Spine Injuries From Car Accidents

Data from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) indicate that, in 2023 alone, over 1,300 passenger car and passenger van accidents resulted in at least one “suspected serious injury.” That includes many types of spine and spinal cord injuries and our lawyers know these can have a profound impact on your life.

If you suffered a spine injury from a car accident, such as a spinal fracture, disc injury, or spinal cord damage, call Cook, Bradford & Levy, LLC, at (303) 543-1000 today. The Colorado car accident lawyers at our firm believe in the Power of Justice and can fight hard for fair compensation. Indeed, we have a proven track record of doing so.

Can a Car Accident Cause a Spinal Injury?

Absolutely it can. The violent impact of a motor vehicle crash can do serious damage to any or all parts of the spine, including bones, discs, and nerves. Bioengineers and medical professionals have long known that the position of a person sitting in a car exposes the spine to the forces created during the impact from a crash. Also, the larger the vehicle (like a semi-tractor trailer) that impacts you, the greater the forces that pass through your spine. Spinal injuries from car accidents include:

• Low back injuries, including sprains and strains, injuries to lumbar discs, and fractured vertebra.
• Cervical injuries, including cervical disc injuries, soft tissue injuries, and spinal cord damage.
• Spinal compression fractures, where a vertebra (the bones comprising the spine) breaks and collapses.
• Burst fractures, where the vertebra is crushed in more than one direction, causing the bone to spread out and possibly damage the spinal cord.
• Herniated discs, where the soft inner portion of one of the spinal discs pushes through the disc’s outer layer, pressing on the nerves in the spine.
• Thoracic outlet syndrome, which refers to conditions caused by compression of blood vessels and nerves in the area around the lower neck, collarbone, and upper chest.
• Other spinal injuries, including spinal stenosis and facet joint syndrome.
• Spinal cord injuries (SCIs), where the spinal cord becomes damaged, possibly leading to complete or partial paralysis at and below the site of the injury. These types of injuries are often referred to as “catastrophic” due to the permanent loss of use of legs or arms.

According to UCHealth, car accidents are “the leading cause of spinal cord injuries,” which is an especially dangerous injury that often results in permanent paralysis. Those with spinal cord injury and paralysis may face complete or incomplete loss of sensation below the point of injury, loss of movement, loss of bladder and bowel control, difficulty breathing, and a host of other life-changing complications. The effects of paralysis are often costly and often require the use of a life-care plan to explain to the insurance companies the extent of the financial impact on the victim. CBL lawyers can help with this, as we are familiar with life-care planners from across the country who we can use depending on the needs of your case.

What Are the Signs of a Serious Spine Injury?

Symptoms of a “serious” injury depend on what kind of injury you suffered and what part of the spine was affected. Signs of an acute spinal cord injury, according to UCHealth, include:

• Trouble breathing
• Numbness or tingling in your extremities
• Incontinence
• Muscle stiffness or weakness
• Loss of sensation or paralysis

If you have been in a car accident that caused any kind of spine injury, our car accident injury lawyers recommend that you seek medical attention right away. You may have a better chance of recovering from spine injuries from a car accident if you begin treatment immediately rather than waiting until the pain becomes unbearable.

How Do You Treat Spinal Cord Injuries Caused by a Car Accident?

In the immediate aftermath of your crash, you may require treatment at one of Colorado’s designated trauma centers. Your medical providers will do whatever they can to stabilize your condition and minimize long-term harm. This could include surgery and stabilizing the injury site. What the first responders do to help you is important in terms of your long-term outcome from a serious spinal injury.

Your long-term treatment plan depends on the type and severity of your spine injury. Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado, for example, specializes in spinal cord injuries. The range of treatments they offer is an indication of how complex SCIs are and how many types of treatments are needed to address them:

• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Respiratory therapy
• Speech therapy
• Mental healthcare
• Assistive technology

These treatments are designed to help patients recover their mobility and quality of life as fully as possible. You may also require pain management, such as epidural steroid injections or facet injections.

The cost of these and other spine injury treatments can quickly add up. If your injuries are permanent, you could face hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in medical bills over the course of your life.

Call Cook, Bradford & Levy, LLC, at (303) 543-1000 for a free consultation today. We can collect evidence like medical records and doctor’s statements to prove that you need and deserve monetary compensation for your spine injury treatments.

How Much Can You Get for a Car Accident With a Spinal Cord Injury?

You may have multiple options for seeking financial support after a spinal injury from a car accident. For example, you might qualify for a Complementary and Integrated Health Waiver (CIH), which provides additional healthcare benefits to Coloradans living with SCIs.

You may also qualify to file a lawsuit to hold the at-fault party accountable for causing your car accident. Our Colorado catastrophic injury attorneys can file a lawsuit seeking damages for:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Lost income or employment
• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional trauma and distress
• Disability
• Reduced quality of life

You can also seek compensation for losses not directly related to your spinal injury, such as property damage or medical care for any other injuries you suffered.

Our legal team can fight for a spinal cord injury car accident settlement that covers all accident-related losses. This way, no matter how severely you were hurt, you will not have to worry about how you will pay for care and support your family. One thing to keep in mind is that you can purchase your own auto insurance called Uninsured/Underinsured motorist coverge to ensure you have at least a baseline level of coverage to help pay for your losses suffered in a serious spine injury.

Will You Have to Go to Court for Your Spine Injury Caused by a Car Accident?

Most car accident cases settle out of court either in “pre-litigation” (without filing a lawsuit) or at mediation after suit is filed. But even if the insurance company refuses to agree to a fair settlement, Cook, Bradford & Levy, LLC, will be prepared to file suit or go to trial, as we have done on numerous occasions. Being able to file suit keeps the insurance companies honest. We collect ample evidence to support your traumatic injury claim, including expert and witness statements, video of the crash, and reports from the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) or your local police department. Sometimes we even include snippets of this type of evidence in the law suit we file with the court.

In the few cases that do get as far as a trial, we are always willing to represent our clients in district court or civil court. With over 100 successful jury trials under our belts, our spinal injury attorneys in Colorado know what it takes to put together and present a convincing case before a judge and jury.

Do You Have Questions for Our Spine Injury Lawyers?

If you suffered a spinal cord injury due to a car accident, call (303) 543-1000 today to get a free consultation from Cook, Bradford & Levy, LLC. If you are too severely injured to come to our office, you can still start your case as soon as possible: we will travel to see you at home or in the hospital. We charge nothing until you win your case.