Car accidents cause several types of injuries. One sign of such wounds is back pain. Learn the kinds of back pain a crash can cause and how a Richmond back injury lawyer may be able to help.
The human body is the first casualty in auto accidents like rear-end collisions. However, any crash can leave the victim with a traumatic injury. For instance, some common injuries include spinal cord injuries and whiplash injuries. Notably, a typical symptom of a spinal injury is lower back pain.
Neck pain can also be an indicator of a back injury. First, however, it’s crucial to note what type of pain an accident causes the back. This information can help you get a comprehensive treatment plan from your doctor.
In addition, you can get legal compensation for your wounds. All you have to do is file an accident claim. Furthermore, you could go to court or proceed against an insurance company. In both scenarios, you’ll need the legal assistance of a back injury lawyer in Richmond, VA.
What Is Pain?
We’ll yet explain the common types of back pain after a car accident. However, it’s best first to understand the meaning of pain. There’s no formal definition for pain. Instead, it refers to certain uncomfortable sensations in the body. For example, pain could be any dull ache or sharp stab you feel after certain events.
Daily activities can cause bodily pain. However, severe pain usually flows from potentially harmful activities or injuries. For instance, this could be a sports injury or motor vehicle accident. Whatever the case, pain usually doesn’t exist on its own. Instead, it’s a pointer to a more severe condition.
Notably, too, pain could be localized or generalized. Local pain affects a part of the body. Conversely, generalized pain affects the entire body. This article focuses on the different types of back pain that could follow a car crash.
What Causes Back Pain After an Accident?
Car crashes cause violent motion to vehicle occupants. Significant force is applied to the driver and passenger’s back and spine. Therefore, back injuries are pretty common in Virginia car accidents.
Other common car crash injuries that result are:
- Injuries to facet joints
- Disc herniation
- Soft tissue injuries
- Spinal fracture
- Whiplash
- Nerve damage
- Different types of spinal cord injury
- Sprains and strains
The culprits are the high impact of the crash and the traveling speed. Furthermore, individuals become more susceptible to injury and pain as the body ages. Following these wounds, victims usually suffer significant back pain.
Types of Back Pain Following Car Accidents
There are different kinds of back pain. So, you can experience one or more of these after an accident. Identifying the type of injury and pain helps your doctor evaluate your treatment options. Some kinds of back pain after a crash include:
Acute Back Pain
Acute pain is probably the worst kind of pain. It develops suddenly over a short period. In addition, it’s usually from a known injury. Notably, too, chronic pain can affect your quality of life. Most collision survivors experience acute pain. It’s typically sharp and takes an extended period to subside.
Chronic Back Pain
This is another terrible kind of pain, and it comes and goes over several months or years. Such pain can remain after exhausting medical care options. Even after a severe injury has healed, you may still have to deal with chronic back pain. A 2019 National Health Interview Survey found that 20.4% of adults had chronic pain.
Functional Back Pain
We’ve said that back pain usually points to a more severe condition. However, this isn’t always the case. Instead, back pain doesn’t always expose terrible spinal conditions. Functional pain isn’t caused by any apparent injury to the back. So, you may feel it past your recovery time.
When Should I Seek Help for Back Pain?
Back pain may not always be a serious issue. If you perform stressful duties daily, back pain will happen often. So, you may not always need to seek medical attention. However, back pain from a car accident is different. It’s generally best to visit a doctor immediately after every crash.
This haste ensures you can recover fully from your accident injuries. Moreover, the underlying causes of your back pain may be too dangerous to leave to chance. So, it’ll be best to seek medical help because:
- Sharp pains could be signs of serious internal problems. For example, you could have spinal cord injuries.
- Back pain can affect your ability to continue your daily activities. Also, it can disrupt your capacity to perform your job correctly.
- Medical treatment is necessary to get legal compensation for your injuries. Plus, your medical records will be definitive proof of your wounds.
A back injury attorney will work to gather all your medical bills to ensure you get fairly compensated for all of your medical expenses.
How Do You Describe Back Pain After an Accident?
After a car accident, medical care is vital. But first, you’ll have to describe where you feel pain at the hospital. This description is crucial to getting an accurate diagnosis of your medical condition. Notably, intense pain is usually a symptom of an underlying condition.
But you cannot jump to any conclusions without a medical diagnosis. So, it’s essential to know how to describe your pain levels to a physician. Use the tips below to let your doctor understand what you’re feeling.
Describe the Location of the Pain
The location of your back pain is the most crucial information. This is because it narrows down the area of the primary injury. For example, neck pain will most likely reveal a neck injury. Similarly, shoulder pain will most likely show a wound around your shoulder.
So, it’ll be best to tell the medical practitioner the exact area that hurt. For instance, pain from spinal stenosis may be located in the center of your back. This is because spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal.
Describe the Nature of the Pain
There’s a wide range of ways that pain manifests. Again, this depends on the nature and place of injury. So, pain symptoms could be:
- Dull
- Stinging
- Throbbing
- Sharp
- Crushing
- Burning
- Stabbing
Sometimes, you may not have the right words for what you’re feeling. However, it’s still best to use any details to explain your condition to the doctor.
Explain What Triggers or Subsides the Pain
Telling your doctor what provokes back pain is crucial too. For example, what range of motion worsens the pain? Is it when you bend down or lay your back on the bed? Are you able to continue your daily life activities despite the pain?
Also, a medical professional needs to know your sources of pain relief. This could include pain medication and exercises. So, write everything down and show your doctor.
How To Treat Back Pain
Fortunately, there are a variety of treatments for back pain. You don’t have to live with the pain forever. Notably, pain treatment usually starts with applying an ice pack to the affected area. In addition, medical treatment for an underlying injury heals acute pain.
- Medication: Pain relievers that fix severe headaches and achy muscles can be part of your treatment plan. They can have the same effect on back pain. In addition, anti-inflammatory medication is also crucial to check back swelling.
- Therapy: Therapies can heal several body conditions. For back pain, your doctor may recommend massage therapy and physical therapy. In addition, occupational therapy can help you get back to daily activities. Chiropractic care is also an option.
- Invasive Treatments: Invasive methods such as back surgery may become necessary. This is usually the case if you have different pain levels.
Finally, medical attention can go to waste without adequate rest. Resting your back increases your chances of making a full recovery. So, it’ll be best to ditch any work that requires stressing your back until after your recovery plan.
How Can I Get Compensation for My Back Pain and Injuries?
Treating back pain is a costly endeavor. Fortunately, Virginia is a fault-based accident state. So, the negligent driver will pay for your losses from the crash. This will include your:
- Back pain treatment costs
- Other medical bills
- Vehicle repair costs
- Cost of damaged property
- Non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering
A Richmond back injury lawyer can help you recover compensation. You can file a claim against the fault party’s insurance company. Conversely, you can institute a personal injury lawsuit. An experienced injury attorney can help you through this legal process.
Such attorneys are crucial in determining liability for the accident. In addition, they can gather and store evidence. Only solid proof can help you get fair compensation.
Statute of Limitations for Virginia Car Accident Back Pain Claims
You don’t have all the time to file a car accident claim. Instead, Virginia law only gives you two years to approach the court. The personal injury Statute of Limitations defines this statutory period. The time starts counting from the injury date. Conversely, you have five years for property and vehicle damage claims.
So, suppose that you file your claim later than two years. Then, the fault party only has to notify the court of this default. Consequently, the judge will dismiss your case. Only in a few instances may the judge grant you exceptions.
Some of them include:
- Where the defendant was outside the state
- Where the injured party was a minor at the accident date
If you don’t fall into any of these categories, you may lose your right to compensation. However, a Virginia back injury attorney knows about the Statute of Limitations. So, they can help you obey this law.
Contact a Back Injury Lawyer in Richmond, VA
Medical bills are pretty high for treating chronic back pain. From anti-inflammatory medication to invasive procedures, the healing process is costly. Hiring pain management specialists is an expensive endeavor too. So, you need the maximum compensation for your accident injuries.
Fortunately, a back injury lawyer in Virginia may be able to help you. We can help you file insurance claims or lawsuits against the fault party, and we’ll do this while you focus on recovery. It’ll thus be best to call us at Virginia Injury Law today to discuss your case.
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