It is possible for a driver to be hit from behind and suffer a serious back injury as a result of the accident. Many times, the driver who is rear-ended will suffer a herniated disc injury. When a person is driving in a car, and is hit by another driver in the rear, it can put an additional stress on the first driver’s spinal column. This may happen when the cars collide, and the person may not be aware of the extent of the injuries at the time of the loss. When this happens, the collision will often mean that a piece of the spine could separate and come away from the bone in the back or the vertebrae. If this bone piece separates or is subsequently jarred out of alignment, a ruptured or slipped disc can be the result.
If a person has a slipped disc, it can cause severe pain. It means that the person is unable to complete the daily routine that he or she is used to because of the excruciating pain of a back injury. Most people never think of their spines until they have a back injury. If a person experiences an injury to the back, it makes it difficult to stand up straight, to walk any distance, lift even small or large objects and to carry on the routine of the day. This is the reason that a back injury is so debilitating. Many people with back injuries are left with significantly reduced livelihoods after experiencing a back injury as the result of a rear-end accident.
Some symptoms of a back injury can become serious in the long term as well. In this case, there could be problems with the spine, the nerves in the spine or even nerves relating to the leg or foot. If a person experiences a shooting pain in the back, leg or foot, and the person has just had an accident, the problem may be directly related to the accident and the person should consider seeking the care of by a medical professional.
Many times the sciatic nerve can be involved in a back injury. The added pressure that is put on the nerve occurs, when a person is hit from behind in a rear end collision with another driver. If a ruptured disc is the result, the person driving the car that is hit will likely experience shooting pains in the legs or even pain in the foot. This pain can worsen over time, and can turn into chronic pain and lasting numbness. The areas affected in the back, legs, feet and associated muscles may become weak, damaged, or even considered strained or sprained. In this case, it is difficult for the person who has been hit to continue to work at a job, take care of a family, drive a car again, proceed with the daily chores of taking care of a family, or even continue to have a high quality of life after a rear-end accident has occurred.
If a person is in an accident and suffers a back injury, there may also be a neck injury involved as well as a back injury. Neck injuries are often dismissed, and many people experience pain many days or weeks after the loss. Often, people will not realize that they have experienced a neck injury as the result of a car accident and will think that their neck pain is related to other events. If there is neck and back pain after an accident, it will be important to get it diagnosed properly to determine the extent of the damage.
If you have experienced a neck or back injury as a result of a rear-end collision, you will want to talk to an attorney who understands about these cases. Call the law offices of Ledger & Associates at 1-800-300-0001 or email at www.ledgerlaw.com.
