car Accidents
Thousands of people are injured in car accidents every year, even with all the safety modifications added to modern vehicles. There is as yet no way to completely take away the risk associated with an accident where your body is moving along quickly and suddenly stops. Inertia causes your body to keep moving in the original direction of the vehicle, while you are in a sitting position. If you are safely secured, you don’t fly through the windshield, but your body then whips back at great speed.
That jerking motion puts enormous pressure on your neck and back. People often call the resulting injury “whiplash,” and you may have heard ads on late-night television asking if you suffer from the condition. Before you consider calling one of those numbers, you should speak to a medical professional who can help diagnose your problem. You have five vertebrae in your lumbar area, and if those are torn or dry out, the damage can affect your entire body.
Why Does My Lower Back Hurt after a Car Accident?
Your doctor can diagnose a lumbar area injury by using a series of diagnostic procedures. First, your doctor will ask you about the pain, your symptoms, and how long you have been suffering. If you have documentation from your first visit after the accident, the doctor can use that to pinpoint when you started having problems. It will also help your doctor with diagnosis if you have the accident report, so you can show how the accident happened. Because doctors see so many people with back injuries caused by car accidents, they have experience diagnosing and treating injuries like yours.
Then your doctor will use other ways to more closely look at the injured area. Even if your lower back is the area with the injury, you may be feeling the effects throughout your body. Your doctor may try an X-ray and an MRI, in order to more closely see the damage. In some cases, the doctor will inject a dye to see the internal injuries better. Only after knowing the problem should the doctor begin treating a back injury.
Can You Get Lower Back Pain from a Car Accident?
When you get lower back pain from a car accident injury, it may be from something simple or from a serious injury that will need extensive medical treatment. In some more severe cases, you may need spinal surgery. In others, you may need long-term rehabilitation. Even a minor case of whiplash can be very expensive, painful, and cause you to miss a great deal of time from work. If you weren’t even the one who caused the accident, you may be feeling frustrated with the entire process.
At Evans/Reilley, we understand how difficult it is to deal with insurance and attorneys while you are dealing with injuries and trying to recover. Once you hire us to represent your interests, you no longer have to deal with the pressure of answering to those other parties. We can help you make sure you get the treatment you need for your lower back injuries while we take care of the deadlines and legal communication. Some people stop getting treatment earlier than they should, keeping them from having a full recovery, because they feel the pressure to finish their treatment. You don’t want that to happen to you.
If you or a loved one has a back injury from an accident caused by another’s negligence, please do not hesitate to call our team at (512) 732-2727 for a free consultation.