Automobile Accidents and Spinal Injuries

An unfortunate part of modern life, automobile accidents happen daily. In addition to the awfulness of fatalities, car collisions also cause a huge amount of physical trauma and pain, especially chronic back, neck, and spinal injuries. The back, neck, and spine are the parts of the body that usually take the worst hit in a collision. Between 20% and 40% of victims of vehicular collisions suffer lifelong pain and continual symptoms from the accident, according to medical researchers Barnsley, Lord, and Bogduk, in their Whiplash Injury Clinical Review.

Spinal injuries, which often affect both physical and cognitive ability, are very common in rear-impact collisions, but can happen in any collision; spinal injuries near the neck are especially prevalent. A spinal injury may affect the spinal cord, nerves (this is called radiculopathy), discs between the vertebrae, joint capsules, and nearby ligaments in the back. The bones of the vertebrae may shatter in a car crash, frequently resulting in microfractures, which are both extremely painful and difficult to diagnose without a CT scan. Sometimes surgery is called for, and at the very least, immobilization is usually required for the long or short term, either in bed or with a back and/or neck brace. The spine is a fragile organ; the longer it remains unstable, the faster it will degenerate. Automobile accidents account for 35% of the spinal cord injuries in the United States, and the majority involve males between 16 and 30.

For those 2.9 million people who are injured in a car crash and escape spinal trauma, another extremely common injury is whiplash (2.9 million injuries out of 6 million auto accidents, annually; 38,000 people are killed in the same length of time). 20% of people who are struck from the rear of their cars experience cervical strain, also known as whiplash. The cost of treating whiplash runs around $49 billion every year, and a third of the victims never completely heal.

Besides neck pain, the most common traumas associated with car accidents are shoulder, arm, and lower back pain. Even a seemingly low-impact fender bender can cause muscle and joint damage, which compounds the longer it goes untreated. Recent studies have shown that neck and back injuries caused by rear-impact collisions can happen at speeds as low as two and a half miles an hour. The take-away from these sobering statistics might be to take your health seriously; if you are involved in a car accident, get checked out by your doctor, even if all you think you have are shaken nerves.

And if you or a loved one ends up in a serious collision, resulting in spinal trauma, and/or paraplegia, research potential rehabilitation centers thoroughly. While there is no cure for spinal injury, medical treatments are rapidly advancing and improving the quality of life for the victims; but some rehab facilities are better than others. One place to start researching centers is: www.spinalinjury.net/IHTML-101_continued.html; another is http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/spinal-cord-injury/DS00460. And, certainly, make sure you are represented by a qualified attorney if and when a lawsuit is filed.

If you have been injured in a car accident, contact 844 See Mike, for a free consultation at 312-224-4695. 844 See Mike, handles personal injury cases throughout Illinois. 844 See Mike, will handle your personal injury case quickly, will advise you every step of the way, and will not hesitate to go to trial for you. This litigation strategy will provide you with the best possible compensation.

Lastly, 844 See Mike, does not get paid attorney’s fees unless we win your case. Our no-fee promise is that simple. Therefore, you have nothing to risk when you hire our Chicago personal injury law firm–just the opportunity to seek justice. Call us today at 312-224-4695.