The Importance of Epidural Steroid Injections After a Colorado Car Accident

Why are epidural steroid injections used in personal injury cases? Epidural steroid injections (“ESIs”) are used when conservative treatments fail to relieve spinal or nerve pain. They serve as powerful medical evidence demonstrating the seriousness of an injury. ESIs can significantly reduce inflammation, relieve nerve compression, and help injured individuals participate more effectively in rehabilitation. They also document the injury is severe enough to require advanced medical intervention, which increases case value and supports claims for long-term damages.

For many accident victims, spinal injuries are not only painful — they are debilitating. When a disc bulge or herniation compresses a spinal nerve, pain can radiate down the arms or legs, interfering with sleep, work, movement, and daily activity. ESIs are often recommended when pain continues after treatment proves unsuccessful. The use of ESIs reflects a meaningful escalation in care, making them crucial not only for medical recovery but also for proving injury severity in negotiations with insurance companies.

When are ESIs Recommended After an Accident?

Epidural steroid injections deliver anti-inflammatory medication directly around irritated spinal nerves in order to reduce swelling, decrease pain, and restore mobility. They are commonly recommended for accident injuries involving herniated or bulging discs, spinal stenosis, sciatica, facet joint irritation, or nerve compression following trauma.

ESIs are generally considered appropriate when:

• Conservative treatment such as physical therapy, rest, chiropractic care, or medication has not significantly improved symptoms.
• The patient experiences persistent radiating nerve pain, numbness, tingling, burning sensations, weakness, or loss of range of motion.
• Imaging studies such as MRI or CT scans confirm disc or nerve involvement.
• Pain prevents the patient from sleeping, working, exercising, or participating effectively in rehabilitation.

Doctors frequently recommend epidural steroid injections as a next step before considering surgery. In many cases, injections help reduce inflammation enough for patients to progress in physical therapy and avoid more invasive procedures.

Do Epidural Steroid Injections Impact Physical Therapy?

Yes. One of the primary reasons physicians recommend ESIs is to enable meaningful participation in physical therapy. When pain is so severe that the patient cannot move, stretch, or perform strengthening routines, rehabilitation cannot succeed. By reducing inflammation around the affected nerve, ESIs help decrease pain to a tolerable level, allowing patients to regain strength and mobility.

From a legal standpoint, documenting this treatment progression — conservative care, then injection, then continued therapy — demonstrates consistent effort, adherence to medical advice, and ongoing disability. Insurance companies frequently question injury severity when patients stop therapy or decline treatment, so ESIs serve as compelling evidence of persistence and seriousness.

Will Medical Records Support When Injections Are Needed?

Yes. Epidural steroid injection documentation is highly valuable in a personal injury case because it represents a measurable escalation in treatment intensity. Medical records for ESIs typically include:

• Imaging findings indicating disc or nerve involvement
• Referral from a specialist to pain management or interventional spine care
• Rationale for injection (failure of conservative therapy)
• Level(s) of the spine treated and medication used
• Patient’s response and any remaining symptoms
• Recommendations for additional injections, physical therapy, or surgery

These records create a detailed timeline that strongly supports injury severity, medical necessity, and future damages. They also counter insurance arguments that injuries were exaggerated, mild, or unrelated to the accident.

Risks and Side Effects of Epidural Steroid Injections

Although ESIs are widely used and considered safe when performed by trained specialists, there are potential risks patients must understand as they could be relevant to case evaluation. Common side effects include temporary discomfort or soreness at the injection site, headaches, facial flushing, increased heart rate, anxiety, or difficulty sleeping. Some patients experience temporary increases in pain before improvement occurs.

More serious but rare risks include infection, bleeding, nerve damage, allergic reactions, and complications related to steroid use such as elevated blood sugar or weakened bone density if repeated frequently. These risks reinforce that injections are not routine or minor. ESIs are advanced medical procedures undertaken when an injury is significant and debilitating.

How Do Epidural Steroid Injections Fit Into a Treatment Plan?

Injury treatment typically follows a progression that begins with conservative care. A standard post-accident sequence may involve evaluation, physical therapy, medication, massage or chiropractic care, followed by imaging and pain-management consultation. ESIs are recommended when conservative measures plateau.

In some cases, injections are diagnostic as well as therapeutic. If an injection eases pain significantly, the physician can confirm that the targeted nerve or disc is the primary pain source. If pain does not improve, it may be an indicator that surgery is necessary. Either result provides meaningful medical evidence documenting the true nature and severity of the injury.

Expected Cost of Epidural Steroid Injections

The cost of ESIs varies based on factors such as injection type, number of levels treated, facility fees, imaging guidance, and physician expertise. Typical pricing ranges from $1,000 to $3,000 per injection, with some procedures costing more if multiple levels are treated. Many patients require more than one injection to achieve relief.

ESIs may be covered the following ways:

• Medical payments (MedPay) coverage under auto insurance
• Health insurance
• Letters of protection (lien-based care)
• Workers’ compensation when injuries are job-related

The financial cost directly increases medical damages in a personal injury claim and further differentiates serious injuries from minor soft-tissue trauma.

Can Injections Be Presented as Evidence of a Serious Injury?

In litigation, epidural steroid injections are powerful indicators of severity. They demonstrate that:

• Pain was significant enough to require interventional treatment
• The patient exhausted conservative options before advancing care
• The injury did not resolve on its own
• The patient experienced functional limitations for an extended period
• Future medical care may be reasonably anticipated

These factors strongly influence both economic and non-economic damages, including pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, and future medical expenses.

Will an Expert Witness Be Needed?

In many cases, yes. Interventional pain specialists, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, or PM&R physicians may be required to explain the medical necessity of injections, support the causal relationship between the accident and the injury, and clarify ongoing functional limitations.

Expert testimony may also be needed to address challenges that injections were unnecessary, unrelated, or performed only for litigation purposes. Proper expert explanation strengthens the connection between treatment and accident-related injury, reducing opportunities for defense arguments.

What Is the Average Settlement or Verdict in Cases Involving ESIs?

There is no fixed average settlement because case value depends on the severity of the underlying injury, permanency, patient age, work limitations, response to treatment, and the need for additional injections or surgery. However, cases involving epidural steroid injections routinely generate significantly higher settlements than cases that resolve with conservative care alone. When combined with permanent impairment or surgery, settlement values often rise significantly.

In general, insurance carriers view ESIs as a marker of serious injury and high future value risk. If the injection fails to resolve symptoms completely, the argument for long-term disability and future care becomes even stronger, increasing settlement leverage.

Why Epidural Steroid Injections Matter in Personal Injury Cases

Epidural steroid injections matter because they demonstrate real pain, real treatment needs, and real impact on a person’s daily life. They provide objective evidence that supports future damages and counteracts insurance efforts to minimize claims. Epidural steroid injections in personal injury cases help establish severity, justify additional treatment, and frame long-term consequences for settlement negotiations and trial.

Contact Colorado’s Top Personal Injury Law Firm

Our legal team can help ensure your treatment is properly documented, presented, and valued. Epidural steroid injections in personal injury cases can significantly increase your case value by proving serious functional limitations and advanced medical need. Contact our office today to schedule a consultation with experienced personal injury lawyers who will fight for full compensation and protect your long-term wellbeing.

Our legal team will help you rebuild. Contact the top-rated personal injury law firm in Colorado to get a free consultation with one of our car accident attorneys. We serve Colorado including Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, and Fort Collins.