You may not feel it right after the accident, but the pain can become more pronounced as time passes. Whiplash and back pain are the two most common consequences of truck accidents.
Whether you were in the car or on the road, the accident can have severe repercussions on your health. Dismissing your back pain after the accident not the right way to deal with it. It’s one of the most detrimental unfavorable things that you could do for yourself.
According to the Arkansas State Police archives, hundreds of automobile accidents occur on the roads every year. And we can tell you that most of them are not handled correctly. Here’s how you can deal with your back injury most optimally after you’ve been in a truck accident:
Get Medical Help
Even if you feel just fine after the impact of the collision, you should rush to the doctor. According to medical experts, symptoms of a back injury can take many hours or days after the accident to manifest. Some common back problems that you may be dealing with include soft tissue injury, injuries to the spinal cord, and herniated disc.
The types of back pain
Your neck and back help you perform the most crucial body functions. However, the inertia caused by the opposing force may result in imbalances in your body. Everyone has a different pain tolerance, and hence, it’s possible that the impact felt different to you than it did to your fellow passenger in the car.
The most common types of back pains that can occur as a result of truck accidents include:
Discogenic pain
The spinal discs in your backbone are round pieces of cartilage that act as cushions between each bone. It’s because of these round discs that you can move and stretch your upper body. However, the sudden acute trauma caused by automobile accidents can displace these discs and cause intense pain. Most times, discogenic pain occurs in the lumbar (lower) spine area and signifies degenerative spinal disorder, lumbar sprains, spinal stenosis, and disc herniation.
Thoracic pain
The thoracic spine is made of the twelve upper vertebrae to which the ribs are attached. Some symptoms that may accompany thoracic back pain include fever or chills, nerve tingling in the legs, severe stiffness in the morning, and numbness in the lower body. Since the thoracic spine provides support to your heart and lungs, damage to the vertebrae can severely affect your cardiopulmonary system.
Treatment for back pain caused by car accidents
Back pains are quite complex medical conditions to diagnose. Hence, it would be best to go to a doctor who has the expertise and experience to deal with such problems. After conducting the necessary tests, including discography, x-rays, CT scan, and MRI, the medical practitioner may suggest one of the following treatments:
Physical therapy
Physical therapy helps ease back pain by moving and manipulating the back and shoulder. Some practical physical therapy exercises include transverse plane motion, flexion-rotation mobilization, and transverse plane motion. If performed regularly, these therapies can abolish back pain altogether and restore your mobility.
Surgeries
More severe spinal conditions can’t be treated with non-invasive methods such as physical therapy and professional massage. Hence, several surgery options are available to deal with such situations. Standard operational procedures to eliminate thoracic pain include discectomy and vertebral fusion. While discectomy involves removing the injured spinal disc, vertebral fusion is the process of joining two adjacent vertebrae by creating a strong bond between them.
Treatments for back conditions aren’t cheap. In most cases, both invasive and non-invasive measures will cost you big bucks and dig a hole in your pocket. You must never ignore signs of lurking back pain and claim your compensation with the help of experienced and skilled lawyers. It’s also noteworthy that symptoms of underlying conditions caused due to an automobile accident aren’t limited to back pain. And you may face other problems.
Delayed accident symptoms
Apart from back pain, some other discomforts, and inconveniences that you may experience after a truck accident include:
- Headaches
- Abdominal pain
- Neck and shoulder pain
- Numbness and bruising
- Emotional distress
All these factors could be signifying underlying health issues that may cost you time, and a lot of money on medical bills in the long-run. Hence, make sure that you get a thorough examination done by a trusted medical professional immediately after the truck accident.
If you wait for a few days before visiting the doctor, insurance companies can claim that the symptoms developed due to the activities performed after the accident. Some steps that you can take to ensure that you make a substantial compensation claim include:
Recording as many details as possible
Noting down all details, taking pictures and videos may not be possible depending on the severity of the crash. You should make sure to collect as much information as possible—even the tiniest detail count. And one of the most important things that you should try to note down is the truck’s license plate number.
Call the police for help and file a report. They will help you track down witness records that strengthen your case. Police reports are also considered mandatory by some insurance companies to claim your compensation.
Talking to a renowned law firm
When it comes to car accidents, always remember that insurance companies are not your friends. The first person you should talk to after seeing a doctor and filing a police report is a trusted lawyer. According to the personal injury laws in Little Rock, Arkansas, when you experience pain and face inconveniences due to other people’s negligence, you’re entitled to due compensation that will ease your suffering.
Often people take too long to reach out to a lawyer, and that can ruin the entire case. Experienced auto accident attorneys such as Lisa Douglas can help you find sufficient information and deal with insurance companies on your behalf to help you receive reasonable compensation. The choice is yours.
