Neck and Back Injuries After a Car Accident

Neck and back injuries are among the most common injuries reported after car accidents. A collision can cause anything from short-term muscle and ligament injuries to herniated discs, spinal fractures, nerve damage, and permanent impairment. Some people recover with conservative treatment, while others require injections, surgery, physical therapy, or ongoing medical care.

One of the challenges in car accident injury claims is that spinal injuries are not always easy to prove. A person may experience severe pain despite having relatively subtle findings on an initial scan. Conversely, imaging may reveal degenerative changes that arguably existed before the crash, allowing an insurance company to allege that the accident did not cause the person’s current condition. Establishing what happened to the spine, when it happened, and how the injury affects the person’s future can therefore be critical.

At Kalfayan Merjanian, LLP, we represent people injured in California car accidents and work to document both the immediate and long-term consequences of spinal injuries, including herniated discs, surgical treatment, chronic pain, and future medical needs.

What Kinds of Neck and Back Injuries Can Result From a Car Accident?

A collision can place tremendous forces on the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, affecting the neck, upper back, and lower back, respectively. The type of injury depends on factors such as the direction and force of the impact, the person’s position in the vehicle, whether the person was wearing a seat belt, and individual physical characteristics. Potential injuries include whiplash, muscle and ligament strains, herniated or bulging discs, spinal fractures, nerve compression, spinal cord injuries, and other forms of structural damage. Even a crash that does not produce a visible fracture can cause substantial soft tissue or disc-related injuries.

Can a Car Accident Cause a Herniated Disc?

The discs between the vertebrae act as cushions within the spine. A sudden impact can cause the outer portion of a disc to tear or weaken, allowing the inner material to protrude or herniate. A herniated disc may irritate or compress a nearby nerve, potentially causing pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, or other neurological symptoms. Herniated discs can occur in the neck or lower back. A cervical disc injury may cause symptoms extending into the shoulder, arm, or hand, while a lumbar disc injury may cause symptoms extending into the hip, leg, or foot.

What Are the Symptoms of a Spinal Injury After a Crash?

Symptoms vary according to the injury. Neck injuries may cause pain, stiffness, headaches, reduced range of motion, shoulder pain, or symptoms extending into the arms. Lower-back injuries can produce localized pain as well as pain, numbness, or weakness extending into the legs. Some symptoms appear immediately. Others may become more pronounced after the initial effects of the collision subside. This is one reason it is important to seek appropriate medical evaluation after a significant accident, even if symptoms initially seem manageable.

Why Can Neck and Back Injuries Be Difficult to Prove?

Spinal injuries can present unique evidentiary challenges. Some injuries are difficult to see from the outside. A person with a herniated disc may look completely healthy despite experiencing severe pain and significant limitations. Imaging can also create complications. An MRI may show a disc herniation, but the defense may argue that the finding is unrelated to the accident or represents a preexisting degenerative condition. The legal issue is therefore not simply whether an abnormality appears on an image. It may be necessary to establish whether the accident caused or aggravated the condition and what consequences resulted.

How Do Doctors Determine Whether a Disc Injury Was Caused by a Car Accident?

Medical professionals consider the complete clinical picture rather than relying on a single piece of evidence. The evaluation may involve the mechanism of the collision, the timing of symptoms, physical examination findings, prior medical records, imaging studies, treatment history, and the patient’s reported symptoms. If a person had no significant symptoms before a crash but developed persistent neck or back pain immediately afterward, that history may be relevant. Medical records documenting the progression of symptoms and treatment can help establish the timeline. At the same time, causation can be complicated when a person already had degenerative changes in the spine.

What If the MRI Shows Degenerative Disc Disease?

Degenerative changes are common, particularly as people age. Their presence does not automatically mean that a car accident did not cause an injury. An accident may cause a new injury, aggravate an existing condition, or turn an asymptomatic condition into a painful one. For example, someone may have had degenerative disc changes that never interfered with work or daily activities before a collision. After the crash, the person may develop persistent pain and require treatment or surgery. The relevant medical and legal questions can include whether the accident caused a new injury, aggravated a preexisting condition, or accelerated symptoms that otherwise would not have occurred when they did.

Can You Recover Compensation for an Aggravated Preexisting Back or Neck Condition?

California law does not allow a negligent party to avoid responsibility simply because an injured person had a preexisting vulnerability. California Civil Code § 3333 allows for compensation for every detriment proximately caused by a wrongful act. The circumstances matter, but evidence may support compensation when a collision worsened a preexisting spinal condition or caused symptoms that otherwise would not have occurred. Medical testimony can be particularly important when distinguishing the person’s condition before the accident from the condition afterward.

When Does a Herniated Disc Require Surgery?

Many herniated discs can be treated without surgery. Depending on the injury, treatment may include medication, physical therapy, activity modification, injections, or other conservative measures. However, surgery may become appropriate when symptoms are severe, persistent, or associated with neurological problems, or when conservative treatment fails. Procedures can include discectomy, laminectomy, spinal fusion, or other surgical interventions depending on the nature and location of the injury. When a car accident ultimately results in spinal surgery, the medical evidence connecting the need for surgery to the collision can become an important component of the injury claim.

What Compensation Can Be Recovered for Spinal Surgery?

The damages associated with a serious neck or back injury can extend well beyond the initial hospital bill. Economic damages may include emergency treatment, diagnostic testing, physician appointments, medications, physical therapy, injections, surgery, rehabilitation, and other medical expenses. If additional treatment is reasonably expected, future medical expenses may also be considered. An injured person may also have claims for lost wages if the injury prevents them from working. If permanent restrictions affect the person’s ability to earn money in the future, diminished earning capacity may be an important component of damages. Noneconomic damages may include physical pain, emotional distress, physical impairment, and loss of enjoyment of life.

What About Future Medical Expenses?

A serious spinal injury may require treatment long after a personal injury case has been resolved. Future care can include additional surgery, injections, physical therapy, pain management, medication, diagnostic testing, or other treatment. The type and frequency of future care depend on the individual’s injury and prognosis. Medical experts can evaluate what treatment is reasonably expected to be necessary. In more complicated cases, a life care planner may help identify future medical and rehabilitative needs, while an economist may calculate their projected financial cost. The goal is to account for reasonably anticipated future care rather than simply adding up medical bills that have already been incurred.

When Neck and Back Injuries Can Cause Permanent Disability

A serious spinal injury may permanently restrict lifting, bending, twisting, standing, sitting, walking, or other activities. A person may be unable to return to a physically demanding occupation or may need to reduce their hours or change careers. Even when a person remains employed, permanent restrictions can reduce future earning capacity. For example, a worker who previously performed heavy physical labor may be able to transition to a sedentary position after a spinal injury but earn substantially less over the remainder of their career.

What Evidence Helps Establish the Extent of a Spinal Injury?

A strong injury claim may involve multiple forms of evidence. Medical records can document diagnoses, symptoms, treatment, and prognosis. Imaging such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRI studies can provide information about structural injuries. Physical examinations and neurological testing can document functional limitations. Other evidence can establish how the injury affects everyday life. Employment records may show missed work or changes in job duties. Testimony from family members or coworkers may help explain changes in mobility, activities, or behavior. The more serious and permanent the injury, the more important it may be to document its effects over time.

How Do Insurance Companies Challenge Neck and Back Injury Claims?

Insurance companies may question whether the accident caused the injury, particularly when imaging shows degenerative changes or when the claimant did not seek immediate treatment. An insurer may argue that the claimant’s pain resulted from a preexisting condition, that the collision was too minor to cause the alleged injury, or that the claimant’s symptoms are more severe than the objective findings support. These arguments make contemporaneous medical records, prior medical history, accident evidence, and qualified medical testimony particularly important. The defense may also examine gaps in treatment or inconsistencies in the claimant’s reports. That does not mean every delay in treatment defeats a claim, but the reasons for the delay may become relevant.

Does the Severity of Vehicle Damage Prove the Severity of a Spinal Injury?

Vehicle damage can provide useful evidence concerning the forces involved in a collision, but the amount of property damage does not necessarily determine the severity of a person’s injury. Modern vehicles are designed to absorb collision energy, and individual factors can affect how a person’s body responds to an impact. A relatively modest-looking collision can still cause significant injury in some circumstances. Medical evidence concerning the actual injury is therefore more important than relying exclusively on photographs of vehicle damage.

Why Is the Connection Between the Crash and the Injury So Important?

A personal injury claim generally requires evidence that the defendant’s conduct caused the claimed injury and resulting damages. For neck and back injuries, establishing this connection can require careful reconstruction of the person’s condition before and after the collision. Important questions may include: Did the person have similar symptoms before the accident? When did symptoms begin? What did the initial medical examination show? Did imaging reveal a new abnormality? Did symptoms continue despite treatment? Did the person eventually require surgery? What do the treating physicians conclude about causation? Answering those questions with reliable medical evidence can help distinguish accident-related injuries from unrelated conditions.

Contact Kalfayan Merjanian, LLP

Neck and back injuries after a car accident can involve much more than temporary soreness. Herniated discs, nerve injuries, chronic pain, and spinal surgery can result in substantial medical expenses, lost income, future care needs, and lasting limitations. Kalfayan Merjanian, LLP can investigate the circumstances of a California car accident, work with medical professionals to evaluate the nature and cause of spinal injuries, and pursue compensation for the full impact of those injuries. Contact Kalfayan Merjanian, LLP today to discuss your accident and learn about your legal options.