Any injury to the neck, back or spine could have a significant impact on your life. Car accidents are a common cause of these injuries throughout the United States. What should you know about car accidents and neck and back injuries?
4 crash-related injuries
Neck and spinal injuries caused by crashes come in many different forms, including:
- Whiplash — Rear-end collisions are a common cause of whiplash, a neck injury that occurs when a person’s neck snaps forward and back.
- Herniated discs — The spine contains soft discs that cushion the bones, and the trauma of a crash can cause damage to these discs.
- Fractures — Just as a car accident can lead to broken bones in other parts of your body, a crash can cause broken vertebrae in your neck and back. Depending on the type of fracture, these broken bones can damage the muscles, tendons and nerves around the spine.
- Spinal cord injuries —Serious crashes can injure the spinal cord itself, damaging the nerves and interrupting the brain’s connection to other parts of the body. According to the Mayo Clinic, motor vehicle accidents account for half of the spinal injuries in the United States each year.
These injuries can result in pain, weakness, numbness, tingling and a variety of other symptoms. More severe injuries can have a permanent impact on the body parts below the injury or even prove fatal.
If you or a loved one experience a neck or spinal injury in a crash, that injury can change your life and live you with significant medical costs. It can be key to explore your legal options so that you can achieve full compensation.