Can You Get a Bulging Disc From a Car Accident?

If you are experiencing any one or more of these conditions after a car accident, you may have a neck bulging disc and you need to get medical attention right away. These conditions include:

• Pain in your neck
• Pain in your chest
• Pain in your shoulders
• Whiplash, such as restricted range of motion or pain throughout your neck
• Weakness in your fingers and arms
• Numbness in your arms and fingers
• Pain anytime you attempt to move certain limbs

A bulging disc may not be your injury, but it is well worth getting checked out to verify whether or not you have sustained this issue.

Pain is one of the most common symptoms brought to a doctor's office and to medical professionals following a vehicle accident. However, this pain can represent many different types of injuries, and it is the responsibility of the physician and their medical team to identify what is causing these problems. 

Beyond neck X-rays, however, most emergency rooms treating people who have recently been through accidents will not request more involved diagnostic imaging for car accident victims who are complaining about neck pain and potential whiplash. X-rays are often used to visualize fractures of the bony vertebrae, but will not show the indication of a bulging disc. 

This means that you may go to the hospital to get treatment, but do not get the appropriate diagnosis for your injury. You may even continue to report your injury symptoms to your doctor for days and weeks following the accident. Your physician will likely need to carry out both a physical examination and then order additional diagnostic imaging tests to verify the course of treatment for your injury. Some of the tests that may be used to identify that you have a bulging disc injury include:

• EMG
• X-rays
• MRI
• CT scans
• Myelography

The location and severity of your bulging disc injury will influence your doctor's recommended treatment plan. It is important to be open and honest about all of your symptoms following a vehicle accident, so that your doctor can verify what you're suffering from and put you in the right treatment plan for that specific injury. 

Failing to get medical attention not only slows down your ability to recover from such an accident, but it also makes it harder to argue that your injuries were caused by the vehicle accident itself. You need to start documenting the severity of your injuries as soon as possible following a crash, and keep your doctor up to date with any changes in your medical history. 

If the pain gets more aggressive or is not alleviated with initial treatments, your doctor may recommend more involved treatment options. These can include things, such as an artificial disc implant, fusion surgery, dissected knee surgery, or decompression. Other popular treatment options include physical therapy, steroid injections, and pain medication. Always discuss your primary interests and concerns with treatment and get medical treatment as soon as you can following an accident to put yourself in the best possible position for the proper diagnosis and treatment following.

Your symptoms might make you think that you have a bulging disc, but you later discover through testing that this is not the problem you're having. In these cases, you might still need a personal injury lawyer to help you with an accident claim. Other neck problems like chronic pain or whiplash may be directly tied to the accident and can still form the basis of a personal injury lawsuit. 

Even if you do not have a bulging disc injury, you may be able to file a personal injury claim to get compensation for other damages. This is especially true if your injuries are severe or if you have multiple injuries that are impacting their ability to return to work or to live your life as you did before the accident. You need someone who can help tell the story of how this accident has changed your life and how someone else's negligent actions have contributed to these changes. The attorneys Morgan & Morgan have a strong background and a reputation throughout the country for gathering the appropriate resources and leaning into their Network to find any and all experts necessary to help tell the story.

If you've developed a bulging disc because of someone else's actions or inactions in a vehicle accident, a personal injury lawyer like those at Morgan & Morgan can help you file a lawsuit and fight for recovery of compensation. It is in your best interests to do so as soon as possible since if you allow the statute of limitations to expire, you may be unable to recover any of your damage payments. Set up a time to have an initial consultation with the experienced lawyers at Morgan & Morgan today for further details.

The lawyers at Morgan & Morgan are familiar with bulging disc claims and other accident types. Knowing that you're not alone could make a big difference in your ability to get compensation for your injuries.

Don't wait to contact us for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.