Unfortunately, lower back pain and back injuries are fairly common. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, about 80 percent of adults experience back pain at some point in their lifetime. 

Back pain can result from a sports injury, home improvement projects, or simply working in the garden. In rare cases, back pain is a result of a more serious problem like an infection, a tumor, or kidney stones.

But if your back injury occurred because of an auto accident, you may be able to file a personal injury case. The compensation you receive can help cover:

• Past medical bills
• Future medical expenses
• Lost income or wages while you recover
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of consortium 

With help from our Las Vegas personal injury law firm, you can learn more about back injuries due to car accidents; specifically, what they are and how we can help you. Call us at (702) 857-6000 for your free initial consultation. Our lawyers’ years of personal injury law experience can help you receive just compensation for your back injury, and other injuries sustained in car accidents.

What is a Car Accident Related Back Injury?

Back injuries can result from minor rear-end collisions to more significant car crashes. 

In some cases, you may experience just some minor lower back pain—but other times your pain could indicate a more serious injury and require extensive medical attention. Either way, if your back injury is a result of the car accident, you should consult with a personal injury lawyer. 

Here is a list of some common injuries and symptoms of motor vehicle accident-related back injuries.

Common Back Injuries

Although many of these back injuries can be the result of other issues such as osteoporosis, arthritis, or weight gain, they are all also possible consequences of a car accident.

• Back strains and sprains
  • Muscle strain or pulled muscle: When fibers in a muscle or tendon tear from overstretching or overuse, the soft tissues get damaged and can cause lower back pain.
  • Lumbar sprain: The lower back is also called the lumbar or lumbar spine. A lumbar sprain occurs when ligaments are overstretched or torn due to force, pressure or impact that causes them to stretch unnaturally. Ligaments are a type of fibrous soft tissue that connects bones to joints or connects bones to each other.
• Herniated disc or ruptured discs – Also called a bulged, slipped, or ruptured disc, a disc injury can occur in any part of the spine. The bones (vertebrae) that form the spine are cushioned by small, spongy discs. A car accident can put too much force on these discs causing them to break or rupture. Too much pressure can also press on the nerve roots located along the spine resulting in significant pain, weakness, and numbness.
• Compression fractures – Compression fractures refer to tiny breaks or cracks in your vertebrae. A sudden and hard jolt from a car accident can cause a fracture, which can cause back pain, neck pain, numbness, tingling sensation, or muscle spasms.
• Lumbar or thoracic vertebrae fractures – The lumbar vertebrae are bones in the lower back and the thoracic vertebrae are bones in the mid-back. Both the lumbar and thoracic region are prone to rotation fractures, flexion fractures and extension fractures, which can cause moderate to severe back pain. If the spinal cord is involved, you may also experience numbness, tingling, or weakness in the limbs.  
• Paraplegia – Complete or incomplete paralysis, which is less common but still possible.

Common Back Injury Symptoms

• Dull or achy pain in the lower back
• Pain and stiffness in the back
• Shooting or stabbing pain
• Stinging or burning pain (may move into the backs of the thighs and down the legs)
• Muscle spasms and tightness (may move into the hips)
• Pain that worsens with prolonged sitting or standing
• Pain that worsens when bending, stretching, lifting, coughing or sneezing
• Difficulty standing up or sitting down
• Difficulty walking
• Pain in the buttocks and the legs, often in the back of the thigh
• Bowel or bladder problems

Back Injury Treatments

• Back surgery
• Physical therapy
• Chiropractic care
• Acupuncture
• Massage
• Prescription pain medications (like muscle relaxants)
• Over-the-counter pain relievers (like Advil or Aleve)
• Topical pain relievers (like creams or salves)
• Steroids
• Casts to allow broken bones to heal and set

Now that you know more about back injuries sustained in car accidents, you’ll want to call our Las Vegas personal injury attorneys: (702) 857-6000. Our firm will provide a free initial consultation to help establish your case. Should we find that you have a case, we’ll tell you how we’ll proceed on your behalf. Work with car accident lawyers in North Las Vegas that know how to get you the compensation you deserve. Call Anthem Injury Lawyers now: (702) 857-6000.

How Much is Your Pain and Suffering Worth?

Accident attorneys use the term “pain and suffering” in personal injury claims to represent the non-economic damages an injury victim might experience from being injured by negligent acts of the at-fault driver. 

Because these damages cannot be calculated by simply adding up medical bills or receipts, they are harder to determine. Pain and suffering usually refers to physical and mental pain and suffering, such as: 

• Physical pain or discomfort, temporary or permanent
• Depression, anxiety, or anger
• Loss of appetite, loss of energy, sexual dysfunction, memory loss, or mood swings
• Insomnia or other sleep disturbances
• PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
• Physical limitations, like the inability to play with your children or hug them
• Loss of consortium (when the injury victim’s loved ones lose a normal loving relationship)
• Any other emotional or psychological trauma

Factors that Can Affect Your Back-injury Settlement

Since there is no standard settlement calculator an insurance adjuster uses to determine back injury settlement from a car accident, it is important to understand the different factors that can affect your back-injury claim. 

Insurance companies might try to prove that your car accident injury was actually a pre-existing issue, so be sure to keep all receipts, medical records, and any other pieces of evidence that can help show that your back-injury case was related to your car accident. 

Determining at-fault driver: Prove the other motorist was at-fault. If the insurance company thinks you were partially to blame, your accident claim may lose value.

Follow doctor’s orders: If you fail to receive proper medical treatment for your back or neck injury, the insurance company may argue that lack of care caused aggravation of your injuries. 

Prove your injury is serious: In addition to getting medical attention, you must show any financial losses, emotional distress, or other forms of suffering you experienced as a result of your back injury. The more you can prove how serious your type of injury was, the better your chances of maximizing your settlement. 

Average Settlement Amount for Car Accident Related Back Injury

Your final settlement amount will vary greatly depending on the type of injury and how easy it is to prove. 

It’s difficult to determine an average settlement amount since there are so many variables in car accident-related back injuries. However, here are some real settlement amounts to consider:

• A bulging disc caused by a rear-end collision resulted in a $100,000 settlement
• A herniated disc requiring surgery resulted in a $380,000 settlement
• Cervical fusion from a motorcycle accident resulted in a $415,000 settlement

Experienced Las Vegas Car Accident Attorneys

If you or a loved one has been in an auto accident and suffered a back injury in the State of Nevada, you should speak to an experienced personal injury attorney who is licensed in Nevada as soon as possible. The law firm of Anthem Injury Lawyers has a dedicated team of car accident lawyers and staff who are ready to help you with your car accident case.

We offer free case evaluations.  Our office is conveniently located in Henderson, but we work with clients all over the Las Vegas Valley, including North Las Vegas, Summerlin, Spring Valley, Anthem, and the Strip.  Contact us today for a free consultation at (702) 857-6000.