Spine Ligament Injuries – A car accident can happen at any time and could lead to significant injuries that might leave people permanently disabled. Based on statistics in a graphic published by Driver Knowledge:
- There are about six million car accidents that happen in the United States every year.
- These accidents lead to around three million injuries, with about two-thirds of them leading to permanent complications.
- Approximately 90 people are killed in car accidents on a daily basis.
- Even though seat belts can reduce the risk of injury by half, more than 10 percent of people do not wear one.
- Those who refuse to wear a seat belt increase their risk of ejection on impact by 3,000 percent.
Some of the injuries that are sustained in auto accidents can lead to life-altering complications. One example is an injury to the spinal cord, which can lead to significant quality of life issues.
Mechanism of Injury: Ligament Damage of the Spine
When people are involved in an auto accident, the force of the impact can lead to significant injuries. Even though people are restrained by a seat belt, the conservation of momentum could cause the top half of their body to fly forward while their legs and hips are restrained. Therefore, those who are belted into their seat could still snap their face and neck forward against the steering wheel, dashboard, or their knees in a forceful manner. This movement could stretch the ligaments of the spine along with the vertebrae. When this happens, significant damage to the spinal ligaments could result.
Treatment of Spinal Ligament Injuries
If someone has been diagnosed with a strain of his or her spinal ligaments, the treatment could take several different forms. The most critical component of this treatment is rest to give the spine time to heal. However, there are some other treatment points to remember. These include:
- Refrain from performing any activity that involves stressing the range of motion of the spine. This could worsen the injury.
- Anti-inflammatory medications such as Tylenol and Ibuprofen are a good idea.
- Any shooting pains down the legs or arms need to be evaluated. These could be signs of a nerve injury.
Sometimes, people have sustained severe nerve injuries in their spinal cord. These need to be evaluated by a physician.
Help from a Lawyer
When a loved one sustains an injury to the spinal cord, this can create a scary situation. Because spinal cord injuries have occupied much of the media’s attention, many people know that these can lead to permanent complications. Therefore, many families have questions about these serious injuries. Some of these might include:
- Will my loved one ever make a full recovery from their injuries?
- What kind of complications and quality of life issues will stem from this serious injury?
- Could this tragedy have been prevented in any way?
- Is my insurance company going to help cover the medical costs of this injury?
It is understandable for people to have questions after such a severe accident. During stressful times, it is vital for people to ask for help. Meeting with a personal injury lawyer in Sacramento can help families find answers. Reach out for help because you and your family could be entitled to financial compensation.
Related Articles
Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Personal Injury Lawyer in Sacramento. Injuries of the spine always need to be taken seriously. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in a car accident, call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly legal advice.
I am a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Our verdicts or settlements cases are available for viewing.
You can check out our client reviews on Yelp, Avvo, & Google.
Spine Ligament Injuries: AutoAccident.com
Photo by: The photo at the start of this article is seen in its original form on Unsplash. The image has been reproduced here with permission/ Spine Ligament Injuries.
:dr cha [cs 681] cv