Common Types of Neck and Back Injuries

Among the most common car accident injuries personal injury lawyers see on a regular basis involve those to the back and the neck. While such injuries arguably tend to be less devastating than traumatic brain injuries, back and neck injuries can have serious consequences, with extensive pain, long recoveries and really high medical bills. Some people who suffer from back and neck injuries might not ever recover to full mobility, and might suffer from chronic pain. If this is the case, the Houston back and neck injury attorneys can help victims get the compensation they need.

back and neck injuries
back and neck injuries

 

Among the most common causes of neck and back injuries include:

  • Accidents involving vehicles, including cars, trucks, and motorcycles, in which the pressure from the impact causes extreme pressure and causes the spine to misalign and potentially injure the bones, muscles and nerves in the back and neck. Whiplash, pinched nerves or disc injuries are common in such incidents.
  • Bicycle and pedestrian accidents, in which someone is hit or sideswiped by a larger vehicle, causing them to move unnaturally in a different direction than they were traveling, which can result in damage to the back and neck from misalignment or breakage.
  • Boating accidents, due to the fact that boaters have little protection from back or neck injuries when they hit the surface of the water at high speed, or a boat collides with another boat and causes a serious impact that can cause a back or neck to be severely injured.
  • Slip and fall accidents, in which the sudden impact or the sudden wrenching of the fall itself can result in great pressure being placed on the neck and back, resulting in potentially devastating damage.

These are not the only situations in which back and neck injuries occur, of course; in fact, back injuries are actually quite common at work, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA. Every year, according to their figures, about one million workers suffer work-related back and neck injuries due to slips and falls, lifting heavy objects, sudden or repetitive twisting or other awkward positions while working, working in confined spaces for an extended time or even exposure to vibration.

Back and neck injuries can range from being either mild or severe, or anywhere in between. They can lead to a number of health problems, such as nagging and persistent pain, headaches, loss of bladder control, dizziness, tingling or numbness in the back, neck or even extremities. A common source of back or neck pain can be fractured vertebrae, but there are actually five different types of fractures.

Medical Treatment For Back and Neck Injuries

Medical professionals know the neck and upper back as an extremely intricate structure of bones, muscles and other tissues that are potentially very fragile because they have to work together in near-perfect alignment. There are two primary types of back and neck injuries; acute injuries and overuse injuries. Diagnosing back and neck injuries is not easy; in order to do so, a medical professional may begin assessing the level of damage simply by examining your ability to sit, stand or walk or to even check your reflexes and grip strength. In some cases, if they suspect a serious injury, it may be necessary for x-rays, an MRI or even a CT Scan, all of which can be very expensive.

And that’s just to get the diagnosis. Once the diagnosis is made the treatment your doctor makes can include prescription and over-the-counter medications, surgery, traction, or even weeks, months or years of physical therapy to help rebuild damaged muscle or to restore muscle mass. Unfortunately, some patients’ injuries are so severe they are unable to return to work, which causes them to suffer from lost wages.

Houston Back and Neck Injury Attorneys

If you or a loved one have suffered a back or neck due to any kind of accident, whether it’s a motor vehicle, slip and fall or any sort of workplace accident, and the accident was not caused by you, you may be able to file a lawsuit to recover the cost of diagnosis and treatment, as well as lost wages and income, and even your pain and suffering. If you are the victim of someone else’s negligence, please contact the back and neck injury attorneys at Adame Garza LLP as soon as possible to schedule a free consultation, so we can evaluate your case.

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