3 Common Types Of Back Injuries After St. Petersburg Wrecks
Michael Babboni
Personal Injury
St. Petersburg motorists don't always get hurt when auto accidents occur. For instance, if someone backs into another car in a parking lot, leaving a little ding on the bumper and not much else, that probably won't do significant damage to a person sitting in the vehicle. However, not everyone is so lucky, and not all collisions are minor. Instead, many crashes are violent, chaotic, and messy.They cause notable property damage and not tiny blemishes. Roofs, trunks, fenders, hoods, and more get dented. Not to mention, windshields shatter into about a million pieces, and tires blow out too. The list can go on and on, but that's not what we're here to discuss. Rather, our objective is to talk about three common types of back injuries people sustain in accidents. Hence, if your interest is piqued, please, feel free to stick around and read on to learn more.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Some soft tissue injuries are more severe than others. These wounds are muscle, tendon, or ligament tears, sprains, and strains. Not just any old muscles and ligaments, though. These are located in the back, and the symptoms the issues create include:
• Pain
• Stiffness
• Muscle spasms
• Tenderness
The ailments can sometimes be treated at home. Many individuals do this by taking over-the-counter pain relievers. They also often alternate putting hot and cold compresses on the spots. However, rest and relaxation aren't always enough. Medications, surgeries, physical therapy, and more could be necessary for a person to overcome their particular soft tissue injury.
Fractures
Adult humans have spines containing 33 vertebrae, and car accidents are violent. They shake drivers and passengers forcefully. Plus, things tend to get pushed around and onto them. For example, if a person is riding in the front seat when their small car gets hit in the rear by a tractor-trailer, the passenger might get scrunched up by the car's back seat.
Compression fractures are the most common types of fractures people sustain in auto collisions. These injuries occur when significant stress or pressure is put on the spine. Then, small cracks called fissures form on vertebral bones. If trauma severely harms the spinal cord and nearby areas, that could cause serious nerve damage. If nerve damage, particularly around the spinal cord occurs, immediate medical attention is typically required.
Whiplash
Whiplash goes by a couple of other names. It is also regularly called a neck strain or neck sprain. This injury happens when a person's neck moves backward and forward in a jerking motion. Symptoms associated with whiplash can show up promptly. Then again, sometimes, they don't reveal themselves until 24 hours or more later. Signs often include but are not limited to dizziness, neck stiffness, shoulder pain, and headache.
The effects of whiplash tend to disappear in a few weeks, but it is possible for them to linger on and on too. There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for whiplash. Some patients respond to particular things better than others and vice versa, but when medical care is necessary, don't be surprised if it includes injections, massage, exercise, physical therapy, etc.
Some Final Thoughts
Have you sustained a back injury in an auto accident due to someone's negligence? You might have the grounds to seek compensation from them or their insurer if that's the case. Would you like to find out? Contact our law firm to schedule a free evaluation with the St. Pete Lawyer. He will take a look and discuss your options with you. Then, you can decide whether to proceed with a lawsuit or not.