Low Back Pain After Car Accident

Low back pain often develops because of the damage inflicted on the muscles and tendons that support the lower back. In many cases, the pain can become intense enough to prevent a patient from performing standard household chores, such as doing laundry and mowing the lawn. In some cases, chronic low back pain can qualify a patient to receive either short-term or long-term disability benefits. If you sustained low back pain after a car accident, you should file an insurance claim, and if negligence caused your injury, file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages as well.

Sharp, persistent pain represents the most common symptom of lower back pain. The pain can develop right after a car accident or can take several hours or even days to emerge as a serious health issue. Even if you do not feel low back pain after a car accident, you should seek medical attention to receive a comprehensive diagnosis that might reveal the injury.

The symptoms of low back pain after a car accident are not just the development of pain. You might feel stiffness, which makes it difficult to straighten your back or bend over to pick up an object off the floor. Stretching the back muscles might alleviate stiffness, but it can redevelop quickly if you experience a prolonged period of sitting. Muscle spasms represent another symptom of low back pain after a car accident, as the lower back responds to the strong impact generated by a vehicle collision. Muscle spasms can make it difficult, if not impossible, to stand or move around on your feet.

When you receive medical care for low back pain after a car accident, the first thing on the agenda is for the physician to conduct a detailed physical examination. Your healthcare provider checks for broken bones or any other type of significant damage that requires emergency medical care. Then, you undergo a series of imaging tests, which can include a spine x-ray and an EMG, which represent tests to determine whether you suffered nerve damage.

The two most common types of imaging tests conducted for low back pain after a car accident are an MRI and CT scan. An MRI uses a combination of a magnet and radio waves to produce images of the bones, muscles, tendons, and soft tissue located in the lower back region. Physicians use CT scans to create 3D images of the spine to determine whether one or more discs have slipped.

If you experience excruciating pain, your healthcare provider might conduct blood and urine tests to determine whether other areas of the body sustained intense trauma.

During the free case evaluation with a car accident lawyer from Morgan and Morgan, you should present the documents that verify the diagnosis of acute low back pain. Your attorney should have received the official police report by this point, which includes a description of the cause or causes of the motor vehicle collision.

With more than three decades of experience handling car accident cases, our lawyers have come up with a list of the three most common causes of car accidents. Each of the following three causes of car accidents can help your attorney prove another party committed at least one act of negligence.

Driving Under the Influence

Despite medical scrutiny and public awareness campaigns, driving while intoxicated remains a major problem for law enforcement agencies. Driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol impairs the judgment of drivers. For example, driving while intoxicated can lead to a driver taking unnecessary risks, such as passing other motor vehicles in a no-passing zone. Intoxicated drivers also experience a dramatic decline in motor skills, as well as the ability to respond to sudden changes in traffic conditions.

Reckless Driving

The installation of traffic cameras at busy intersections has done little to discourage motorists from taking risks. Speeding is considered the most common type of reckless driving. Operating a motor vehicle over the speed limit exacerbates the damage done by an impact on another car. As another type of reckless driving, running a red light or stop sign can cause a side-impact accident, which represents one of the most deadly types of auto crashes.

The key to proving another party committed one or more acts of reckless driving involves acquiring the footage shot by a traffic camera, as well as any images captured by witnesses.

Distractions

Common distractions for motorists before the advent of the digital era included eating, applying makeup, and reaching for the glove compartment. Mobile electronic devices have become the most common cause of distracted driving. Most states have enacted “hands-free” laws, which prohibit the handling of a mobile communication device while operating a motor vehicle. However, far too many drivers ignore state laws by continuing to text and drive, as well as talk on the phone while operating a motor vehicle.

Experiencing back pain after a car accident can force you to miss work, as well as rack up costly medical bills. The primary goal of the car accident lawyer assigned to your case by Morgan and Morgan is to help you recover all financial losses by offering the following types of legal support.

Conduct a Detailed Investigation

Reviewing the official police report is just one element of conducting an exhaustive investigation after a motor vehicle collision. Along with an in-house licensed investigator at Morgan and Morgan, your car accident lawyer returns to the scene of the collision to discover additional evidence. Your car accident lawyer also interviews witnesses that support your version of events of what transpired before, during, and after the auto crash.

Interact With the Insurance Adjuster

Insurance companies prefer to deal with policyholders that file claims without the legal support of a personal injury attorney. If you do not file an insurance claim with the help of a car accident lawyer, the insurance adjuster processing your claim might deny it or approve it for a value that is far below what your claim is worth. By hiring a car accident lawyer, you can rest assured the insurance adjuster processing your claim will not try to take advantage of you.

Your attorney also closely monitors the progress of your insurance claim to ensure it receives consideration in a timely manner.

Calculate a Fair Value for Compensation

Many factors play a role in determining whether your insurance gets approved or denied. One of the most important factors concerns calculating a reasonable value for compensation. The car accident lawyer assigned to your case by Morgan and Morgan adds up all the tangible expenses, such as the costs associated with medical care and repairing the damage done to your vehicle. You also have the right to ask for compensation that covers the costs associated with pain and suffering. Your attorney calculates a fair value for pain and suffering by using a formula that factors in the value of economic damages like medical bills.

Negotiate a Settlement

A majority of civil lawsuits that seek monetary damages never reach the trial phase of the litigation process. Instead, both parties agree to negotiate a settlement to avoid costly and time-consuming litigation. Your attorney submits a reasonable initial offer, which is presented in a formal demand letter. The other party can either accept the initial offer or send back a counteroffer to continue negotiations. You also might receive a letter informing you that the other party has decided to take the case to trial. Several rounds of counteroffers can unfold until both parties agree to a settlement or decide to take the case in front of a civil court judge. 

If you experience low back pain after a car accident, you should act with a sense of urgency by scheduling a free case evaluation today with a car accident lawyer from Morgan and Morgan.