Types of Back and Neck Injuries in Rear-End Collisions

Types of Back and Neck Injuries in Rear-End Collisions Being involved in a rear-end crash can result in a wide array of types of back and neck injuries in rear-end collisions. Accident victims are particularly vulnerable to back and neck injuries. Depending on the speed and angles of the accident, a back or neck injury might result in permanent disability and a life riddled with chronic pain. If you or a loved one has suffered a neck or back injury during a car accident in Florida, contact a skilled car accident attorney before agreeing to a settlement with the insurance company. Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA offers free consultations so our award-winning team can help you learn how to recover losses related to your injury. Consider contacting our offices today to set up a meeting and give your case the expert attention it deserves. 

Rear-End Collisions Are the Most Common Type of Car Accident

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates approximately 1.7 million rear-end collisions in 2010, a number that continues to rise each year. In its most recent yearly data, the NHTSA reports almost 2.4 million rear-end collisions on the nation's roads in 2016, including almost 700,000 crashes resulting in injury and about 2,300 fatal rear-end crashes. Rear-end collisions account for a third of all traffic accidents in the United States, making them the most common type of car accident. The high frequency of rear-end crashes has prompted the NHTSA to conduct research on driver attributes regarding rear-end collisions. Their most recent study revealed the following trends:

• As drivers age they are less likely to strike the vehicle in front of them in a rear-end crash. Conversely, younger drivers, especially those under 18, are most likely to cause a rear-end collision.
• Young male drivers cause the most rear-end crashes.
• Distracted driving is responsible for more than 85% of rear-end crashes, with eating while driving, daydreaming, and texting or cell phone use as the most common distractions.
• Most rear-end collisions occur when the front vehicle is stopped in traffic.
• Most rear-end collisions occur on clear weather days.

How Does a Back or Neck Injury Occur During a Rear-End Collision?

Rear-end collisions stand apart from other types of car accidents because they often happen at low speeds. Although seat belts and airbag deployment reduce some passenger movement in a collision, especially for those in the front seat, a person's neck and upper back still endure unnatural forces. When a rear-end crash occurs, bodies in the car move back and forth quickly during impact. This motion coupled with a body's interaction with the seatback is a large part of why neck and back injuries occur in car accidents. Facet joints connect each vertebra in your spine, making you flexible so you can bend and twist. Many neck injuries occur because the facet joints collide with each other when the neck moves during an accident. The impact of a rear-end collision also causes your middle and lower back to move back and forth, which disrupts the natural curve of the spine and flattens them.

Types of Neck and Back Injuries from Rear-End Collisions

Rear-end collisions can result in a wide variety of back and neck injuries that vary based on the speed at which they occur. Some common injuries include:

• Whiplash is the most common injury associated with a rear-end collision, and whiplash injuries can range from mild to severe. When the head and neck move upon impact, the victim sustains soft tissue damage in the neck and sometimes the upper back. 
• Spinal fractures are most likely to occur when a rear-end crash occurs at a high speed. Stress fractures might push vertebrae out of place, resulting in a condition called spondylolisthesis, wherein nerves and/or the spinal canal are compressed causing pain and numbness.
• Slipped discs, more formally referred to as herniated discs, occur when the impact of a rear-end collision causes the discs that provide cushioning between the vertebrae to shift out of place. This also results in pain and numbness.
• Spinal cord injuries can happen even when a rear-end crash occurs at low speeds. Small injuries to spinal processes and nerves might cause temporary paralysis that will hopefully heal with time, but sometimes the cord gets severed, leading to permanent total or partial paralysis. 

Delayed Symptoms of Neck and Back Injuries

Seek medical attention as soon as possible after a rear-end collision. It's a mistake to skip medical treatment for a couple of reasons. First, medical documentation of your injuries provides evidence your car accident attorney can use later on to prove an accident caused your neck and back injuries. Second, many symptoms of neck and back injuries do not show up for days or weeks after an accident. Just because you feel okay, it doesn't mean you weren't injured. Below are some symptoms of neck and back injuries that often do not show up immediately after a rear-end collision:

• Headaches
• Neck and shoulder stiffness
• Back pain
• Numbness

If you experience any of these delayed injury symptoms after your car accident, even if it's days later, immediately visit your doctor. These symptoms indicate that you might have a neck or back injury, especially if you are suffering from more than one. Even if you do not experience symptoms right away, you should still visit a doctor after any rear-end collision. Only a qualified doctor can tell you, for sure, whether and to what extent an accident injured your neck or back.

Neck and Back Recovery After a Rear-End Car Crash

When you suffer a neck or back injury in a rear-end collision, you will need ample time for healing and recovery. Treatments will vary based on your injury and its severity, but might include one or more of the following.

• Wearing a brace: Your doctor might direct you to wear a neck brace or back brace to stabilize your body, allowing it to heal and prevent further injury. Braces also help with pain management by preventing you from moving in a way that causes you pain.
• Heating pads and ice packs: The heat helps eliminate pain by easing muscle tension. If you experience swelling, your doctor might have you apply an ice pack to your injured area to reduce swelling.
• Pain medication: When your pain is severe, your doctor might prescribe prescription painkillers when over-the-counter pain pills won't do the trick. Addiction to prescription pain pills is a real risk, so expect your doctor to discuss multiple options to avoid developing a dependence on a particular remedy.
• Physical therapy: Frequent physical therapy visits are often a part of preparing your body to return to normal function. In the case of a severe injury that forced you to remain in bed for days, weeks, or months, you will need physical therapy to help with muscle loss in all parts of your body.
• Chiropractic care: Some car accident victims find that visiting a chiropractor helps with pain and recovery. However, you should discuss this with your car crash attorney. Some insurance carriers consider chiropractic care as alternative medicine, so your treatment might not be covered. 

How to Avoid Rear-End Collisions in Florida

Rear-end collisions are entirely avoidable in the vast majority of situations. Whether you are the lead vehicle or following another vehicle, you can avoid a rear-end collision by following these tips.

• Keep at least a four-second space between you and the car you are following, giving you enough time and distance to react if they must suddenly stop.
• Avoid all distractions while driving including cell phone use, personal grooming, adjusting the radio, reaching in the back, etc.
• Make sure your brake lights and turn signals work, and that you use them to let the drivers behind you know your intentions.
• Scan your rear-view mirror to watch cars behind you, especially before you slow down or make a turn.
• If someone is following you too closely, pull to the side and let them pass.
• When it's raining, increase your following distance because of wet roads.
• Make sure your brakes are functioning well. If they fail, you risk an accident.
• Don't slam on your brakes at the last minute. Instead, brake early and slowly.

Understanding Liability in Florida Rear-End Collisions

Florida's no-fault auto insurance law requires motorists who register a vehicle to carry personal injury protection (PIP) insurance coverage. This means that after a rear-end crash, each driver must file a claim under their own PIP policy regardless of fault. Keep in mind that Florida's PIP coverage only pays out 80% of medical expenses and 60% of lost wages to policyholders. In serious accidents that result in severe injury, it's likely that you will meet or exceed your policy limit and need to take legal action with the help of a personal injury attorney to recover additional compensation from parties with legal liability to you.

Understanding Florida's No-Fault Car Insurance Policy

When you file an insurance claim under your PIP policy, you don't need to worry about fault, but when you take legal action with an auto accident attorney's help, fault will often become a contested issue. In the vast majority of rear-end collision cases, the driver of the rear vehicle will bear the principal fault for the collision. However, this isn't always the case. You should expect the defense to make arguments to avoid some or all liability for the accident and injuries. For example, they may try to paint you as a distracted or drowsy driver, or claim you were driving under the influence. If you are partially at fault for the accident, Florida law still entitles you to seek damages in civil court. A court might reduce your award based on the extent to which you contributed to the accident, but you have a right to seek compensation so long as you are less than 50 percent at fault.

Why Should I Choose Dolman Law Group to Represent Me in a Car Accident Lawsuit?

If you are paying the price for someone else's negligence, you may be considering seeking legal representation. It is wise to discuss your options for pursuing damages with a reputable accident injury law firm before accepting a settlement from the insurance company. The auto accident lawyers of Dolman Law Group are sought after because they are known to be trustworthy and highly-skilled advocates. We have over a decade of experience handling car accident claims involving serious neck and back injuries, with impressive results. A few recent settlements include:

• 380 thousand for a client with a herniated disc after a rear-end collision
• 5 million dollars for a car accident client
• 425 thousand for an auto accident client with a lower back injury

Florida accident clients rely on Dolman Law Group for our resources and expertise in personal injury law. It is our goal to recover maximum compensation for our injured clients so that they can begin rebuilding their lives, recover financial stability, and focus on healing. Throughout this process, we prioritize our clients' needs. For confirmation of our skills and character, we encourage you to check out testimonials from former clients.

Contact Dolman Law Group For Help With Your Florida Rear-End Collision Lawsuit

When another driver's careless choices behind the wheel lead to a rear-end collision and cause you harm, you deserve full and fair compensation for the physical, emotional, and financial pain those choices inflict. Letting an experienced attorney guide you through the process of seeking compensation can free up your mind and body to focus on healing and recovery. You don't have to fight for compensation and negotiate with insurance companies alone. The skilled car accident attorneys at Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA can handle all details of the typical car accident case, including investigating your car accident, gathering relevant documents, negotiating a settlement, and even taking your auto accident claim to trial when negotiations stall. Contact us at (727) 451-6900 or through our website's contact page to schedule a free consultation and learn about the ways we might be able to help you after a rear-end crash. Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers are proud to serve clients from our offices across both Florida coasts. Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA 800 North Belcher Road Clearwater, FL 33765 (727) 451-6900 https://www.dolmanlaw.com/florida-personal-injury-lawyer/