Car Accidents and Spinal Cord Injuries — What You Should Know

Car accidents are highly traumatizing; even if you walk away with only a few scrapes and bruises, they can have a significant impact on your health later down the line. Whether you’ve got significant injuries or feel fine after an accident, it’s worth talking to a doctor and one of our motor vehicle accident lawyers in New York City because some of the most life-altering problems don’t always begin by feeling like a significant injury.

Spinal cord injuries are an example of these deceptively minor problems. While you may begin feeling like you’ve got only a little backache, the problem can quickly evolve to impact your bodily functions.

Here are some critical facts about spinal cord injuries that you need to know:

There Are a Few Different Kinds of Injuries That Occur

When you’re in a car accident that hurts your back, there are generally three different kinds of injuries that occur: either the bones and joints are impacted, or your spinal cord is, or the ligaments that hold your nucleus propulsus are damaged allowing that disk to impinge upon the peripheral nerves leaving your spinal cord or the cord itself. It’s not uncommon for someone to walk away from a car accident with both kinds of back injuries, which is why you should always speak to a doctor when you’ve been in an accident of any kind.

They Can Start Off Seemingly Insignificant

A broken backbone often causes acute pain that radiates through your back, making it very apparent that you have a problem. However, with a herniated or ruptured disk, you may not immediately be aware of the problem that’s arisen; the symptoms can be only a mild aching that evolves into a more persistent pain as time goes on and as the disk further protrudes.

This happens when there is a tear in the ligaments that maintain the disk in its proper position. When that happens, it can cause instability and allow for movement of the disk against a peripheral nerve or towards the spinal cord itself. The effects of this impingement by the disk on the nerves or spinal cord may not be apparent for days, weeks, or even months later, when your symptoms progress from mild to more significant and permanent injuries.

To find out more about spinal cord injuries or schedule an appointment with an auto or truck accident attorney in New York City, contact us today!

Posted in: Auto Accident