Degenerative disc disease is not brought on by automobile accidents. But, if you already had a significant back issue prior to the collision, the impact might make it worse. Because the accident made your pre-existing injury worse, you are entitled to compensation.
Even though your particular medical condition rendered your injuries more severe, the at-fault motorist is nonetheless accountable. The “eggshell skull rule” applies here. Keep reading to learn more. Then contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.
What is degenerative disc disease?
A back issue known as degenerative disk disease is brought on by aging and the gradual wear and tear that regular life events will have on your spine. Back discomfort brought on by these factors may be degenerative disk disease.
Everyone is affected by conditions like old age and back use. In your daily activities, your spinal column moves and twists like a shock absorber. Your spinal cord will be impacted by these minor injuries and activities over time. The spinal discs between the vertebrae that make up your spine will ultimately wear out.
For many people, that wear and tear does not hurt. But, in some circumstances, the degeneration of your spinal column may have an effect on a nerve or result in a bone spur. This may cause excruciating back discomfort. Degenerative disc disease is frequently identified as the cause when this occurs.
When you sit down, rotate your torso, stoop, or lift weights, your regular back stress may also increase your risk of experiencing other, more severe back or neck ailments, such as herniated discs, bulging discs, cracked or shattered vertebrae, nerve damage, and chronic pain, frequently in the neck or lower back.
Degenerative disk disease, on the other hand, is a medical disorder that causes back discomfort without one of these specific injuries. It is a condition that worsens over time as opposed to an accident that occurs suddenly.
Instead than treating the underlying cause, medical care frequently concentrates on managing discomfort. To lessen the negative effects that the illness may have on your quality of life, doctors frequently recommend the painkillers, back strengthening exercises, back swelling medications, and steroid injections are all options.
Surgical techniques could also be an option. Doctors might suggest spinal fusion, which permanently joins several vertebrae in your back, or discectomy, which involves removing a portion of a disc that has deteriorated and is causing pain in your back due to pressure or swelling.
Can a vehicle collision make it worse?
Undoubtedly, car accidents can significantly worsen degenerative disc disease. When combined with your previous degenerative disc disease, the trauma from an accident might result in back injuries that are far worse than they would have been otherwise.
Your spinal cord can deteriorate more quickly if it experiences trauma. Usually, that trauma is not severe. Yet, if it causes you pain or discomfort over time, it can progress to degenerative disc degeneration.
This degradation process is accelerated by more severe types of trauma. One of the most traumatic experiences your spinal cord can go through is an automobile collision. Even slow-moving impacts might cause your back and core muscles to become sore.
These muscles’ inflammation can compress your vertebrae and worsen the spinal cord. The exterior of the spinal cord can be torn in severe, high-speed auto accidents. This may increase the likelihood of a herniated disc or significantly exacerbate an existing one.
Some of the worst automobile collisions for back injuries include accidents involving trucks, T-bones, rollovers, and rear-end collisions. These impacts can produce a substantial amount of force. The muscles that surround your spinal cord were not typically built to tolerate the direction it comes from. Your pre-crash degenerative disc disease symptoms may get significantly worse as a result of this.
If you have been the victim of a car accident in which you were injured, it is always worth requesting a free legal consultation. Contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 to get started.
