Neck and Back Pain After a Fort Worth Car Accident?

Protect your legal rights and options with the right attorney

When you’re hurt in a car accident, you need to pay attention to your body. Even a minor pain could be indicative of a deeper injury. If you’re experiencing neck or back pain, for example, that could be a minor injury – but it could also be a sign of more significant damage that requires a doctor’s help.

That’s why you absolutely cannot afford to diagnose yourself. If you’re feeling back or neck pain after a car wreck, see a doctor. Then, get legal advice from an experienced car accident lawyer. Contact attorney Coby L. Wooten for a free consultation.

How car accidents cause neck and back pain

Because car wrecks happen with drivers and passengers in a seated position, the back often takes the brunt of the impact. When the vehicle comes to a sudden stop, the force of impact is transferred from the back of your seat into your body. This can cause damage to the spine, torso, and abdomen, depending on the speed and direction of impact.

When your body comes to a sudden stop, your head keeps moving, and this can cause neck pain. The violent forward and backward movement of the head can cause hyperextension and hyperflexion of the muscles in the neck. That’s why whiplash and other neck injuries are among the more common car accident injuries.

How long does back or neck pain last after a car wreck?

Pain after a car accident can vary widely. Every person’s body is different, and so is your individual pain tolerance. Sometimes, pain clears up in just a few days, but in other cases, it can linger for weeks, months, or even years – especially if your injury goes untreated.

Keep in mind as well that neck pain after a car accident is often delayed. You may not feel whiplash for hours, days, or even weeks after the wreck. It takes time for inflammation and other symptoms to set in, but the damage is already there and can get worse if not treated.

You can relieve back or neck pain after a car accident with ice, heat, over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication, or even a massage. However, home remedies like this only treat the symptoms, not the underlying cause. After a car accident, you are not in a position to diagnose yourself, and just because your symptoms are currently manageable doesn’t mean they will stay that way. Depending on the severity of your injury, you may even need to undergo neck or back surgery.

In other words, there is no length of time you should wait to see if your symptoms are “bad enough” to be worth getting medical attention, and you’re not necessarily in the clear even if you feel okay. See a doctor as soon as possible. It’s the best option for your health – and it helps to protect your legal rights.

The high potential cost of neck and back injuries after a car crash

Again, pain can be a warning sign of a much more severe injury. Back pain might be a sign of permanent damage to the back or spine, and you need a doctor to diagnose and intervene immediately to prevent more significant damage. If you have whiplash, you may also have a coup-contrecoup injury, a type of concussion that occurs when the brain slams against the inside of the skull. Again, this requires an immediate diagnosis to make sure you are protected against permanent brain damage.

Getting immediate medical attention is also important to protect your legal rights. You can sue for back or neck pain after a car accident and pursue compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other costs – but you have to prove it. Seeing a doctor right away creates a record of your injuries, which will make it harder for the insurance company to dispute them later on. The longer you wait, the easier it is for the insurance company to argue that something else caused your back or neck injury and it wasn’t related to the accident.

That’s also why you need to talk to a lawyer as soon as possible. The full cost of a back or neck injury can be quite high. An experienced car accident attorney can assess the full value of your case and advocate for you in negotiations and, if necessary, litigation. You don’t have to go up against the insurance company alone.

An attorney who fights for car accident victims with back and neck pain

What happened to you wasn’t your fault, and you shouldn’t be stuck with the bill. Our legal team can fight for your interests while you focus on resting and healing. If you’re worried about the cost, we work on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay your lawyer a penny out of pocket. If we win, our fee is a percentage of the money we recover for you. If we don’t win, we don’t get paid. It’s that simple.

Find your path forward after a back or neck injury in a car accident. Contact Coby L. Wooten, Attorney at Law, P.C. today for your free consultation with an experienced Fort Worth car accident lawyer.