Little Rock Lawyer for Lower Back Pain After a Car Accident
Strong advocacy for drivers and passengers who suffer from lower back pain
Lower back pain is a very common injury in car accidents. Drivers and passengers are vulnerable from every direction—rear-end collisions that impact the spine from behind, broadsides that strike from the side, and head-on crashes that impact the lower back from the front. For many people, back pain can last for weeks, months, or even a lifetime. Often, there is no simple cure. Accident victims may require long-term physical therapy, and some might also require surgery.
At Greer Injury Lawyers PLLC, we hold negligent drivers accountable. We help clients pursue compensation for recoverable medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering, depending on the facts of your case. Contact us today.
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How can we help?
- What causes lower back pain after a car accident?
- What are the symptoms of back pain after a car accident?
- What types of lower back pain injuries do car accidents cause in Little Rock?
- What are the treatments for lower back pain after a car accident in Arkansas?
- How do your Little Rock car accident lawyers fight for car accident victims who have lower back pain?
- Do you have a Little Rock car accident lawyer near me?
What causes lower back pain after a car accident?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, lower back pain affects the lumbar region of your spine or back. Usually, low back pain is due to injuries to the tendons or muscles in this region.
Car accidents can cause lower back pain because the force and impact of a collision may apply significant pressure to the back. An accident can also cause your back to move or twist in unusual ways. In some cases, an object, like flying glass, can penetrate your back.
Injuries to your back can cause pain because the lumbar region of your back:
- Helps stabilize your spine.
- Is a point of attachment for many muscles and ligaments that allow you to walk, run, sit, lift, and move your body in all directions.
- Supports the weight of your body.
- Helps you keep your balance.
What are the symptoms of back pain after a car accident?
If you’re in any type of car accident, you should seek care at an emergency room or with your family doctor as soon as possible. You may experience back pain immediately, or it may develop gradually.
The symptoms of back pain include:
- A sharp, dull, or achy pain
- Pain that radiates down your leg
- Feeling worse, depending on certain movements
- Stiffness, including difficulty getting up from a seated position
- A reduced range of motion
- Not being able to maintain a straight posture, where your torso and spine are aligned
- Muscle spasms (uncontrollable contractions)
A hyperextended back occurs when the lower portion of the spine is bent backward beyond its normal range of motion. This movement forces the lower back to extend excessively, stressing the bones, disks, and muscles that support the spine.
Hyperflexion focuses on excessive inward bending, while hyperextension focuses on over-stretching a joint outward
What types of lower back pain injuries do car accidents cause in Little Rock?
Our personal injury lawyers handle all types of lower back pain injuries. We work with your doctors to verify your diagnosis, understand what treatments you’ll need, and review all the ways your lower back pain is making your life difficult.
Whiplash
Whiplash, a common rear-end accident injury, occurs when sudden force or movement strains your neck and spine, damaging bone, muscle, ligaments, and nerves. Severe whiplash can radiate down to your back.
Compression and spinal fractures
A fractured spine refers to the breaking of any of the 33 bones that make up your spinal column. Most spinal fractures, including any breaks of the lumbar vertebrae, won’t need surgery, but you might require a brace for a long time. Severe spinal fractures will require surgical repair. Compression fractures are small breaks or cracks in your vertebrae that are caused by trauma like car accidents or develop over time.
Herniated disks
A herniated disk occurs when the soft, jelly-like center of a disk in your spine pushes against and leaks out of its outer ring. A herniated disk can cause pain, weakness, and numbness in your lower back. The treatments include medications, physical therapy, injections, and surgery.
Spondylolysis
Spondylolysis is a small crack between two vertebrae (the bones in your spine) that usually causes lower back pain. The treatments vary, depending on the severity.
Severe spinal cord injuries
Severe spinal cord injuries can be catastrophic. They can change your life forever. The most common type of severe spinal cord injury is paralysis, which affects an accident victim’s ability to move their body below the point of the injury. Lumbar paralysis generally affects a person’s legs and pelvic organs. Victims usually need a wheelchair. Paralysis may be incomplete (some messages to the brain get through) or complete (there’s no sensation below the point of the injury).
Victims with severe spinal cord injuries may face many physical and emotional challenges for the rest of their lives.
Lumbar radiculopathy
Lumbar radiculopathy due to a car accident can cause pain, numbness, and tingling along a pinched nerve in your back. It can occur if one of your nerve roots is irritated or compressed.
Nerve damage
Your nerves carry electrical signals throughout your body. If the nerves don’t work, you can experience pain, numbness, muscle weakness, and tingling—including in the nerves of your lower back.
Facet joint injuries
The facet joints of your spine exist on every vertebra (small spine bones). Each vertebra has two sets of facet joints. The facets prevent excessive motion when the spine turns and bends. Facet joint disorders often affect a person’s lower back/lumbar spine.
Spinal stenosis
Spinal stenosis occurs when the space around your spinal cord becomes too narrow. Spinal stenosis can affect your spinal cord and/or the nerves that branch off it.
What are the treatments for lower back pain after a car accident in Arkansas?
The treatments for lower back pain differ depending on the specific type of back injury you have. Generally, the following tests are used to diagnose back pain: spinal x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, EMGs, blood tests, and urine tests. Other tests may be necessary.
Common treatments for back pain, depending on the type of back pain, include:
Initial treatments
These include rest, ice, and over-the-counter pain relievers.
Medications
Doctors sometimes prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or prescription medications, including muscle relaxers. Generally, doctors should monitor any prescription drug use.
Physical therapy
This rehabilitative therapy involves exercises and treatments to strengthen your muscles, improve flexibility, and support and stabilize your spine.
Hands-on manipulation
These treatments include massage therapy, chiropractic adjustments, and osteopathic manipulation to reduce your pain, improve spinal alignment, and improve your posture.
Injections
Doctors sometimes recommend lumbar epidural steroid injections to help reduce your lower back pain.
Surgery
If the above treatments are not helping, your doctor may recommend certain minimally invasive surgeries, depending on the type of back pain you have. These surgeries may include:
- Spinal decompression
- Diskectomy
- Spinal fusion/fixation
In some cases, doctors may consider spinal cord stimulators as part of a treatment plan.
How do your Little Rock car accident lawyers fight for car accident victims who have lower back pain?
We work with you, the police, our own investigators, other liability professionals if necessary, and through the formal discovery process (questioning and answering defendants and witnesses) to show who caused your lower back pain and why they should pay your damages.
We connect with your doctors and our network of doctors to verify the type of back pain you have, the severity of the pain, and all the limitations and difficulties you have due to your back pain. We also work with experts to determine all your financial and personal damages.
In many lower back pain cases, the insurance companies will argue that your back pain isn’t all that severe. We coordinate with your physicians to show just how painful your back is and determine if your lower back pain will likely last a long time or for the rest of your life.
Do you have a Little Rock car accident lawyer near me?
Our attorneys meet car accident victims who have back pain at our office, located at 415 N McKinley, Suite #250-J, Little Rock, AR 72205. We also speak with clients by phone and via online video platforms such as Zoom and FaceTime. If your pain is too severe and you’d like to meet in person, we can make arrangements to see you at a more convenient location.
We understand how traumatic lower back pain is. Our lawyers can explain your rights and answer all your questions.
Contact Greer Injury Lawyers PLLC today
Our personal injury lawyers have obtained more than $300 million in recoveries for our clients. While past results do not guarantee the same results, we can help you pursue the compensation you may be entitled to under Arkansas law. We understand the unique challenges in proving the severity of back injuries. To schedule a free consultation, call us today or complete our contact form. We handle car accident cases on a contingency fee basis. This means we only receive a fee if your case is successful.
