Specialized Pittsburgh car accident lawyers know that a serious automobile accident in Pennsylvania could inflict a wide variety of injuries on drivers and their passengers. One possibility is a spinal cord injury, or damage to any part of the back, neck or spine. If the spinal cord is severely injured in a motor vehicle accident, the victim may never be the same.
Car Accidents Are the Leading Cause of Spinal Cord Injuries
The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center reports that the leading cause of spinal cord injuries is motor vehicle crashes. Statistics show that there are approximately 18,000 new spinal cord injury cases each year. From 2015 to 2023, 37.5 percent of new cases were caused by automobile accidents. Other leading causes include falls, acts of violence and sports.
A motor vehicle accident can cause a spinal cord injury by exerting more force on the victim’s body than it can bear. Too much pressure against the spinal cord can lead to this part of the body sustaining trauma in its muscles, soft tissues, nerves, disks or vertebrae. Spinal damage can also arise from blunt-force trauma or penetrating injuries.
Common neck and back injuries caused by car accidents include herniated and ruptured disks, spinal fractures, spinal concussions and contusions, whiplash, muscle sprains and strains, seat belt injuries, and permanent paralysis (paraplegia or quadriplegia). These injuries can be significantly painful and debilitating.
What Are the Signs of a Spinal Cord Injury After a Car Accident?
If you get involved in an automobile accident in Pennsylvania, it is important to remain still and avoid any sudden movements until you can check yourself for injuries. If you suffered harm to your spine, moving the incorrect way could exacerbate or worsen the damage. You could make a moderate injury severe or permanent.
Warning signs that you may have suffered a spinal cord injury in a car accident include:
- Pain in the back, neck or spinal area
- Numbness or tingling sensations in the extremities
- Weakness or paralysis anywhere in the body
- Sensory changes or increased sensitivity
- Loss of the ability to control movement or motor function
- Respiratory problems or trouble breathing
- Confusion, disorientation or emotional effects
Acute trauma to the spine in a motor vehicle crash may cause irreversible damage, including paralysis, or the loss of feeling and ability to function below the point of injury on the spinal cord. It can also cause chronic pain, decreased mobility and independence, and numerous secondary health complications (e.g., thermoregulation disorders and infections).
What to Do if You Sustain a Back Injury in an Auto Accident
If you believe you have a spinal cord injury following a car crash in Pennsylvania, request an ambulance to the scene of your accident right away by calling 911. Paramedics will immobilize your head and neck using splints to help prevent exacerbation of the injury. You will be taken to a hospital, where medical testing may diagnose a spinal cord injury.
Spinal cord injury victims can often work with a personal injury attorney in Pittsburgh to recover financial compensation for their past and future medical bills, lost wages, disabilities, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and other damages through car insurance claims. If you have sustained a spine injury in a recent car crash in Pennsylvania, you may be able to hold a careless driver or another party responsible.
Contact an attorney at Dallas W. Hartman P.C., Attorneys at Law to discuss your specific car accident case in detail at no charge or obligation to hire us.