Back Injuries After a Car Crash | Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks

What to Do if You Have Back Pain After a Car Accident

Back pain is a common complaint after a crash. Right after the collision, you may not be thinking about filing a claim for your injury. However, taking specific steps at the accident scene can help your lawyer later.

If you are able, take the following steps to protect your rights and strengthen a potential legal claim:

Take photos and videos – Pictures of the crash site, your car accident injuries, the vehicles involved, debris in the road, damage to the vehicles, skid marks, and any other details that may show how the collision occurred can be valuable evidence in a personal injury case.

Speak to eyewitnesses – Get contact information from any eyewitnesses. Obtain full names, cell phone numbers, and email addresses. While that information might appear in the police accident report, often the police do not obtain the information. Those witnesses may make the difference between winning and losing.

Consult a car accident attorney – An experienced car accident lawyer can manage every aspect of your case, from performing an independent investigation and interviewing witnesses to negotiating a full and fair settlement or going to trial.

Document everything – Keep a file for everything related to the crash, including medical bills, medical records, pay stubs, and any other out-of-pocket expenses you incurred.

Keep a journal – Keep a diary of your back injury symptoms. Rate your pain threshold daily and write down any emotional issues you experience after the auto accident. Note how your injuries affect your ability to carry out your daily activities.

Stay off social media – Any pictures or videos you post on social media could be used against you by the insurance companies and their lawyers. For example, if you claim severe back pain and post a picture of yourself partying, the insurance company could use that picture to argue that you are not injured or are exaggerating the extent of your back injury.

Attend all your medical appointments – Attend all follow-up appointments with your doctor and/or therapist. If you skip any, the insurance company could say you are not taking your injury seriously. The medical records produced at those appointments become the documentation your attorney will use to prove your case.

How Our Law Firm Can Help You Get Compensation for Your Back Injuries After a Car Crash

Car accident claims can get complicated quickly. Discussing your situation with an experienced injury lawyer can help you understand what your case is worth and help you settle for as much as possible. Competent, experienced attorneys can prevent you from falling prey to unfair insurance company tactics designed to reduce your payout.

The personal injury attorneys at Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A. can determine whether you have a personal injury claim in a free case review. Our law firm provides comprehensive legal services to relieve your burdens and give you the space to rest and recuperate.

We will:

Obtain copies of your medical records and bills to understand the extent of your back injury and its impact on your life
Gather evidence to determine liability for the car accident
Interview witnesses
Get documentation of your lost income
Consult with experts, when necessary, to provide technical analysis on complex claims
File all the necessary documents with the courts
Demand a full and fair settlement from the insurance company
Take your case to trial (if necessary)

Most car accident cases settle. But if the insurance company doesn’t play fair, Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A. won’t hesitate to file a car accident lawsuit and demand maximum compensation for your injury in court.

Evidence Needed to Prove Back Injuries in Car Accidents

To obtain compensation for your back injury after a car accident, you must prove the injury resulted from the crash. You also need to show you didn’t have a back injury before your accident or that the collision worsened a pre-existing injury.

Medical records will serve as essential evidence for your case. The insurance adjuster is not allowed to just take your word or your attorney’s word for it. All liability insurance company, for obvious reasons, require documentation for every part of every claim. Most back injuries are “invisible injuries”, meaning that the extent of your injury is not outwardly apparent, even to doctors and therapists. In a way, you are asking the world to take your word for it that you didn’t have back pain before the accident, and that your back pain started right after the accident. That’s a difficult thing for your lawyer to prove, so don’t make it any harder for them by not attending your medical/therapy appointments regularly.

Your lawyer will usually order your medical records, but you must let them know each and ever medical provider you have been to, such as:

Hospital emergency department
Radiologists who read your imaging
Any medical care or follow-up appointment records from doctors who treated your back pain
Physical therapy records
Medications you were prescribed
Receipts for any co-pays you made or medical equipment you purchased
Anesthesiologists
Chiropractors

Your lawyer may also hire an expert to prove the collision caused your back injury. For example, an accident scene reconstructionist might testify how the mechanism of the crash caused your back injury.

How Much Is My Back Pain Settlement Worth?

Your car accident lawyer will assess the value of your claim by weighing a variety of factors, such as:

The severity of your injury
Medical treatment costs
Long-term effects of the injury
Total amount of past lost wages
Estimated amount of future lost earnings
Pain and suffering
Whether liability for the accident itself is clear
The amount of visible damage to your vehicle
How soon after the accident you sought medical care
How compliant you were with the doctors and therapists

Types of Back Injuries Caused by Motor Vehicle Accidents

The back consists of the 24 vertebrae of the spine and many muscles, nerves, and structures extending from your neck to your buttocks. There are seven cervical (neck) vertebrae, 12 thoracic vertebrae (mid-back), and five lumbar vertebrae. Any of these parts can cause pain if sprained, strained, torn, or fractured in a motor vehicle accident.

Some back injuries cause temporary harm, while others may cause chronic or even permanent pain. Some of the most common back injuries are:

Whiplash injuries – While primarily a neck injury, whiplash can cause related pain in the upper and middle back. Often caused by rear-end collisions, a whiplash injury can be mild or severe.
Muscle sprains and strains –A car accident can cause muscles to stretch or tear from their attachments. Mild muscle strains can be relieved with anti-inflammatory medication, but more severe cases may need physical therapy.
Degenerative disc disease – Degenerative disc disease is primarily the result of wear and tear on the discs over one’s lifespan. However, a car accident can cause a previously non-symptomatic degenerative disc to become painful and require treatment. Severe cases of degenerative disc disease can require
Spinal cord injuries – If the spinal cord gets bruised, compressed, or severed in a car accident, the trauma can be both severe and permanent. This is a catastrophic injury and can lead to partial or total paralysis.
Lumbar spine injuries –The lumbar spine is the lower back region. A lumbar spine injury could cause serious back pain, bruising, and swelling after a car crash.
Thoracic spine injuries – The thoracic spine is located in the middle and upper back. In high-impact car accidents, trauma to the thoracic spine can result in permanent nerve damage. Thoracic spine injuries are especially difficult to do surgery on because each is connected to a rib.
Herniated discs – The spine has a disc between each of the vertebrae. Discs are rubbery cushions between the vertebrae. A disc herniates when its jelly-like center leaks out through a tear in the disc. A nerve root exits the spine on both the left and the right side at each level of the spine. Some of the nerves exiting the lumbar spine go down the leg. If the herniated disc compresses a nerve root, you may experience pain, numbness, tingling, etc. down your leg. Herniated discs often require surgery.

Contact Our Car Accident Attorneys in Raleigh, NC

At Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A. our car accident attorneys handle all kinds of North Carolina personal injury cases, including those involving complex back injuries from car accidents. We treat each client like family, providing personalized service tailored to the unique circumstances of their case.

It costs nothing to schedule a consultation with our legal team. Let us review your case and outline all of your options. Call or contact us today to get started.

Back Injuries After a Car Accident in Raleigh, NC