Average Payout: What Can You Expect for a Back Injury After a Car Accident?

It’s easy to walk away from a car accident and feel grateful for not getting hurt, believing everything is fine if there isn’t any blood or broken bones. But it’s not uncommon, even in low-speed accidents, for those involved to experience a back injury that might not immediately make itself known.

Back injuries are incredibly common in car accidents. Sometimes the pain associated with the injury can last for months or even longer. Rear-end accidents most often cause back injuries, due to the whiplash that can occur, but any type of accident can lead to back pain.

Regardless of speed, the sudden stop that happens in a car accident forces the spine, the muscles around it and the ligaments supporting it to absorb a shock. And that shock can lead to lasting discomfort and damage.

When someone is injured in a car accident, it’s natural to wonder if compensation is a possibility. With back injuries, compensation depends on a host of variables. But generally speaking, we’ve seen clients with an Arizona back injury settlement receive compensation that ranges from $10,000 to upwards of $1 million.

Calculating A Back Injury Settlement

Car accidents can leave behind a trail of pain that ranges from mild discomfort to chronic pain that flares up or even, in severe cases, paralysis. Back injury car accident settlements range based on the severity of the injury, factoring in both physical and emotional impacts.

Back injuries, from herniated and bulging discs to spinal fractures, sciatica, or soft tissue injuries, can run the gamut, impacting individuals along a spectrum of severity. From a physical diagnosis standpoint, medical imaging is a vital tool that is needed for a compensation case. It’s why our team at Torgenson Law always recommends that individuals involved in a car accident seek a thorough medical examination after an accident, and if symptoms arise in the days that follow.

Documenting those visits and measuring the depth of the injury is critical to calculating the size of the back injury car accident settlement an injured party could receive. Other elements that factor into settlement size include the length of recovery time that is needed, if surgery is required, if the injury impacts mobility in any way, and whether the injury interferes with the person’s ability to work.

When ongoing care is needed to treat a back injury, a compensation case can also benefit from cost projections linked to that longer-term care. For example, if physical therapy is needed for an extended time or if chiropractic work eases chronic pain, that cost analysis may increase the value of a compensation claim. Lost wages from missed work can also be factored into a claim, as well as ongoing pain and suffering related to sleep disruptions, emotional distress, and even quality of life measurements.

Connecting With A Personal Injury Attorney

At Torgenson Law, we understand that car accidents have the potential to upend people’s lives. We always recommend that anyone involved in an accident receive a medical evaluation and reach out to an attorney to ensure that their rights are being protected, even when talking with an insurance adjuster.

We realize in the haze that descends after an accident, contacting an attorney might be missed. With that in mind, we suggest that anyone who experiences back pain in the aftermath of an accident, particularly pain that is severe or worsens with time, should connect with an experienced car accident lawyer.

An experienced personal injury attorney will be able to guide you through what can be a complicated and time-consuming process, making sure you understand that the time it takes to settle a car accident claim varies based in large part on the severity of the injuries. Generally, cases with less severe injuries take less time to settle.

It’s also important to remember that no two cases are the same, even when the circumstances appear similar. Online research can yield some results, but it can also set unreasonable expectations for those who have been injured in a car accident. An experienced car accident lawyer, like the team at Torgenson Law, can make sure you have everything you need — from evidence to treatment — to achieve the best results after a collision.

No one should go up against insurance companies alone. The team at Torgenson Law is here to support you through this process, ensuring your best interests are represented. If you’ve been involved in an accident and are experiencing back pain, reach out to our team today.

No pressure, no upfront costs, just answers from a legal team that takes your recovery personally.