Car Accidents Causing Vertebral Artery Dissection

Some car accident injuries are immediately visible. Broken bones, deep cuts, and severe bruising are difficult to overlook. Other injuries develop inside the body and may initially produce symptoms that seem minor, unrelated, or easy to dismiss.

A vertebral artery dissection is one of those potentially hidden injuries.

The vertebral arteries travel through the neck and supply blood to areas of the brain responsible for balance, coordination, movement, vision, and other essential functions. A sudden traumatic movement of the neck during a collision can damage the wall of one of these arteries. The injury may interfere with blood flow or contribute to the formation of a blood clot, creating a risk of stroke.

At Cook, Bradford & Levy, our Boulder car accident attorneys understand how medically and legally complicated these cases can become. A person may walk away from a collision without realizing that one of their vertebral arteries has been injured. Symptoms may appear later, and an insurance company may attempt to dispute the relationship between the crash and the eventual diagnosis.

Our lawyers investigate the mechanics of the accident, the development of the victim’s symptoms, the medical evidence, and the long-term consequences of the injury. When another person’s negligence causes a vertebral artery dissection, we work to hold that person and the responsible insurance companies accountable.

What Is a Vertebral Artery Dissection?

A vertebral artery dissection, sometimes abbreviated as VAD, occurs when there is a tear or separation within the wall of a vertebral artery.

There are two vertebral arteries, one on each side of the neck. They run upward through openings in the cervical vertebrae before joining to help provide blood to the posterior portion of the brain.

An artery is made up of several layers. When trauma damages the arterial wall, blood may enter between those layers. This can cause the wall to bulge inward, narrow the channel through which blood flows, or create conditions in which a clot forms near the injured area.

A clot may remain near the dissection or travel through the bloodstream. If it blocks an artery supplying the brain, the result may be an ischemic stroke. Cervical artery dissections involving the carotid or vertebral arteries are recognized causes of stroke, including strokes affecting younger adults who may not have the risk factors commonly associated with cerebrovascular disease.

A vertebral artery dissection does not always cause a stroke. Some dissections heal with medical treatment and monitoring. Nevertheless, the possibility of interrupted blood flow makes the condition a medical emergency requiring careful evaluation.

How Can a Car Accident Cause an Arterial Tear?

A collision does not have to crush or penetrate the neck to injure a vertebral artery. The damaging force may come from the rapid movement of the head and neck during impact.

When one vehicle strikes another, the occupants’ bodies may be thrown forward, backward, or sideways. Seat belts help prevent catastrophic movement, but they cannot eliminate every force transmitted through the body. The torso may remain restrained while the head continues moving, producing stretching, rotation, extension, or compression of the neck.

That movement may strain the tissues surrounding the cervical spine and the blood vessels passing through it.

Rear-End Collisions and Whiplash

Rear-end crashes are commonly associated with whiplash. During a rear impact, an occupant’s torso may be pushed forward while the head initially remains behind. The head then moves rapidly backward and forward.

Most whiplash injuries involve muscles, ligaments, joints, or discs. In unusual cases, however, the movement may also injure an artery in the neck.

The fact that a collision occurred at a relatively low speed does not automatically rule out a serious injury. Vehicle damage and bodily injury are not always proportional. A car may show limited exterior damage while an occupant experiences a substantial movement of the neck.

Side-Impact and Rollover Accidents

Side-impact crashes may force the head sharply toward one shoulder or rotate the neck in an unnatural direction. Rollover accidents can involve multiple impacts, sudden changes in direction, contact with the interior of the vehicle, and extreme movement of the cervical spine.

These complicated forces may make it difficult to identify the exact moment when an arterial injury occurred. Accident reconstruction evidence, witness statements, photographs, vehicle data, and medical testimony may therefore become important parts of the legal claim.

Direct Trauma to the Head or Neck

A vertebral artery can also be injured when the head or neck strikes a window, headrest, steering wheel, door frame, or another object inside the vehicle.

More serious collisions may cause cervical fractures, dislocations, or other structural injuries that affect the blood vessels passing through the neck. However, the absence of a fracture does not necessarily mean that the arteries are unharmed.

Symptoms That May Develop After the Crash

The symptoms of a vertebral artery dissection can vary significantly. Some people develop pain before experiencing neurological problems. Others may initially notice dizziness, vision changes, or difficulty with coordination.

Possible symptoms include:

• Unusual or severe neck pain, particularly on one side
• A sudden or persistent headache
• Vertigo or a spinning sensation
• Dizziness or loss of balance
• Difficulty walking normally
• Double vision or other visual disturbances
• Slurred speech
• Trouble swallowing
• Numbness or weakness
• Poor coordination
• Nausea or vomiting
• Hearing changes
• Facial weakness
• Sudden confusion

Recognized symptoms of vertebral artery dissection include one-sided neck pain, severe headache, vertigo, double vision, speech problems, dizziness, and difficulty with balance or coordination.

These symptoms can overlap with those of concussion, whiplash, medication side effects, dehydration, anxiety, and many other conditions. That overlap is one reason a vertebral artery dissection may not be immediately suspected.

The presence of symptoms does not establish that someone has VAD. Only qualified medical professionals can diagnose the condition. Anyone experiencing possible signs of a stroke should seek emergency medical care rather than waiting for an appointment or attempting to determine the cause without assistance.

Stroke warning signs can include loss of balance, vision changes, facial drooping, arm weakness, and difficulty speaking. Emergency medical assistance should be requested immediately when these symptoms appear, even if they later improve.

Why Diagnosis May Be Delayed

A delayed diagnosis does not necessarily mean that the patient or the medical provider did anything wrong. Vertebral artery dissection can be difficult to recognize, particularly when the initial complaint is neck pain or headache after a crash.

A person may assume that the discomfort is ordinary muscle soreness. Emergency personnel may understandably focus first on immediately life-threatening injuries. Initial imaging may examine bones and soft tissues without fully evaluating the arteries.

Symptoms can also evolve. A person may feel sore after the accident but remain alert and able to speak normally. Hours or days later, that person may develop dizziness, severe headache, vision problems, weakness, or other neurological symptoms.

From a legal perspective, the timing of the symptoms should be carefully documented. Medical records, messages to family members, missed work, calls to healthcare providers, and descriptions given to emergency personnel may help establish how the condition developed.

An insurer may argue that a delayed diagnosis proves the dissection was unrelated to the crash. That conclusion does not automatically follow. The relevant question is whether the medical evidence supports a causal relationship between the trauma and the arterial injury.

Testing Used to Identify Vertebral Artery Injuries

Diagnosing VAD generally requires vascular imaging. The particular tests ordered will depend on the symptoms, the patient’s condition, the available medical resources, and the judgment of the treating professionals.

Testing may include:

CT Angiography

A CT angiogram uses computed tomography and contrast material to produce images of blood vessels. It may allow physicians to identify narrowing, irregularity, blockage, or other evidence of an arterial injury.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

An MRI can provide detailed images of the brain and surrounding structures. Magnetic resonance angiography may be used to evaluate the blood vessels themselves.

Additional Vascular Imaging

In certain situations, physicians may order other studies to obtain more detailed information about blood flow or the condition of the artery. Follow-up imaging may also be needed to determine whether the dissection is healing.

These tests can be costly, especially when they are performed during an emergency room visit or hospitalization. The injured person may also incur charges for neurologists, radiologists, vascular specialists, rehabilitation professionals, prescription medications, laboratory work, and repeated follow-up appointments.

Treatment and Recovery After a Vertebral Artery Dissection

Treatment depends on the location and severity of the dissection, the extent to which blood flow is affected, whether a clot is present, and whether the patient has experienced a stroke.

Brian and Jason understand that many patients are treated with medication intended to reduce the risk of clot formation or clot-related complications. Treatment may involve antiplatelet or anticoagulant medication, depending on the clinical circumstances. Dissections can sometimes heal with medication and monitoring, although every patient’s treatment plan is different.

Some patients require an endovascular procedure, a stent, or surgery. These interventions are not necessary in every case, but they may be considered when blood flow remains dangerously restricted or other treatments are not sufficient.

Recovery may involve more than waiting for an artery to heal. A patient may be instructed to restrict physical activity, avoid particular neck movements, take medication consistently, and attend repeated medical appointments.

When VAD causes a stroke, treatment may expand to include:

• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Speech and language therapy
• Cognitive rehabilitation
• Psychological counseling
• Mobility assistance
• Home modifications
• Ongoing neurological care
• Assistance with activities of daily living

Even a person who appears physically recovered may continue to experience fatigue, headaches, concentration problems, anxiety, memory changes, or fear of another medical event.

The Financial Consequences of VAD

The cost of a vertebral artery dissection extends beyond the first hospital bill.

An injured person may face ambulance charges, emergency imaging, specialist consultations, hospitalization, medication, rehabilitation, and future monitoring. Health insurance may cover part of those costs, but deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, exclusions, and provider liens can still create significant financial pressure.

The injury may also interfere with employment. A person who works in construction, transportation, healthcare, manufacturing, or another physically demanding occupation may be unable to return while taking certain medications or living with balance problems.

Office workers may struggle with headaches, visual disturbances, fatigue, memory problems, or reduced concentration. A person who suffered a stroke may be unable to resume the same career or work the same number of hours.

A claim must therefore consider more than wages lost during the first few weeks. Depending on the facts, recoverable damages may include reduced earning capacity, lost employment benefits, interrupted career advancement, or the cost of vocational rehabilitation.

Proving That the Collision Caused the Dissection

Causation is often one of the central disputes in a VAD car accident claim.

Insurance companies may argue that the arterial injury was spontaneous, resulted from an underlying condition, or occurred during an unrelated activity. They may point to the absence of immediate symptoms or emphasize that the collision produced limited vehicle damage.

Our attorneys do not rely on assumptions. Brian and Jason will examine the complete sequence of events to pin down the likelihood that the VAD was crash-related.

Relevant evidence may include the police report, photographs, video recordings, electronic vehicle data, witness accounts, emergency records, imaging results, specialist opinions, prior medical history, and the timing of symptom development.

Medical causation must be supported by qualified evidence. A lawyer should understand both the medical issues and the legal standard required to connect the injury to the negligent conduct.

The defense may also search the claimant’s prior records for headaches, neck pain, dizziness, vascular conditions, or connective tissue disorders. A preexisting condition does not necessarily prevent recovery. Colorado law generally requires the negligent party to answer for the harm actually caused or aggravated by the collision, but the evidence must distinguish the accident-related injury from the person’s prior condition.

Compensation Available in a Colorado VAD Claim

The damages available depend on the individual circumstances. There is no standard settlement amount for a vertebral artery dissection.

A claim may seek compensation for:

Medical Expenses

Recoverable medical losses may include emergency care, diagnostic testing, hospitalization, physician services, medication, rehabilitation, and reasonably necessary future treatment.

Lost Income and Earning Capacity

A claimant may seek wages lost during recovery as well as compensation for a lasting reduction in the ability to earn income.

Pain and Suffering

VAD may cause substantial pain, fear, inconvenience, emotional distress, and disruption of daily life. A stroke may produce permanent limitations affecting independence, relationships, recreation, and personal dignity.

Physical Impairment and Disfigurement

When the injury causes lasting weakness, impaired coordination, mobility limitations, speech difficulties, or another permanent loss of function, additional damages may be appropriate.

Losses Affecting a Spouse

In serious cases, the injured person’s spouse may have a related claim based on the effect the injury has had on the marital relationship.

Our attorneys evaluate the medical and financial evidence before placing a value on the case. Accepting a settlement before the prognosis is reasonably understood can leave a claimant responsible for expenses that emerge later.

How Cook, Bradford & Levy Can Help

A vertebral artery dissection claim requires more than submitting medical bills to an adjuster.

Our Boulder car accident lawyers can investigate the collision, preserve evidence, communicate with the insurance companies, review the available coverage, and coordinate the evidence needed to establish causation and damages. In fact, Brian and Jason have worked with clients with crash-caused VADs, and Brian has experienced the impact of a VAD first-hand.

We also examine how medical expenses are being paid. Health insurance, medical payments coverage, liability insurance, uninsured or underinsured motorist benefits, hospital liens, and reimbursement claims can all affect the amount the client ultimately receives.

Our goal is not merely to obtain a headline settlement figure. We work to protect the client’s net recovery after medical obligations and other case-related expenses are addressed.

We can also help prevent damaging insurance tactics. An adjuster may request a recorded statement, ask for an unrestricted medical authorization, question the need for treatment, or pressure the injured person to settle before the long-term consequences are known. Having legal representation allows the client to focus more fully on medical care and recovery.

Speak With a Boulder Car Accident Lawyer Today

A vertebral artery dissection can transform what initially seemed like an ordinary car accident into a prolonged medical crisis. The condition may require emergency imaging, medication, specialist care, activity restrictions, rehabilitation, or treatment for a stroke.

When the dissection was caused by another driver, the injured person should not have to face the legal and financial consequences alone.

Cook, Bradford & Levy represents people injured in motor vehicle collisions throughout Boulder and across Colorado. Our attorneys understand the importance of connecting the medical evidence to the trauma of the crash and presenting the full effect of the injury to the responsible insurance companies.

Call Cook, Bradford & Levy at 303-543-1000 today to discuss a car accident involving a vertebral artery dissection. We can review what happened, explain the insurance issues involved, and help you determine the appropriate next steps.