New Jersey’s many roads, highways and bridges seem to become more crowded every day. Whether you are driving your own vehicle or riding in someone else’s, you may eventually have an automobile accident. Unfortunately, your back’s health is at risk in any collision.
You may not usually think much about your back’s muscles, bones and connective tissues. Nevertheless, if you sustain a serious injury in a car crash, you may not be able to forget about either back pain or activity limitations. Here are three common back injuries that often come from serious car accidents:
1. Whiplash
Whiplash is arguably the most frequent type of injury in a car crash. This soft-tissue injury affects the neck, shoulders and back. While whiplash can sometimes be minor, it often leads to chronic problems. That is, even if you seek medical treatment, you may suffer from lifelong complications that hinder your ability to perform everyday tasks.
2. Fractures
Your vehicle has several safety features that protect you during a car accident. Unfortunately, seat belts and airbags sometimes contribute to spinal fractures. Because your backbone houses your spinal cord, a fracture may cause paralysis. Even with a minor fracture, you may develop scar tissue that causes extreme pain and other health problems.
3. Herniated discs
Between your vertebrae, you have cartilage discs that cushion the bones. The sort of rapid movements that frequently accompany collisions may cause these discs to move or bulge. In minor cases, doctors may be able to treat you by managing your pain. Still, herniated discs often require complicated surgery to repair. Recovering from such a procedure may require extensive rehabilitation and considerable time.
Because back injuries may not be readily apparent, you should seek a full medical evaluation following any car accident. If you discover that you have sustained a serious injury, you must do what you can to recover completely. Because doing so can be expensive, you may also need to pursue just compensation from whoever caused the collision.