Houston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Over the years I've seen literally thousands of car accident victims and watched their recovery. Many have what is known as "whiplash" or as I prefer to call it soft tissue injuries that are adequately treated by rest, medication (including muscle relaxers and pain medication) and physical therapy.

Sometimes however, the injury is more severe and involves what is known as a ruptured or herniated disc.

People sometimes mistakenly assume that once they are released from the emergency room they will be okay without further issues. Most emergency room visits after car accident does not include what is called an MRI and only involve x-rays. X-rays are wonderful for showing fractures and dislocations but they do not show problems with your discs.

If you have had recent trauma such as from a car accident or a truck wreck and have tingling in your arms or legs there is a good chance you may have a disc injury. Disc injuries include not only a herniated disc but also bulging or protruded discs. Each of these conditions can be extremely painful and ongoing for some time.

If surgery is called for the cost can add up quickly sometimes entering the six-figure range depending on the type of procedure necessary for treatment.

If you have been in a car accident and your symptoms are not resolving or are getting worse you may want to talk to your physician about obtaining an MRI to rule out a serious disc injury.

Continue reading "Herniated Discs from Car Accidents" »

One thing I have learned in many years of personal injury law practice is that emergency rooms are for emergencies. They are not for treating non-emergency situations. Many car accident victims are transported to the emergency room, checked out given x-rays and told to follow up with their personal physician or a recommended physician.

The victims mistakenly believe they are fine only to find out down the road that x-rays do not reveal serious disk issues such as a herniation or disc bulge and sometimes requiring surgery.

That is not to say the hospital is in any way at fault only that to be released from an emergency room does not mean you don't need further treatment. Additionally, there is an expectation once x-rays were taken that everything is okay, and that is not always the case. X-rays are great for showing fractures and breaks but not spinal cord injury involving the discs of the spinal cord, which are not reflected on x-rays.

The point of the story is, follow-up on your doctor's advice and if you're emergency room physician tells you to follow-up with a physician do so. And follow your doctor's advice.

Continue reading "Emergency Room Treatment After an Auto Accident" »

Spinal cord injury can be devastating to the victims of an automobile or semi truck accident -partly because the spinal cord is involved in almost every movement we make and the main conductor of our nerve system. The recovery from a spinal cord injury can vary greatly depending on the severity of the injury.

Statistics indicate that, approximately 44% of spinal cord injuries in the United States are from motor vehicle accidents. In children the numbers go up. Recent information indicates that nearly 70% of spinal cord injuries in children up to age 19 can be credited to car wrecks. The highest risk percentage of this population is young boys.

In a car or 18 wheeler accident there are a number of things that can occur within the vehicle itself, which can cause spinal cord injury - principally in the case of a rollover.

These situations consist of such things as the roof collapsing in on the driver and/or passenger (known to personal injury lawyers as "roof crush"), the seat back collapsing in on passengers, and even the failure of a seat belt to properly hold the passenger in place.

When the vehicles design itself is a part of the cause of a serious spinal cord injury personal injury attorneys will investigate the potential for a product design defect case against the maker of the vehicle.

Paraplegia and quadriplegia are the terms for paralysis. Both are devastating and include a loss of motor function, both will require and extensive and ongoing rehabilitation and expensive medical care. Often the cost of treating a spinal cord injury can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Spine injuries can also include bulging or herniated discs, which are often referred to as "ruptured discs", or a "blown disc".

Bulging discs can sometimes happen when one of the spinal cord bones shifts out of its normal position by a sudden impact like a car accident. Symptoms of a disc injury vary and include such things as chronic back or neck pain and also tingling or radiating pain in the arms or legs.

A herniated disc is more serious medical condition than a bulging disc and may require surgery costing in the high five figures.