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Diagnosis of a Spinal Cord Injury From a Truck Wreck

Herniated disc

With the significant impact that comes from an 18-wheeler accident one of the most common injuries we see are spinal cord injury.     Many times folks are rushed to the emergency room and later released when the x-rays do not show a fracture of the spinal cord. Unfortunately, all to often what the truck accident victim fails to understand is that x-rays do not show some very serious conditions such as bulging discs, a herniated disc also called a slipped Disc.

For that diagnosis a more advanced test is required either an MRI or a CT scan.

A serious neck or back injury can be a nightmare for the victim of a semi truck accident. Frequently, long hours of physical therapy are required and it can be very expensive. With more serious back or neck injury, pain management, rehabilitation and surgery can run from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Recovery is Slow From a Disc Injury

Lost income during the recovery period also challenges the victim.

Add to that the human damages of suffering through surgery, recovery or rehabilitation and the toll can be very large.

The neurological damage that accompanies spinal cord injury is of special concern in many serious spinal cord injuries. It is the axons or extensions of the nerve cells that act as electrical cords between the brain and the rest of the body that complicate the care, treatment and recovery of a spine injury.

Sometimes, damage to the axons is slight and complete or almost complete recovery can be abstained, other times complete or partial paralysis results.

Big Truck Crash Means Hard Impact

After a major crash and hard impact, the victim usually does not know the extent of the damage to the spinal cord until the treating Dr. orders an MRI. That test can be delayed for months while the medical providers treat the injury as a soft tissue instead of a disc injury.

Some warning signs that a more serious injury may have occurred in the accident:

  • Pain and numbness on one side of the body
  • Pain into the arms or legs
  • Pain is worse at night
  • Pain gets worse after standing or sitting for extended periods
  • Unexplained muscle weakness

For more information see: https://www.healthline.com/health/herniated-disk

Spine Injury is Serious

All in all, serious spinal cord injury can be devastating to the truck wreck victim and their families. Even with excellent health insurance, it economic impact can be high. And a positive mental attitude is very important in dealing with the recovery or disability from a serious spinal cord injury.

If You Have No Health Insurance

If you have no health insurance, it can be tough to get needed treatment. If you were hurt in an accident in Texas call our Texas truck accident law firm to see if we can help?

Call (281) 893-0760

Post under: blog, Helpful Information

About Greg Baumgartner

Truck accident lawyer Greg Baumgartner
Greg Baumgartner is a preeminent rated personal injury lawyer based in Houston, Texas, with over three decades of experience representing severely injured clients in truck accidents. He founded Baumgartner Law Firm, in 1985, with a mission to provide excellent legal representation and personalized attention to every client.