Common Causes of Lower Back Pain After a Car Accident

A Tampa car accident lawyer explains what injury victims need to know

Car accidents often cause serious injuries. And in many cases, these injuries involve lower back pain, including chronic pain. Some people may consider that a relatively minor injury. But if you were injured in a car accident and have lower back pain, you know how uncomfortable such injuries can be.

Lower back pain can also be a warning sign or symptom of a serious injury. So what should you do if you experience lower back pain after a car crash? What car accident injuries can cause lower back pain? And how much is your lower back injury claim worth?

Get accurate information you can trust after your motor vehicle accident. In Florida, many people rely on a Tampa car accident attorney at Armando Personal Injury Law who thoroughly understands how the legal system works when it comes to lower back injuries.

What types of car accidents cause lower back pain?

Certain types of car accidents often cause injuries that involve lower back pain. Such crashes include:

Rear-end accidents, especially for the driver and passengers in the car in front that’s hit from behind.
Head-on collisions, which can result in lower back pain for drivers or passengers in both vehicles.
T-bone accidents, a type of crash in which one car hits the side of another car, which are especially common at intersections.

Whatever type of car accident you were involved in, if you have lower back pain after your collision, make sure you take your injury seriously right from the start. Follow the suggested steps below and talk to a Florida car accident lawyer as soon as possible.

What should I do if I have lower back pain after a car crash?

If you experience lower back pain after a car accident, it’s critical that you take action right away to protect your health and your legal rights. For example:

See a doctor right away if you feel pain in your lower back.
Ask your doctor to run medical tests to determine why you have lower back pain. Common medical tests include X-rays and MRIs, especially if you have a bone fracture causing your lower back pain.
Take your doctor’s advice. Failure to follow your doctor’s instructions could slow down your recovery and harm your ability to fully recover from your accident.
Keep detailed notes about how your lower back feels after your accident. That way, you will have a record of your symptoms and a timeline for your recovery from chronic lower back pain.
Tell your insurance company you have been in a car accident and you are seeing a doctor to treat your lower back pain caused by your collision.
Do not talk to the other driver’s insurance company if they contact you. Anything you say could be used as evidence to reduce or deny your car accident injury claim.
Call a Florida car accident attorney as soon as possible to learn more about your legal rights.

Why should I see a doctor if I have lower back pain due to a car accident?

There are two main reasons why you should see a doctor if you experience lower back pain after a car accident:

You will get the medical care you need to address the source of your back pain.
You will have evidence that you sustained an injury in a car crash that caused your back pain.

The last reason is especially important when it comes to being financially compensated for your injury-related expenses. If you don’t see a doctor after your car accident, your injury claim could be denied due to lack of evidence.

Why? Many car insurance companies deny injury claims if victims do not have their injury formally diagnosed by a doctor or medical professional. Plus, if don’t see a doctor, you might not fully recover from your car accident injury. As a result, you might have chronic lower back pain that lasts weeks, months or even years.

Is delayed back pain common after a car accident?

Yes. If your car accident happened several days or weeks ago, don’t be surprised if you suddenly experience lower back pain. Delayed pain symptoms are common after car accidents. When this happens, you should do the same thing that injury victims should do if they’re in pain immediately after a car crash – go to a doctor and have them diagnose what’s causing your lower back pain. That way, you can get the medical care you need to fully recover.

What lower back injuries caused by car accidents cause pain?

Lower back pain can be a warning sign and symptom of a serious car accident injury. Such injuries can include:

Herniated discs

Sometimes called a slipped disc or bulging disc, a herniated disc involves a soft tissue tear in between the vertebrae bones in the spinal cord. Specifically, the soft, jelly-like substance between the vertebrae bones puts excessive pressure on the nerves in the lower back, resulting in lower back pain.

When herniated disc injuries occur, injury victims often experience many other symptoms, including:

A tingling sensation in the legs and lower back.
Numbness in the back or upper legs.
Difficulty walking or standing.

Bone fractures, especially spinal fractures

Broken bones in the vertebrae or spinal column (spinal fractures) often cause severe back pain. Even a minor crack in the spinal column bones can be extremely painful depending on the location of the fracture. Such injuries are especially common in car accidents since injury victims’ spines are often twisted and contorted quickly upon impact in a car crash.

If you have a spinal fracture, you will likely experience other symptoms along with lower back pain, including:

Weakness in the back or legs.
Numbness in the legs or back muscles.
A tingling sensation.
Difficulty breathing.

Facet joint injuries

Facet joints connect each bone in the spine and can be found on the back of each vertebrae bone. When facet joint injuries occur, back pain is common since additional stress is often placed on the spine and back muscles.

If a facet joint injury is not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner, back pain can get worse over time. In addition, arthritis in the spine and other medical issues caused by excessive strain being placed on the injured facet joint often occur.

Lumbar injuries

The five bones in the lower spinal column are collectively known as the lumbar region. When injuries occur in the lumbar region (L1 through L5 in the lower vertebrae), lower back pain often occurs and can cause extreme discomfort. In addition, untreated lumbar injuries can cause long-term mobility issues, such as reduced range of motion.

Sciatica

The nerve that runs from the lower back to the legs is called the sciatic nerve. Many car accidents result in sciatic nerve damage. And when such injuries occur, lower back pain is very common. Sciatica also often occurs when herniated disc injuries happen as a result of a car accident.

Strained back muscles

One of the most common causes of lower back pain after a car accident is strained back muscles. This is because the force of a car accident often pulls and strains back muscles beyond their normal range of motion.

Strained back muscles often become inflamed and can cause other side effects along with lower back pain, including:

Reduced mobility.
Stiffness in the lower back.

Chronic lower back pain

Back pain caused by a car accident sometimes lasts long after the collision occurred. If you experience lower back pain months or years after your collision, you are experiencing what is commonly referred to as chronic back pain.

How much is my lower back injury car accident claim worth?

The bottom line is you should be financially compensated for all your expenses associated with your lower back injury. What you might not realize is just how many expenses your car accident injury claim might cover, including:

Emergency medical care immediately after your car accident.
Medical tests to diagnose your lower back injury.
Back surgery or follow-up surgical procedures.
Follow-up doctor’s appointments to monitor your medical progress.
Physical therapy to help you regain mobility and alleviate back pain.
Money to repair vehicle damage or buy a new one if your car was totaled in your accident.
Replacement income if you need time off from work to rest and recover.
Lost future income if you need to work a reduced work schedule due to chronic lower back pain.

Add all these expenses up and your car accident injury claim could be worth thousands of dollars or significantly more money.

Why should I hire a Tampa car accident attorney?

The stakes are high in many car accident cases. This is especially true if you experience lower back pain after your Tampa car accident. You know your pain is real. However, many insurance companies will try to downplay your injury and claim you’re not really hurt. Why? Because they’re often looking for any excuse to deny your claim and not pay you the money you rightfully deserve.

Our Florida law firm understands the seriousness of your case. That’s why we want to help. Tampa car accident attorney Armando Edmiston and our entire legal team have years of experience handling car accident injury claims involving lower back pain. As a result, we know what evidence to look for and which legal strategies can often be the most effective.

Get the Florida law firm that makes your problems their problems. Contact us and schedule a free case evaluation with a Florida car accident lawyer focused on winning your case. We can answer your questions, explain your options and get right to work on your car accident injury claim or lawsuit.

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