Back Pain After a Car Accident: What It Could Be

Car travel is safer than it’s ever been. But people are still hurt in accidents. The Department for Transport’s latest figures show that in 2022, there were an estimated 136,002 casualties on British roads.

Back pain after a car accident is particularly common.

We’ve put together this guide to help you work out what your back pain might be and what you can do about it.

Back pain after a car accident

You’ll probably know that whiplash is one of the most common injuries you can suffer after a car accident. It affects the neck after the head has been suddenly thrown backwards and forwards in a collision. But what you might not know is that back pain can be a symptom of whiplash.

Your back pain might be delayed after you have an accident. This is why it’s important not to accept a settlement offer from the insurer of the driver who injured you. You might not realise how badly you’re injured until days after the accident.

The NHS advises that you should get immediate medical treatment if you’re suffering from back pain after a car accident.

Types of back injuries

Your back is made up of a number of different bones, muscles and other soft tissues. Any of these can be injured after a car accident, so it’s important to get the right medical treatment to avoid any complications.

When it comes to your spine, injuries can affect your:

• Thoracic spine

This is your upper back, and is most likely to be affected if you’re suffering from whiplash after a car crash. They can be serious and can significantly affect your mobility, both now and in the future. Your nerves could also be damaged if you’ve suffered an upper back injury.

• Lumbar spine

The lumbar spine refers to the lower back, which is a particularly common part of the body to be injured. Most injuries to the lower back are caused by muscle strains. They can result in numbness and pain in your legs.

You could also end up suffering from a slipped disc, which is when a disc of cartilage in the spine presses on a nerve. Sciatica is also a potential kind of back pain. This is when the nerve that runs from your pelvis to your feet is irritated.

Treating your back injury

If your back injury was caused by a car accident, it’s vital that you get medical attention. A doctor will be able to tell you what kind of treatment you’ll need to help your recovery.

This could involve medicines or physiotherapy. You might also be advised that the injury will heal itself after a certain amount of time. The important thing is to find out. It’s better to know straight away than leave your injury untreated and risk it causing you complications in the future.

After an accident that wasn’t your fault, you could be able to make a compensation claim. And this compensation could pay for the treatment you need to get you on the road to recovery.

What to do after a car accident

After getting medical treatment, you might be approached by the insurer of the driver who caused your car accident to accept a settlement on the condition that you don’t pursue any further action. It’s best to reject this and get your own legal advice.

You could be able to make a compensation claim for the injuries you suffered. This compensation could be significantly higher than what the insurer has offered you. And the more compensation you’re awarded, the fewer financial concerns you’ll have.

First4Lawyers could help you get justice for your accident. We could match you to one of our specialist injury solicitors, who will work hard to get you what you’re entitled to.

To find out how our expert team can help you, just give us a call or start your claim online.