There is no denying that many motorists have blown through red lights, as many traffic accidents in Sarasota and throughout the nation occur because of red-light runners. In fact, intersection accidents caused more than 8,500 deaths in 2011, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Although not all of those intersection-related accidents were caused by red-light runners, red-light running is an issue, particularly on Florida roadways and especially during holiday travel periods.
When intersection accidents in Sarasota occur because of red-light runners, victims of these crashes often suffer ruptured disks. This is because the human spinal column cannot handle the force put on it in a violent intersection accident. When this happens, a disk that normally separates the back bones to make the spinal cord flexible can shift out of place because of the violent motion of the spine. This is often referred to as one of the following:
- Slipped disk injury
- Herniated disk injury
- Ruptured disk injury
- Bulging disk injury
- Protruded disk injury
- Prolapsed disk injury
When this type of injury occurs, the pressure that is put on the nerves in the spinal column can cause immense pain in the victim’s back, legs, shoulders, and neck. These injuries are likely to produce severe back pain that radiates throughout the body. When a nerve is pinched, the pain can be debilitating.
Diagnosing Herniated Disk Injuries
Sometimes herniated disk injuries are not noticed right away, as they don’t show up on X-rays and victims may only feel moderate back pain at first. However, if the pain becomes intense, the disk injury can be diagnosed through an MRI or CT scan.
Treatment for Herniated Disk Injuries
Herniated disk injuries can be treated with steroid injections, physical therapy, manipulation, and pain medication. If those treatments are not effective, the patient may have to undergo surgery to have part of the herniated disk removed in an attempt to eliminate pressure or the nerve. This procedure is called a diskectomy. If the surgery is successful, the patient will experience a reduction in pain. However, in some cases, victims of automobile accidents in Sarasota might live with tingling in their legs and back pain for a lifetime after many failed attempts to treat their herniated disk injury.
Our Sarasota personal injury lawyers represent victims who have suffered back injuries and herniated disk injuries in wrecks that were caused by someone else’s negligence. For help with your accident case, call Mallard Perez at (888) 409-3805 for a free consultation and a free copy of The Florida Accident Handbook: What You Need to Know After a Florida Auto, Truck or Bike Accident.
