How Does a Car Crash Cause a Herniated Disk?
Herniated disks are extremely serious and painful injuries that occur when the disks between the vertebrae of your spine are damaged. Many car accident victims who experience back, buttocks, thigh or calf pain and/or numbness and are ultimately diagnosed with a herniated disk or disks, wonder whether their injury could have been caused by their crash.
The short answer is “yes,” and in many cases, car accident victims are entitled to compensation for their herniated disks and related losses. The forces at work in car accidents can put an incredible amount of pressure on your spine, potentially causing damage to your spinal disks.
Herniated Disk Basics
According to the Mayo Clinic, spinal disks are somewhat like jelly donuts – they have a soft center encased in a firmer exterior. Spinal disks become herniated when their walls rupture and the softer interior pushes out. Herniated disks can irritate the surrounding nerves and result in significant symptoms, such as arm or leg pain, numbness or tingling, and weakness in muscles served by the affected nerves. However, in some cases, herniated disks show up on spinal images of people who have not experienced any symptoms.
Herniated Disks Can Result in Significant Economic and Non-Economic Losses
Herniated disks can affect nearly every aspect of victim’s lives. They can make performing everyday activities unbearably painful and even affect victim’s ability to work. Furthermore, herniated disks often require significant medical treatment, including rehabilitative care, prescription pain medication, and even surgery, in some cases. For this reason, they often result in significant economic and non-economic losses – losses that are often compensable if the herniated disk was the result of a car accident caused by the negligence of someone else. Examples of damages that are often sought in car accident cases involving spinal injuries include:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Lost quality of life
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering
Recovering Compensation for Your Herniated Disk
Unfortunately, the fact that a person sustained a herniated disk or disks in a car accident often does not come to light for days or even weeks after an accident, which can often make it more difficult for victims to recover compensation. For this reason, it is critical for anyone involved in a car accident to undergo a thorough medical evaluation as soon as possible after an accident. In addition, should new symptoms develop after your initial evaluation, do not hesitate to call your doctor and go back so that he or she can reexamine you or order more tests that will accurately diagnose your condition. It is important that you develop an official medical record that clearly connects your injuries to the accident in which you were involved and documents their severity.
As time goes on, keep a detailed journal about the way in which your herniated disk is affecting your day-to-day life. Examples of the kinds of things of which you should make note include pain you experience, social or family events that you skip because of your injury, problems you have sleeping, and feelings of depression, isolation, or anxiety.
Finally, the best way to ensure that you get the compensation to which you are legally entitled is to retain a Tustin car accident attorney as soon as you can after an accident.