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When a car accident happens, injuries often follow. Back injuries are especially common, often caused by the force of sudden stopping or contact with another object/vehicle. A lumbar strain is a frequent source of lower back pain after a car accident. The pain can be severe enough to render a victim unable to perform jobs or engage in life as usual.
What is a lumbar strain injury?
A lumbar strain is an injury in the lower back. The Cleveland Clinic defines a strain as an injury to the muscles or the tendon, whereas a sprain is the stretching of a ligament. The most common symptom are pain at the body site, sometimes severe enough to be debilitating. Additionally, the tearing of muscles in the lower back can lead to inflammation, which can lead to back spasms, which can cause even more intense pain.
Causes of a Lumbar Strain Injury
A lumbar strain injury is often caused by direct trauma to the back, such as in a car accident. Because a lumbar strain is an injury to the muscles or tendons in the lower back, the muscles or tendons must have undergone trauma in the form of twisting, pulling, or tearing for the strain injury to occur.
Treatment Options
As mentioned, the most significant side effect of a lumbar strain injury is localized pain. In addition to severe pain, movement and motion range can be severely reduced. When a lumbar muscle strain injury lasts for days or weeks, it is characterized as acute. When it won’t go away at all, it becomes a chronic injury. A chronic lumbar injury can make manual labor – or even sitting comfortably – quite trying or impossible.
Lumbar strain injuries can take weeks, or even months, of therapy to completely correct. Usually, treatment options for the injury include pain medications, massage, and physical therapy. A person may be unable to return to work or perform in their normal activities during the healing period.
What should I do if I’ve been in a car accident that caused a lumbar strain injury?
If you’ve been in a car accident victim in Iowa where you sustained a lumbar strain injury, or suffer lower back pain after a car accident, remember that Iowa is an “at-fault” state for car insurance liability. This means that if your accident – and therefore your lumbar strain injury – was caused by another driver, then their insurance should provide you with the damages you need. If you do not receive the amount of damages you deserve, you can file a personal injury lawsuit in civil court. There you will have to prove the other driver’s negligence to hold them liable for your injuries. In Iowa, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury case is two years from the date of injury, according to the Iowa Code 614.1. To help you file your suit for damages, you should seek the advice of an attorney.
Take Legal Action Today
At Walker, Billingsley & Bair, our attorneys know how important it is that you recover compensation after a car accident injury in Des Moines that leaves you in pain or unable to function as normal. To make sure that you get compensation either from your insurance company, the insurance company of the other driver involved or through a personal injury suit, call our attorneys today at 641-792-3592.
