Herniated discs are serious injuries both compared to other back injuries and on their own. A herniated disc means a total rupture of the ring that protects the disc nucleus, often leading to the need for serious surgeries. These surgeries also carry many risks and complications. Herniated discs, also known as ruptured discs, are a serious back injury common in car accidents.
In many cases, these injuries can have long-term or permanent consequences for your health. These injuries could result in restricted movement, chronic pain, and numbness in severe cases. Many people suffer a herniated disc after a car accident. Without proper treatment, this injury can lead to chronic pain, disability, and even paralysis if the spinal cord is damaged.
Immediate medical attention is needed to achieve the best possible recovery. Herniated discs are permanent lesions that require a substantial liquidation value, due to the severity of the injury. That said, it is difficult to make an evaluation of the case. No one knows what a jury would do with a case of herniated disc.
However, in our experience as car accident lawyers, we can help you understand a reasonable range of settlement for your herniated disc case. If a disc herniates or ruptures, the integrity of the disc is compromised and the anatomy of the disc changes permanently. Also, because there is NO blood supply to the disc, the disc will never repair itself. All independent medical experts will agree that trauma can lead to herniation of a perfectly healthy disc.
Once a healthy disc herniates, it will never return to its normal anatomical state, the disease or injury is of a permanent nature. Herniated discs are painful, permanent lesions that require substantial liquidation value due to the severity of the injury. That said, it is difficult to make an evaluation of an injury case. Any injury to the disc can cause serious trauma and adversely affect the nerve root.
The weakened area can herniate the disc and produce substantial pressure on the spinal cord nerve, causing pain that radiates throughout the body. Fortunately, most herniated disc injuries aren't severe enough to require surgery. Most doctors will initially treat a herniated disc with anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce inflammation that occurs in the spinal nerve. Physical therapy is usually recommended to better evaluate the injury and ultimately find the best treatment.
Other non-surgical treatments include pain relievers, spinal injections, and muscle relaxants. If you are considering filing a claim for your losses, you should consult an attorney who is experienced in litigating car accident cases. The Chicago car accident injury lawyers at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC understand that the accident that caused your herniated disc was not your fault.