A back injury after a car accident can alter the course of your life for months, if not years. Sitting, walking, standing, driving, standing, carrying, lifting, and sleeping are just a few of the activities that individuals with back problems can no longer do comfortably or without trouble.
Because your back controls your flexibility and mobility and contains your spine, supporting ligaments, and muscles, an injury to your back may have a substantial influence on nearly every part of your life.
Working in a physically demanding job may make you entirely incapacitated. Even if you work in an office, the misery and discomfort of sitting for long periods can be excruciating. If you were wounded in an accident, are you entitled to compensation for the effect a back injury has had on your life?
INJURIES TO THE BACK AND THEIR CLASSIFICATION
Back injuries are often categorized according to whatever section of the back is damaged. The three primary portions of your back are the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar, each corresponding to a different area of your spine. Your tailbone is located in the sacral region of your spine, which is equally significant.
The upper back and neck make up your cervical spine, sometimes known as the C-spine. The thoracic spine is used to treat mid-back injuries, whereas the lumbar spine treats lower-back injuries.
You may have harmed one or all of the segments of your back, depending on the circumstances surrounding your injury. If you are in a car accident and suffer from whiplash, the injury to your neck and upper back, also known as the cervical spine, will occur.
THE MOST COMMON INJURIES TO THE BACK
The lumbar spine is the most frequent site of back injury, and the following are the most prevalent forms of back injuries:
- Herniated discs;
- Degenerative discs;
- Fractured vertebrae;
- Arthritis;
- Sprains and strains
- Stenosis of the spine;
- Nerves that have been pinched; and
- Inflammation may occur for a variety of reasons, including pregnancy.
Because many back injuries are degenerative, not all back injuries are caused by accidents. Furthermore, even while a regular exercise plan may help strengthen the muscles that surround your spine, many of these injuries may not be preventable.
But what if you already have a weakened spine due to arthritis and are engaged in a car accident that causes major damage and herniation? Is there any compensation if the illness was partially preexisting? Yes, you’re right.
THE RULE OF THE EGGSHELL PLAINTIFF
The “eggshell plaintiff” or “eggshell skull” rule holds that a defendant is accountable for any injuries experienced by a plaintiff as a consequence of the defendant’s negligence, even those that are unusual, unforeseen, or worsened owing to a plaintiff’s preexisting medical problems.
Consider an elderly woman with osteoporosis, a bone condition that causes fragility, sitting in her automobile when she is rear-ended at a red light. Even though the car that rear-ended the plaintiff was only travelling 10 miles per hour in this case, the elderly woman had a major herniation and a cracked vertebra due to the incident since she already had a terrible bone condition.
Even if such catastrophic injuries were not anticipated due to a low-speed accident and the plaintiff already had a preexisting condition, she is entitled to full compensation for the injuries or conditions aggravated by the defendant’s actions.
A defendant cannot escape liability simply because the harm was preexisting if there is medical evidence to support the plaintiff’s allegation that the damage was made worse due to the accident.
COLORADO PERSONAL INJURY COMPENSATION
If you have been injured in a Colorado accident, you have the right to seek compensation for more than just your medical bills, especially if you have a back injury. In actuality, you may request the following from the defendant or the defendant’s insurance company:
Past and future medical expenses;
Past and future medical-related costs, such as prescriptions, medical equipment, and any necessary adjustments, such as a handicap ramp in the house;
Past and future medical-related costs, such as prescriptions, medical equipment, and any necessary adjustments, such as a handicap ramp in the house;
A lack of enjoyment in life, such as the inability to play soccer or participate in other activities that you like.
I am used to liking it.
When seeking compensation, it is necessary to have correct “before and after” documents so that the court can assess if the accident influenced your operations. For example, proof of gym membership before and throughout the injury, or sworn testimony from your family and friends that you used to be able to play soccer but haven’t since the accident.
Furthermore, if an accident affected a preexisting condition, you must have medical verification from both before and after the car accident to show that the condition worsened. You may not be able to meet your burden of establishing to the court that the pain you’re experiencing is linked to the accident and is greater than the pain you were experiencing before it if you don’t have this evidence.
SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY IN COLORADO SPRINGS RIGHT NOW.
Let’s say you or a loved one was harmed in the back as a result of someone else’s negligence, whether it was in a car accident, a physical altercation, or a trip-and-fall. In such circumstances, getting treatment and compensation as quickly as feasible is crucial.
Because back injuries are common even when there is no accident, having correct medical documentation to show that you did not have a serious injury before the occurrence.
Because a back injury may have such a significant impact on your life, it’s vital to understand that you have the right to seek compensation in all of those areas. If you believe you are entitled to compensation for your back injury, contact the Warrior Car Accident Lawyers right once.
The expert personal injury attorneys you need to fight for your rights may be found in the metro Colorado Springs region. Call 719-300-1100 right now for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.
