Scoliosis can sometimes be a difficult condition to detect. An individual could unknowingly have scoliosis for years before discovering the condition. While car accidents do not cause many cases of scoliosis, in certain circumstances, a crash could cause or worsen the effects of scoliosis.
Sometimes, the impact from a car accident can cause traumatic scoliosis. More often, victims sustain other spinal cord and back injuries in motor vehicle accidents. Victims that already have scoliosis might see their conditions worsen following a collision. Any time you sustain injuries because of another person’s negligence, you can recover compensation in a lawsuit. The statute of limitations for such injury claims vary by state, but are usually only a few years. Compensation for victims often includes damages for medical care necessary to treat traumatic scoliosis or other injuries, as well as a victim’s pain and suffering.
To get help with your case from The Reiff Law Firm, call (215) 709-6940 and schedule a free assessment of your case with our car accident lawyers.
Can Car Accidents Cause Victims to Develop Scoliosis?
While uncommon, scoliosis can potentially occur or worsen because of an auto accident. To identify cases of traumatic scoliosis caused by a car accident, go to the hospital immediately after a crash.
Severe rear-end car accidents have a higher risk of causing scoliosis than other types of collisions. This is because the rear-end impact will suddenly cause a victim’s head, neck, and back to snap forward during the accident. This can result in the victim’s spine taking damage that could fracture the vertebrae and cause scoliosis. It is also a common cause of whiplash injuries, as well as neck sprains and strains.
While it is possible for car accidents to cause a victim to develop scoliosis, it is unlikely. It is more common for victims to sustain injuries with signs and symptoms that are similar to scoliosis, such as back or spinal injuries.
Why is it Rare for Car Accidents to Cause Scoliosis?
Scoliosis is a condition identified by an unnatural sideways curvature of the spine. Since scoliosis is largely instigated by developmental problems, car accidents are not the leading cause of this condition.
Outside of exceptional and severe cases, it is rare for an individual to develop traumatic scoliosis because of a car accident. While rear-end collisions often result in minor to severe whiplash that could cause traumatic scoliosis, scoliosis is typically a condition that is related to developmental issues early in life. It can be difficult to show that a minor car accident was the cause of scoliosis.
Most individuals who are diagnosed with scoliosis only experience mild symptoms. To prevent the condition from worsening, a physician may suggest that a person with scoliosis wear a brace. Many people are not even aware that they have scoliosis because they may not notice or exhibit any symptoms. Common signs and symptoms of scoliosis include uneven shoulder alignment, misaligned hips, uneven waist, having a shoulder blade that protrudes more than the other, and chronic back pain.
While mild cases may go unnoticed, severe cases of scoliosis can cause debilitating symptoms. For example, if the spine curvature is pronounced, it may decrease the amount of room available in the chest and make it difficult for a person’s lungs to function properly. Severe cases of scoliosis may even require surgery to reverse the curvature of the spine.
There are some risk factors that might increase or decrease the likelihood that a person develops scoliosis. For example, scoliosis can sometimes be a hereditary condition. Girls approaching puberty also have a higher risk of not only developing scoliosis, but an increased chance for the curvature to worsen with time.
Can a Car Accident Worsen Your Scoliosis?
Additionally, if you already suffer from scoliosis, there may be a small chance that a car crash could aggravate your scoliosis. As mentioned above, many people can lead normal lives without needing to have surgery to correct scoliosis. However, if a serious car accident causes a victim’s pre-existing condition to worsen, it is possible that a negligent driver may be responsible for the injury.
It is important to consult a doctor regarding your scoliosis before you file a personal injury lawsuit. The opinion of a qualified health professional may help you understand whether or not a car accident caused scoliosis or aggravated its symptoms. Understanding the cause and extent of your injuries is essential before you pursue an injury lawsuit.
It might be natural to infer that a car accident caused you to develop scoliosis if you did not show symptoms of the condition before the accident. However, it may be possible that you already had scoliosis and the car accident caused the condition to become more prominent. Regardless of your medical history with scoliosis, you should speak with our Bucks County car accident attorneys as soon as possible if you were injured in a crash. When assessing your case, our attorneys can review your medical records and speak to experts to clarify whether or your scoliosis existed before the accident and understand the likelihood that your specific accident could cause you to develop scoliosis.
Car Accident Injuries that Are Similar to Scoliosis
The pain and discomfort often associated with scoliosis might be experienced by victims following a car accident. While that does not mean that a victim has developed scoliosis, it could mean that a victim has sustained injuries that have similar symptoms.
Damage to the spine caused by a car accident can cause traumatic scoliosis. That said, it is more likely for victims to sustain spinal injuries with symptoms that are reminiscent of the symptoms of scoliosis. For example, stiffness or numbness in the lower back might be an indication of a spinal cord injury. Damage to the sciatic nerve caused by a car accident can also cause symptoms that are similar to signs of scoliosis, such as numbness and nerve pain in the leg.
Generally, spinal cord damage caused by a car accident can result in more severe injuries and ramifications than scoliosis. While scoliosis can cause life-long discomfort and other health issues, spinal cord damage can be more serious than a slight abnormal curve in one’s spine. Spinal cord damage can lead to paralysis that limits a car accident victim’s mobility for the rest of their life. Victims might require extensive surgeries and physical therapy to heal from these injuries following a motor vehicle accident. Because spinal cord injuries are often sustained in catastrophic car accidents, they may be coupled with other injuries, such as broken bones, fractures, amputation, disfigurement, or traumatic brain injuries.
Medical Treatment for Traumatic Scoliosis Caused by a Car Accident
Traumatic scoliosis happens when the spine bends during a traumatic event, such as severe compression or impact, which might take place during a car accident. Though rare, traumatic scoliosis can happen and often requires extensive medical treatment.
Individuals with scoliosis experience a slow curving of the spine, which can worsen over time without medical intervention. In a car accident, your spine may not bend immediately but might as injuries continue to worsen over the next several years. Chiropractic treatment, as well as the wearing of braces, may be required for individuals who develop traumatic scoliosis caused by a car accident. This treatment may be required for the rest of a victim’s life.
Other back injuries often require similar treatment and are more common than traumatic scoliosis. All back and spinal injuries are serious and must be attended to immediately after a car accident. If you are suffering emotionally or mentally because of back injuries sustained in a car accident, it may be beneficial for you to seek guidance from a therapist or confide in close friends and family.
Proving that a Car Accident Caused Traumatic Scoliosis
You must submit your medical records as evidence to confirm that your current injuries were not solely caused by pre-existing scoliosis. Past medical records can confirm that you did not have scoliosis or other back injuries prior to a car accident.
If you did have scoliosis, your medical records can show how a collision worsened your condition. A pre-existing condition does not automatically exclude you from being able to file a lawsuit for compensation against a negligent driver.
In addition to showing the extent of your injuries and anticipated medical treatment, you must also prove that a negligent driver caused your injuries. Placing the driver at the accident scene will be important, which is why calling the police and getting an accident report is crucial. Our car accident lawyers can obtain statements from eyewitnesses and security footage that shows how a driver acted negligently, causing your car crash and injuries. Proving a negligent driver’s fault will be essential in order for you to recover compensation for traumatic scoliosis or other spinal or back injuries caused by a motor vehicle accident.
Compensation for Scoliosis Caused by a Car Accident
If you develop traumatic scoliosis because of a car accident, or sustain another back or spinal injury, you can recover compensation against the driver responsible for causing your injuries.
Because traumatic scoliosis is sometimes completely irreversible, it likely meets the serious injury threshold for car accident claims in no-fault states. This means you can most likely file a lawsuit against a negligent driver, regardless of where you live.
Spinal injuries require considerable medical treatment, which can become very expensive. Any medical bills associated with your car accident injury should be compensable in a lawsuit. The same can be said for lost wages caused by a back injury and any other out-of-pocket expenses a victim incurs.
Injuries to the back or spine are serious. Victims might become paralyzed or require life-long medical care. Such injuries can substantially reduce a victim’s quality of life. Fortunately, compensation for pain and suffering is often available in car accident cases for traumatic scoliosis or other back injuries.
Traumatic scoliosis, like many spinal injuries, can worsen the longer it is left untreated. Because of this, it is crucial that victims seek medical attention immediately after a car crash. Doing so will allow you to more easily file your claim within the statute of limitations in your state.
Call Our Car Accident Lawyers to Handle Your Back Injury Claim
You can call our car accident lawyers at (215) 709-6940 to discuss your claim with The Reiff Law Firm today.
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