Can a Car Accident Cause a Herniated Disc?
Car accidents can lead to major neck and back injuries. This includes herniated discs. Here, we want to explain what your “discs” are, how car accidents can cause disc damage, and the steps you need to take right after a crash occurs. It is important for you to be able to recover compensation if your herniated disc was caused by the negligence of another driver.
Defining a Herniated Disc
Information presented by the Mayo Clinic says that a herniated disc refers to problems with the rubbery cushions, what we refer to as discs, that sit between the individual vertebrae in the spine. Every disc has a jelly-like center surrounded by a rubbery exterior. If one of these discs is herniated or ruptured altogether, this means that part of the middle softer area of the disc pushes through the tougher exterior of the disc.
Herniated discs can occur along any area of the spinal column. When a disc becomes herniated or ruptured, this can irritate the nerves nearby, which can ultimately cause numbness or weakness in the extremities as well as significant pain for the individual.
There are various ways that herniated discs can occur. The natural aging process can lead to herniated discs, as can degenerative disc disease. However, traumatic incidents, including car accidents, can increase the chance that a person will either experience a herniated disc or exasperate the pain and suffering already caused by a herniated disc.
What Happens if You Have a Herniated Disc After a Car Accident
If you discover that you have a herniated disc after a car accident occurs in Georgia, or even if you just have back pain after a crash, it is crucial for you to seek medical care as soon as possible.
There are a few reasons why medical care is important in these situations. First, your health and well-being are of the utmost importance, and this helps ensure that you receive the treatment you need to get on the path towards recovery.
Second, seeking medical care promptly after a vehicle accident helps provide a solid link between the incident and the herniated disc or back injury. Insurance carriers will look for whether or not you sought medical care right after the incident. If there was any delay in medical treatment, the insurance carrier will likely try to say that the herniated disc was not caused by the car crash and that the injury occurred in some other way before the accident or afterwards. You need to substantiate that the herniated disc was caused by or exasperated by the vehicle accident.
Additionally, any person who has sustained a herniated disc injury as a result of a car accident should continue all medical treatment recommended by their physician. There may be a point where you begin to feel better after undergoing treatment, but that does not mean you have finished all medical care. Continue treatment until your doctor says you have reached maximum medical improvement so that you can recover maximum compensation through an insurance settlement.
Work With an Attorney for Help With Your Claim
If you or a loved one have herniated a disc as a result of a vehicle accident in Georgia, reach out to an Atlanta car accident attorney immediately. A lawyer will investigate the incident and gather the evidence needed to prove that you were herniated disc injury happened due to the crash or was exasperated by the vehicle accident.