Car accidents, even low-impact collisions, can exert a lot of force on the body. When the force causes the spine to move, twist, or extend beyond its normal range of motion, it can cause victims to suffer herniated disc injuries.
Herniated disc injuries, which are sometimes known as ruptured discs or slipped discs, can cause severe pain, limited mobility, muscle weakness, and, in severe cases, even result in paralysis or death.
When you suffer a herniated disc injury from a car accident in New Mexico, it’s imperative to seek prompt medical care and consider what legal rights you may have. If someone else’s negligence caused your herniated disc injury, you may be entitled to compensation to help you navigate the resulting costs and consequences. Contact an Albuquerque car accident lawyer for help.
What is a Herniated Disc Injury?
The spine is a long series of bones, called vertebrae, that runs from the base of your skull to your tailbone. Tendons, ligaments, and muscles provide structure and keep the spine in place. Between these vertebrae are small, gel-filled discs that act as the spine’s shock absorbers. The discs allow for proper spacing between the vertebrae and provide a cushion when the spine compresses or twists, which prevents the small bones from making contact with one another.
Each disc is encased by a hard outer coating, which helps to preserve the life of the disc and keep it in place. Over time, the casing can get worn down and, in turn, the disc can slip out of place. When a disc slips out of place, it’s known as a herniation.
Herniated disc injuries can also happen when you’re involved in a car accident, too.
Car accidents can cause the spine to hyperextend, which causes the vertebrae to separate outside of their normal range of motion. It’s most common to see hyperextension in the cervical spine, which is located in the neck. As the spine overextends, it can allow the discs to slide out of place. Pressure on the spine can cause it to compress, too. This compression can displace the gel-like disc and cause it to penetrate through its hard casing.
When the disc herniates, it can put pressure on the surrounding nerves in the spinal cord. In some cases, the nerve root itself can become compressed. As the disc puts pressure on the nerve, the victim can experience excruciating pain, numbness, and tingling in the extremities, limited mobility, and muscle weakness.
What’s the Course of Treatment For a Herniated Disc After a Car Accident in New Mexico?
Statistically speaking, car accidents are responsible for about 40 percent of all traumatic spine injuries, including herniated discs. So, if you’re involved in a car accident in New Mexico and experience pain in the neck or upper back or any other signs of a ruptured disc injury, it’s important to seek prompt medical attention.
Herniated disc injuries can be diagnosed through a physical examination, assessment of a patient’s symptoms, and results from lab imaging tests of the spine.
The course of treatment for a herniated disc will depend on how severe the injury is. Some herniated disc injuries will heal on their own over time as long as a victim rests, ices the site of the injury, limits their exertion, and uses over-the-counter medications to manage their pain. In these cases, it might take anywhere between 6 and 12 weeks to recover from a slipped disc injury.
More serious herniated disc injuries, especially those that put pressure on the spinal cord and its nerves, may require more intense treatment, including physical therapy, steroid injections, and/or surgery.
If a severe herniated disc injury is left untreated, there can be serious complications, including paralysis, permanent damage to the spine and/or spinal cord, and even death.
What Are My Rights If I’ve Suffered a Herniated Disc Injury in a New Mexico Car Accident?
Herniated disc injuries are common in victims involved in rear-end collisions, head-on crashes, and rollovers. These types of crashes can exert considerable force upon the body and spine. As the victim of a herniated disc injury from a New Mexico car accident, it’s critical that you explore your legal rights and options.
When someone else’s negligence has caused your back injury, the costs and consequences aren’t something you should have to navigate on your own.
Under New Mexico law, you have the right to seek compensation from the at-fault party, which might be the driver of another car, a vehicle manufacturer, a negligent party’s employer, or even a government agency. Most often, you’ll have to deal with the at-fault party’s insurance company. You can typically recover benefits up to the at-fault party’s insurance policy limits, which might be enough to cover the medical bills, lost wages, and suffering you experience because of a ruptured disc.
However, never underestimate how much a herniated disc might affect your life today and in the future. Some herniated disc injuries can linger, causing chronic pain and limiting mobility. As a result, a ruptured disc can have long-term ramifications in the workplace and across your life. In the event that your damages exceed insurance policy limits, you may reserve the right to seek additional compensation through a car accident lawsuit.
Call Singleton Schreiber For Help After a Herniated Disc Injury From a Car Accident in New Mexico
Herniated discs and other back injuries can be debilitating. The consequences can have ripple effects across your life. Demand compensation to help you move forward when someone else is to blame.
Crash victims in New Mexico trust Singleton Schreiber to help them stand up to powerful insurance companies after life-changing wrecks. We work closely with expert witnesses and specialists to ensure that we help clients make the strongest possible demands for compensation when their lives are turned upside-down.
As award-winning Albuquerque injury lawyers with decades of experience, we’ve successfully won over $3 billion in damages for clients like you.
Now, we’re here to help you demand maximum compensation for your herniated disc injury, too. We offer a free consultation, so contact our New Mexico law office in Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Los Lunas, or Mora to discuss your herniated disc injury case today.
