Hunter & Cassidy Law

Spinal cord injuries and car accidents: What you need to know

On Behalf of | Nov 8, 2022 | Firm News

Injuries to the back and spine are common in car accidents. In fact, car accidents are one of the leading causes of spinal cord injuries. Depending on the severity of the injury, it may take months or even years to heal from a spinal cord injury.

If you sustain a spinal cord injury as a result of an accident that is not your fault, you have rights. However, to recover the damages you may be entitled to, you need to understand the full extent of your injuries and what it means for your life going forward.

Warning signs of spinal cord injuries

If you experience any of the following symptoms after a car crash, then you might have injured your spine during the car crash:

  • Loss of motion
  • Numbness and muscle spasms
  • Feeling a tingling sensation
  • Loss of sense of touch and temperature
  • Painful stinging or sensation along the spine
  • Loss of bladder or bowel control

So what types of spinal injuries can you suffer during the crash?

A spinal injury from a car crash can happen in any area of the spinal column or the spinal cord itself. Here are two of the most common types of spinal cord injuries that you need to look out for following a car accident:

Whiplash – this is a type of neck injury that happens when the cervical spine is violently jerked back and forth during impact resulting in the stretching and tearing of the neck ligaments. While whiplash is considered a soft tissue injury, it actually happens within the cervical spine.

Herniated discs – this injury happens when the soft, gel-like fluid in the intervertebral disc leaks out of the column. This fluid then presses on the surrounding spinal nerves resulting in a feeling of numbness, tingling or sharp pain.

A spinal cord injury can be life-altering. Knowing your legal options can help you safeguard your rights and interests while pursuing damages that have been occasioned by someone else’s reckless actions.