Upper Back Injuries

Back Injuries from Car Accidents

Chronic upper back pain can severely hinder your ability to work, take care of your home, and meet other obligations. Many types of upper back pain are linked to car accidents, slip and fall accidents, workplace injuries, and other preventable accidents. Depending on the location of your injury, you may even experience limited neck mobility, further preventing you from living a normal life.

If you have suffered upper back pain after an auto accident, you need to know your rights and your legal options before you move forward. We can help. Call our team of Orange County injury lawyers at Russell & Lazarus at (949) 851-0222 to get started.

Types of Upper Back Injuries

Upper back pain can be difficult to pinpoint and identify, which is why it’s important to seek medical care promptly after an accident. Your Newport medical professional can figure out what’s causing your pain, help you explore treatment options, and provide documentation that will be essential if you seek compensation. These are some types of upper back injuries you may experience after an accident:

• Degenerative disc disease. Disc degeneration is a natural part of aging, but in some people, it causes serious pain and mobility issues. This occurs when the discs between vertebra shrink and degenerate. While this issue is not caused by an accident, an accident can make this pre-existing problem significantly worse.
• When the discs between vertebra and the vertebra themselves suffer from wear-and-tear, an individual may experience spondylosis. Again, this is not caused by an accident. However, an individual with spondylosis will likely suffer much greater injuries in a crash than an individual with healthy discs and bones.
• Spinal stenosis. This diagnosis is given when the open spaces in the spine narrow. As a result, the spinal cord and its nerves are put under increasing amounts of pressure. A car accident or a fall can cause debilitating pain for an individual with spinal stenosis.
• Thoracic facet joint sprain. This occurs when the joint between two vertebra is over stretched. It causes back pain, stiffness, and limited mobility. This may occur in response to the body bracing for impact during a crash or fall.
• Crush fracture. A crush fracture happens when a vertebra collapses. It is linked to osteoporosis, other conditions that cause low bone density, and severe physical trauma.
• Rib fracture. Trauma to the rib cage can cause a broken rib. People often do not consider this option when their upper back hurts after a car accident, but the relationship of the ribs and the spine often lead to back pain after a rib fracture.
• Thoracic disc prolapse. When the cushion between two vertebra is damaged, it may lead to thoracic disc prolapse. The patient suffers numbness and pain caused by nerve damage. A slipped disc after a car accident is relatively common.
• Costovertebral joint sprain. Costovertebral joint sprains are caused by stiffness in the joint between the spine and rib. This is often linked to over-stretching.

Identifying Upper Back Pain 

Each type of upper back injury produces specific symptoms and types of pain. However, there is significant overlap. Because of this, it’s important to be able to identify the type of pain you’re experiencing so you can explain it to your medical professional. We’ve compiled common types of upper back pain and their possible causes.

• Stabbing pain. Sharp back pain after an accident feels like jolts to specific, localized parts of the upper back. They tend to recur whenever you move a certain way or put pressure on the affected area. People often experience stabbing pain with muscle spasms.
• Stinging pain. A stinging sensation often occurs alongside burning pain or tingling. It may occur with nerve damage or heat.
• Burning pain. If your pain occurs with a warm, burning sensation, you may be suffering muscle tightening. When this happens, the muscle is actually warming up, leading to the burning sensation. Some people even notice the skin turning red. This type of pain is also associated with spinal issues and nerve damage.
• Tingling or numbness. Tingling and numbness are often caused by nerve damage. For example, a thoracic disc prolapse can damage the nerves and limit mobility of the impacted extremities, causing tingling both within the affected area of the back and the are of the body controlled by the damaged nerve.
• Radiating pain. Radiating pain is pain that moves from your back to other parts of your body. It is often indicative of nerve compression.
• Dull pain. Throbbing dull pain is more bearable than stabbing pain, but unlike stabbing pain, it does not come and go. It is constant and may be related to muscle sprains or strains.

What Causes Upper Back Pain?

While many types of upper back pain are caused by the aging process, many are caused or worsened by physical trauma. Upper back pain may be caused by car accidents, falls, slips, and workplace accidents. For example, those working at Riverside construction sites, factories, or shipping centers may be injured by certain equipment or lifting requirements.

What to Consider When Seeking Compensation

If you want to seek compensation for a back injury, you should speak to an Orange County personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. There are several things that must be proven before you can seriously pursue a personal injury case, and choosing an experienced attorney allows you to preserve evidence and fully explore your options.

The team of top injury lawyers at Russell & Lazarus handles every case with the utmost care. We believe that every victim deserves high-quality representation and that only comes after extensive investigation and evidence review. Unlike other personal injury law firms, we don’t take every case that comes our way. Instead, we only take those cases where we can truly make a difference. We prepare every case as if it were going to court, and as a result, we build stronger cases that make it much harder for insurance companies to defend a low settlement offer. Most cases do settle; but if yours goes to court, then we have already put in substantial preparation, putting us in a much stronger position.

Since we take on a limited amount of cases, we’re able to dedicate our extensive resources and experience to each case we accept. Our clients don’t have to wait days for a call back or update. Instead, they know that we will keep them updated and be available for questions or concerns. As a result, we build strong, trusting relationships with our clients, making the entire process as stress-free as possible.

Find Out How Russell & Lazarus Can Help You Today 

We know that selecting an Orange County car accident lawyer is a crucial part of your case, which is why we offer a free case evaluation. During your evaluation, we will discuss the evidence you have, learn more about your injuries, and give you our recommendations. If we are unable to take your case, we are more than happy to refer you to another highly-trusted personal injury firm in the area. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can start preparing your case. Set up a consultation online or call Russell & Lazarus at (949) 851-0222 to schedule your evaluation.