The personal injury lawsuit process can be intimidating, especially for those who don’t have a medical background or who aren’t familiar with personal injury medical terms. To help you become more familiar with some of the important medical terms and phrases you might come across as you go through the personal injury lawsuit process, we’ve come up with a helpful list. Here’s part one of some personal injury medical terms you should know.

Whiplash. Whiplash is an injury that often arises in automobile crashes, slip-and-fall accidents, and other situations where a person’s head or body makes sudden movements. Whiplash can result in damage to your neck muscles, ligaments, or other soft tissues because the motion of your head pushes them beyond their normal limits. Whiplash injuries can be relatively minor, causing little more than slight pain or discomfort for a matter of days, or can be rather severe, resulting in long-lasting, and even permanent pain or damage.

Herniated Disk. Another common injury associated with car accidents, slip-and-fall cases, and other personal injury situations, a herniated disk occurs when the cushion-like tissue area between spinal bones becomes damaged. Some, but not all, herniated disks can be very painful, and can cause numbness or weakness. Some herniated disk injuries can require surgery, but most don’t. In fact, some herniated disk injuries are not even noticeable by those who suffer them.

Central Nervous System. The central nervous system is comprised of your brain and your spinal cord. Together, they allow your brain to control and operate your body. Any damage to any part of the central nervous system can result in significant, and potentially permanent, injuries.

Gait. How a person walks. Some injuries, such as fractures and spinal injuries, can temporarily or permanently alter a person’s gait. When this happens, the injured person’s ability to move or get around can be impaired.

Spinal Column. The spinal column is the medical name for your backbone. It’s a collection of bones, called vertebrae, that are stacked on top of one another and connected by various soft tissues. The vertebrae bones have holes in the center, allowing the spinal cord to pass through them.
Spinal Cord. The spinal cord is the bundle of nerves the spinal column protects. When someone suffers a spinal cord injury, that person can experience a wide range of very serious symptoms, including loss of sensation, changes in physical strength, paralysis, and death.