Motor vehicle accidents happen every day across the country. New Jersey is no exception; every day, there are media reports of car, bus, truck or pedestrian-car accidents on NJ’s roadways. Auto accidents often result serious injuries.
Also see NJ Car Accident Lawyer, Phil Ciprietti, Discusses Recent South Jersey Car Accident Case.
Spinal Injuries After Car Accidents
The most common types of injuries South Jersey residents sustain after car accidents in Cherry Hill or Marlton are spinal injuries, i.e., neck, mid-back or lower back. Some victims may have neck and mid-back injuries and others may have mid-back and lower back injuries. Sometimes, victims do not know they have severe spinal injuries until a few days after the accident. The reason they don’t know may be due to 2 things: first, it was not diagnosed in the emergency room, and second, they don’t feel significant pain and discomfort until a few days after the accident.
Spinal Injuries not Detected in Emergency Rooms
After car accidents, injured victims are often transported to a nearby hospital. The victims are examined and x-rays are typically ordered for the parts of the body victims complain about. However, x-rays only show whether there are any breaks or fractures in bones; they do not show any other injuries, such as torn ligaments, disc herniations or slipped discs. Those injuries are only seen through an MRI imaging study.
For instance, an injured car accident victim complains of neck and back pain when he arrives at the hospital emergency room. The individual is examined, and the doctor orders x-rays of the neck and back. The x-rays do not show any broken bones, and the individual is discharged and told to follow-up with a doctor.
Thinking that his injuries are not that serious, the individual tries to go back to work at the office the next day. However, the pain in his neck and back gets worse and does not improve. By the end of the week, he begins to experience numbness and pain radiating down his arms. He then sees an orthopedic doctor who orders an MRI imaging study of his neck and back, and the films of his neck reveal that he has a slipped disc in his neck which is the cause of his pain and numbness. He now needs epidural injections in his neck to help with his neck pain, and he may even need surgery to correct the slipped disc.
Of course, not all injuries to the neck and back are going to be that serious. However, it is important that victims who sustain neck and back injuries follow-up with an orthopedic doctor after being discharged from the emergency room. As the above example demonstrates, spinal injuries may not be diagnosed in the emergency room.
Related: NJ Car Accident Cases – Treatment of Cervical (Neck) Spine Injuries
Further, spinal injuries can significantly affect injured victims’ lives. Legally, injured victims may recover damages from the drivers who caused the car accidents. Damages may include:
- pain and suffering,
- medical expenses, and/or
- lost wages.
Help After a NJ Car Accident
If you were injured in a car accident in Cherry Hill, Marlton or Camden, NJ, call Phil Ciprietti to schedule a FREE initial legal consultation. Mr. Ciprietti has been representing injured car, bus and truck accident victims for over 35 years. 800-281-8695
*Disclaimer: Every case is unique and you should not take any action or make decisions in your case without speaking to a qualified car and truck accident lawyer in New Jersey. This website page does not provide legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Use of the contact form on this website or emailing Mr. Ciprietti does not create any attorney-client relationship. In addition, confidential information should not be sent through the contact form.