What to Do if You Experience a Back Ache After a Car Accident

10/15/2020 Car Accidents,Personal Injury John Whitfield

Car accidents have sadly become an everyday part of our lives as more and more drivers are on the roads in our ever-growing country. Americans spend more than one million days in the hospital each year as a result of car accident injuries. Many car accident victims don’t even know that they are injured right after they have been hit; and many experience delayed backaches after a Nashville car accident occurs. 

A Car Crash Happens

It comes out of nowhere – your car gets rear-ended or hit from the side and your airbags deploy. You feel like you have been thrown around in your seat and are thankful you had your seatbelt on. You may feel okay in the moment, dazed, a bit confused, bruises and cuts forming, but you can walk, talk, and move your limbs. Emergency services arrive on the scene, check your vitals, move their finger in front of your eyes and you follow it just fine. You feel tired and swollen, but nothing feels broken and you just want to get home after getting essential evidence from the accident scene and the police report for your insurance company. You refuse the ambulance that emergency services offers, and depending on the severity of the car accident, you may even drive yourself home or have a friend or family member drive you home, all the while thinking this was just one really bad day. Unfortunately for the majority of car accident victims, this one bad day will not be the last bad day. Severe injuries from car accidents can appear days to weeks after a collision and can leave the victim experiencing pain that become a chronic problem if not treated quickly and appropriately.

Your Back Aches the Next Day

When you wake up the day after an auto accident, you will likely feel incredibly stiff and sore. Many victims experience delayed backaches. Pain, especially in the back and neck, can appear days to weeks after being in a crash. When you were in the accident, your body went into a state of shock. Your adrenaline surged and your body most likely masked any severe pain you were experiencing. Back injuries may become easier to feel once your body has gotten out of its state of shock.

Your back pain may be caused by a variety of injuries sustained in a car accident, including:

• Herniated discs
• Spinal disc damage
• Soft tissue injuries
• Spinal injuries
• Spinal stenosis
• Lumbar sprains
• Strains
• Whiplash

These injuries can cause generalized pain, difficulty moving, stiffness, and even nerve damage. If you experience any tingling or numbness in your limbs or back, the car accident may have caused a pinched nerve. You may be experiencing lower back pain, which is often caused by disc damage. When discs become damaged or herniated, it can become difficult and painful to move.

Seek Medical Treatment

Most people reach for pain medication when they experience back pain after a car accident. They may realize that the pain is more serious when the pain medication does not relieve their symptoms. A medical professional must treat the underlying injury as quickly as possible. Call your doctor and schedule an appointment or go to an urgent care center to be evaluated for your injuries. Make sure to fully describe the pain you are experiencing and the details of the car accident to your doctor. Your doctor should schedule diagnostic tests to gauge the severity of your injuries. These diagnostic tests, such as x-rays and MRIs, will be crucial to seeing the true extent of the damage caused. Once your injury is diagnosed, your doctor should create a treatment plan to help relieve your back pain.

Difficult Insurance Companies 

Insurance companies may give you a hard time with regard to paying your medical bills and other financial compensation if your backaches start after your car accident. They will want to give you the least amount of compensation possible and may not believe you are truly injured since the pain did not start the day of the accident. If the insurance company is not being responsive or kind, seek legal assistance immediately.

Difficult Insurance Companies 

Car accidents can be complex events that come with an array of emotions and issues. Luckily, Nashville car accident victims can call upon the guidance of the car accident attorneys at Whitfield Bryson LLP to support them throughout the claims process. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed in a car accident, contact Whitfield Bryson LLP today to discuss your case. Remember, you only have one year following the date of your accident to take action, so don’t delay.