Can an auto accident cause a herniated disc​?

Yes. Car accidents can cause you to suffer a herniated disc when the force of a crash pushes a disc’s soft inner core through its tougher outer layer, and this can happen even when your car shows only minor damage. A Abogados de accidentes automovilísticos en Smyrna at Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers can help you recover compensation if a collision caused or worsened your disc injury.

How does a car accident cause a herniated disc?

When your car is struck, the sudden change in speed whips your neck and spinal cord back and forth, putting force on the discs that cushion each vertebra. Each disc has a tough outer ring around a softer center, and that force can push the center through a tear in the ring, which is what doctors call a herniated or bulging disc. This can happen even at lower speeds, since it’s the sudden motion, not necessarily visible damage to your car, that causes it. Rear-end collisions are especially likely to cause this kind of disc herniation, since the whiplash motion puts outsized force on the discs in your neck.

What are the symptoms of a herniated disc after a crash?

A herniated disc from a car accident often causes neck pain and muscle weakness. It can also cause numbness and pain that radiates down an arm or leg, depending on where the disc is. Symptoms don’t always show up right away. 

Since pain from a herniated disc can take days to appear, similar to other delayed-onset injuries common after a crash, seeing a doctor soon after the accident creates a medical record connecting your symptoms to what happened, even if you feel fine at the scene.

What if you had a pre-existing disc condition?

A crash can aggravate a pre-existing disc problem or cause a new one, and either way, Tennessee law generally lets you recover for the portion that got worse. 

If the old condition wasn’t causing you pain before the crash, you may be able to recover for the full extent of the harm that followed. If it was already symptomatic, your recovery is limited to the additional harm the crash caused, on top of what you already had. Insurance companies often push back harder on these claims, arguing your pain traces back to the old condition rather than the wreck, so detailed medical records matter even more.

What compensation can you recover for a herniated disc injury?

If you’re dealing with a disc injury due to a car accident, you can recover for medical expenses and lost wages, along with the cost of rehabilitative care like physical therapy or chiropractic treatment. 

You can also recover non-economic damages for pain and suffering, including how a long-term disc injury affects your daily life and relationships. Tennessee caps non-economic damages at $750,000 in most personal injury cases, rising to $1 million for the most catastrophic injuries. A car accident attorney can help you understand what your specific case is likely worth, and personal injury lawyers can negotiate directly with the insurance company on your behalf.

Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers can help with your herniated disc claim

Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers represents car accident victims throughout the Nashville area and works on a honorarios de contingencia, so you pay no attorney’s fees unless the firm recovers compensation for you. Our firm’s car accident attorneys can review your medical records and treatment history to build the strongest version of your claim. A disc injury can affect your ability to work and move the way you used to, and the firm can help you pursue the compensation that reflects that.

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