Bulging and Herniated Discs

Attorneys at The McAleer Law Firm, experienced in litigating personal injury cases involving spinal cord injuries such as bulging, ruptured and herniated discs, are available for consultation regarding your potential case. This page will help you as the injured party to better understand how herniated and bulging discs can result from a car accident, the importance of seeking prompt and consistent medical treatment and what a spinal cord injury lawyer can do to assist you in recovering monetary damages to which you may be entitled.

Spinal Cord Injuries – Bulging and Herniated Discs

One common spinal cord injury that can be sustained in an auto accident is a herniated disc, also referred to as either a bulging or ruptured disc. This type of injury is the result of the gravitational forces involved in the impact, which sometimes causes the spinal cord to move out of normal alignment, thus creating the potential for a disc to rupture. The spinal column is composed of a series of small bones known as vertebrae and discs are the soft, gelatinous material located between the vertebrae that provide cushioning. A bulging disc occurs when the disc is disrupted in such a way that it moves outward from its normal position between the bones. Herniated discs can result from collisions occurring at either low or high speeds and have the potential to be grave or even life threatening.

The experience of our skilled bulging disc lawyers has taught us that herniated discs are frequent outcomes of car accidents due to the violent moving of the disc out of its normal positioning upon impact. Significant pressure is placed on the nerves of the spinal column when a disc is displaced, causing injured parties to have acute pain not only in their back, but also in their extremities. For example, a herniated disc in the neck can cause pain that radiates into the shoulders and arms. Likewise, a herniated disc in the back can cause pain that radiates into the legs.

Immediately following an auto collision, many injured victims are charged with adrenaline, which may create sensations that mask the serious injuries from which the victim is suffering. This biological reaction can lead the victim to believe that he or she is not really injured when the exact opposite might, in fact, be true. Symptoms, such as severe neck or back pain, might not be noticeable until several hours or even a few days after the accident once your body recovers from the initial shock and begins to function at a normal pace again. Insurance companies will use any significant gap in medical treatment as a reason to refuse payment on many legitimate injury claims. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that injured parties seek immediate medical treatment from either a hospital or primary care physician following an automobile collision, as diagnostic testing, such as CT scans or MRIs, can oftentimes pick up on injuries of which the victim may have been unaware. Ruptured discs have the potential to be permanent or even fatal injuries.

Injured traffic collision victims frequently presume that they will be able to negotiate directly with the insurance company without the assistance of a lawyer. This can be extremely damaging to the victim’s case and more often that not gives the insurance company and its attorney the upper hand in winning the case. Failing to receive prompt medical care or making particular assertions during a recorded statement with the insurer can be used against the victim by the insurance company, who will make every attempt to make the victim appear as though they are falsifying their claims. Personal injury lawyers will regularly decline to handle cases for personal injury clients who fail to lessen, or mitigate, their damages by getting timely treatment for their injuries.

High priority should be placed by car accident injury victims on obtaining immediate medical and legal counsel from an experienced spinal cord lawyer. Medical care must be sought by injured parties for their neck and back injuries. Failing to seek treatment from a hospital or primary care physician can backfire on an undiagnosed personal injury victim who just assumes that he or she will recover over time. The consequences of these poor decisions can range from receiving a settlement worth much less than that to which the victim should actually be entitled to complete lack of compensation for serious injuries that remain undiagnosed until after the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations. No matter where one may fall on this spectrum, the end result is a lifetime of uncompensated pain.

Individuals who have received personal injuries in traffic collisions involving cars, trucks, bikes or trains must seek legal advice from an experienced personal injury accident attorney. Contact The McAleer Law Firm at 404-816-7374 for your free consultation.

Most Frequent Symptoms of Ruptured Discs

One of the most common symptoms that indicates that you may potentially have a spinal cord injury, such as a herniated or bulging disc, is back pain. Usually, the pain will be located in the lower back as the discs in this section are particularly susceptible to herniation in high impact collisions. Rupture of the disc can place significant pressure on the sciatic nerve, which starts at the base of the back and runs down the length of the leg. The pressure from the disc can cause symptoms of pain and numbness that frequently radiate from the injury site down the leg and into the feet. Depending on the severity of the disc rupture and the available treatment options, these symptoms can eventually become chronic. Exacerbating these symptoms is the fact that the muscles of the back, such as the spinal erector, can become weakened as well, thus contributing to even further breakdown of the spine. Injury victims often find that they have difficulty with physical activities such as walking and exercising. Their symptoms may even limit their ability to work their normal job.

Insurance Tactics Aimed at Reducing Monetary Recovery for Your Spinal Cord Injury

Insurance carriers providing liability coverage habitually aim to deceive the public by using widespread print, radio and television advertisements to spread the message that cars manufactured in this day and age are more durable than ever, which means that it just isn’t possible for “real” injuries to occur. If real injuries are even mentioned by the insurance companies, they are minimized by being referred to as “soft tissue” injuries, which are generally felt by the companies to be less significant and, therefore, worth much less money. The goal of these campaigns is to discourage those who have suffered from serious personal injuries from following through with their attempts to obtain compensation. What the insurance companies conveniently forget to mention is that increased durability of the vehicle actually transfers the force in an impact from the vehicle to the occupant. The irony behind the insurance companies’ reliance on the “stronger cars” argument is that they were a driving force behind the crusade for stronger, more durable bumpers in order to less the payouts they had to make for property damage. Insurance carriers consistently play both sides of the fence by stating that victims’ injuries are either fraudulent or minor, but then turning the tables and blaming the victims for failure to receive either prompt or sufficient treatment.

Reality is that traffic collisions account for a significant percentage of claims involving injury to the spinal cord. Damages to victims with severe back injuries can include medical expenses, lost wages and physical and mental pain and suffering. Personal injury victims can also experience a decline in their overall health due to the inactivity that results from a spinal cord injury. It is not uncommon for weight gain, diabetes or heart problems to arise as a superadded conditions.

If you have suffered a herniated disc, you must obtain legal representation from an experienced spinal cord injury lawyer, like those at The McAleer Law Firm, in order to ensure that the insurance company pays maximum value for your case. Our attorneys can advise on spinal cord injuries ranging from bulging discs to quadriplegia and paraplegia. Contact us today at 404-816-7374.