Neck & Back Injuries

Sciatica After a Car Accident Compensation | New York

If you are suffering from sciatica after an accident, knowing you have a lawyer on your side who will fight for your rights and the compensation you deserve is essential. Sciatica can cause debilitating pain and have an enormous impact on your health, your ability to work, and doing what you love. At Buttafuoco & Associates, our experienced team of New York back injury attorneys will fight for your rights and help you maximize compensation so you can get back to your life without pain. Contact us today for a free consultation.

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica is often characterized by intense pain when the sciatic nerve–located in your lower back–is pinched or compressed after an accident. Because the sciatic nerve runs down your tailbone, buttocks, and both legs, when it is injured, it can cause pain throughout much of your body. The most common symptom of sciatica is pain that radiates from your lower back, through your buttock, and down the back of your leg, sometimes reaching your thighs and calves.

Sciatica pain varies from a dull ache to a sharp, stabbing, or burning pain, depending on the type of injury that caused it. In the worst cases, it can make even simple everyday activities like sitting down intensely uncomfortable. In other cases, it causes muscle weakness or numbness that disrupt activities you must perform such as housework or childcare. It can also make activities you enjoy, such as sports or other forms of physical leisure activity, too painful to do.

Sometimes a serious accident can result in sciatica that is legitimately debilitating, resulting in loss of bowel or bladder function. In these cases, having a knowledgeable New York sciatica attorney from Buttafuoco & Associates is crucial to ensuring that you get the compensation you deserve.

What Causes Sciatica?

There are many causes of sciatica–sometimes the sciatic nerve itself is injured in an accident, while other times a less direct injury causes it.

For example, a fall from a height or a car accident that results in an abrupt impact can cause the vertebra to pinch the sciatic nerve. Other back injuries such as herniated discs can also result in sciatica.

Sometimes, medical conditions that are not accident-related can cause sciatica, so it’s important to seek medical attention as soon as you notice symptoms. When you see your doctor, make sure to tell them about your recent accident. This will be important to your case later on.

Treating Sciatica After a Car Accident and Compensation

Treating accident-induced sciatica can be incredibly expensive. You will likely have multiple doctor’s appointments during which your doctor will test muscle strength, range of motion, and pain response. You may also undergo imaging tests, such as an MRI or CT scan, as well as EMG tests to measure the response of your muscles during nerve stimulation. The testing itself can result in hefty medical bills. You may also be prescribed expensive medications such as muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatories, or even antidepressants or anti-seizure medications.

Even if you have a mild case of sciatica, it may be difficult for you to perform your job duties, especially if your job involves physical labor. You may need to hire someone to help with housework or child care. If your pain is intense, you might also suffer from emotional pain, depression, or loss of activities you enjoy.

All of these costs–even those that are more challenging to put a dollar value on–are eligible for compensation if they are caused by sciatica, and thus, the accident.
If your pain does not improve or your symptoms worsen, your doctor may have to continue doing tests, or perform surgery–again, lost time from work, pain and suffering, and other bills can become expensive.

Even once your pain improves, you may undergo physical therapy to prevent recurring sciatica or require steroid injections to suppress inflammation around the sciatic nerve. Working with a New York back injury attorney is among the best ways to ensure that you receive the full compensation you need to recover.

If You Develop Sciatica after an Accident, Call Buttafuoco & Associates

Don’t let the financial burden of sciatica diagnosis and treatment create a financial burden for you. If you have been in an accident and believe another’s negligence caused your sciatica, an attorney can help. You may qualify to recover damages, and our team can assess your case during a free consultation.

Buttafuoco & Associates is here to help you file a legal claim so you can recover the damages you are owed. Call 1-800-NOW-HURT to speak with a New York back injury lawyer about filing a claim.

SHARE