Can Scoliosis Be Caused by a Car Accident?
Yes, some forms of scoliosis can be caused by car accidents. Additionally, pre-existing scoliosis can be worsened after a spinal injury in a car accident. In this article, we’ll explain how car accidents can lead to scoliosis and how a Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer can help if you’ve been injured by a negligent driver.
How Can Scoliosis Be Caused by a Car Accident?
Car accidents, even simple fender benders, often involve sudden movement and force being exerted on the body. This impact can result in whiplash injuries or other spinal cord injuries. The sudden force can lead to fractures in the spine as well as curvature. When severe enough, it can also lead to traumatic scoliosis.
Traumatic scoliosis shares many traits with idiopathic scoliosis, including severe chronic pain, restricted range of motion, and changes in posture. However, traumatic scoliosis often requires different treatments—surgeries, chiropractic adjustments, and physical therapy all may be involved.
Traumatic scoliosis is particularly concerning because the structural damage to the spine may not be immediately visible on standard imaging. Microfractures, disc herniations, or soft tissue damage can evolve over weeks or months into spinal misalignment. This is why continued diagnostic monitoring after a crash is critical.
Certain collision types, such as rear-end impacts or side crashes, can apply twisting forces to the thoracic and lumbar spine. These forces may cause vertebral compression, leading to spinal curvature, especially when pre-existing degeneration is present.
South Florida drivers, including those commuting along I-595, I-95, or the Sawgrass Expressway, are frequently involved in high-speed crashes that increase the likelihood of spinal trauma. Even if the initial pain is mild, scoliosis may develop gradually, affecting posture and quality of life over time.
What Can You Do if a Car Accident Caused Scoliosis?
If you developed scoliosis after an accident injury, you may have several legal options. First, as Florida is a no-fault state, your required personal injury protection (PIP) in your insurance policy should kick in to cover any necessary medical expenses.
However, the $10,000 mandatory minimum may not stretch far enough if you have extensive surgeries, specialist appointments, and physical therapy treatments. In a case where an injury meets Florida’s serious injury threshold, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against the driver who caused the accident. With this, you can seek a fair settlement that helps recover losses like medical expenses, long-term medical needs, loss of quality of life, emotional distress, pain and suffering, lost wages, and diminished earning capacity.
A personal injury attorney in Fort Lauderdale can evaluate whether your case meets the threshold and guide you through the legal process to ensure all aspects of your injury are properly documented and presented.
Under Florida Statutes § 627.737, your injury must involve a significant or permanent loss of a bodily function, permanent injury, or permanent disfigurement to pursue a third-party claim. Documenting scoliosis progression and its long-term limitations is crucial to meeting this legal threshold.
Suppose scoliosis prevents you from returning to your previous job or limits your mobility in daily life. In that case, a vocational expert or life care planner may be brought in to assess your future earning potential and care needs. This helps ensure your claim reflects both current and projected damages.
It’s also essential to consider emotional and psychological effects. Many clients with traumatic scoliosis experience anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal due to postural changes and chronic pain. These non-economic damages should be calculated into any settlement demand.
How to Prove Negligence in a Car Accident?
Negligence in car accidents can include distracted driving, speeding, failing to yield or follow other traffic laws, and drunk driving.
If you have legal representation, your personal injury attorney in Fort Lauderdale can do a thorough investigation into the accident. While doing so, they can gather evidence to support your injury claim.
They may:
- Interview witnesses
- Collect official documents, such as police reports, driver logs, medical records, and phone records.
- Obtain surveillance footage, such as from traffic or security cameras
- Consult with experts, such as those in accident reconstruction
The sooner you begin on your case, the better the chances of key evidence being collected.
For scoliosis claims specifically, your attorney will also collect medical imaging records, orthopedic evaluations, and treatment plans that show the progression of the condition after the crash. A pre-existing scoliosis history, if present, will need to be distinguished from post-accident deterioration through the use of medical expert testimony.
To strengthen causation, your legal team may obtain comparative imaging, such as MRIs taken before and after the crash, to highlight structural changes. If you never required scoliosis treatment before the accident, that fact alone can support your compensation claim.
Choose a Legal Team That Delivers Proven Results
At the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato, we understand the challenges of living with scoliosis resulting from an accident. Our personal injury attorney Fort Lauderdale team understands the complex medical and legal issues involved in spinal injury claims and will fight to ensure you are compensated fairly for both physical and emotional suffering.
Our case results include:
- $3.85 million truck rollover settlement in Fort Lauderdale
- $5.25 million truck accident wrongful death recovery
- $925,000 negligent security shooting case in Miami
We also investigate whether early missteps affected your recovery. If your vehicle was towed before proper documentation or the crash scene was not preserved correctly, we will pursue all liable parties. Every factor matters when proving the full extent of your injuries.
We work on a contingency basis. That means no upfront fees. You only pay if we recover compensation for you.
Contact a Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney
When you’re dealing with the new pain and stress of scoliosis on top of your other car accident worries, it can feel like your world has been turned upside down. At the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato, our Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers will fight for your fair compensation. We understand how complex the legal process can be, and we aim to make it smoother for you.
Our case results include over $200 million in settlements for injury victims throughout South Florida. Our legal team also works on a contingency fee basis. There are no upfront costs, and your initial consultation is complimentary. Contact us today at (954) 633-8270.
