Neck or back injury after a crash in El Paso: what proves a herniated disc

A neck or back injury needs more than an x-ray. An x-ray alone cannot diagnose a herniated disk; an MRI or CT can show it. Old back problems do not end your claim, because Texas says a wrongdoer takes the injured person as found. A lawsuit over an El Paso crash generally must be filed within 2 years.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (34)

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Road map of El Paso showing Dyer Street and Zaragoza Road, two state roads the city's crash plan ranks first and second for severe crashes
An x-ray alone cannot diagnose a herniated disk. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

When should I see a doctor for neck or back pain after a crash in El Paso?

Right away after a severe blow or fall. Do not wait to see if it fades.

  • Numbness, loss of movement or weakness.
  • Changes in bowel or bladder, or loss of control over urine or stool.
  • Pain that is much worse than the crash seemed to cause.

UMC is El Paso's Level 1 trauma center, and The Hospitals of Providence East Campus is a Major Level II trauma center. For pain that is not an emergency, your own doctor or Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso can start the records.

How do I prove a herniated disc after an El Paso crash?

  1. Ask for imaging. A spine x-ray alone cannot diagnose a herniated disk. Ask your El Paso provider about a spine MRI or CT, which shows where the disk presses on the spinal canal.
  2. Get the police report. For a crash on a city street, EPPD Records at 911 North Raynor Street charges $6.00. TxDOT also sells crash reports online, at $6 for a regular copy.
  3. Keep each provider's bill and ask for a sworn billing affidavit. It can show the charges were reasonable and the care was necessary.
  4. Remember what it cannot do. The affidavit does not support a finding that the crash caused the injury. You need a doctor to tie them together.
  5. Write a dated note of what you cannot do now, such as lifting a child or sitting through a shift.

What if I already had back or neck problems before the El Paso crash?

You can still have a claim. Texas courts say a wrongdoer takes a plaintiff as he finds him. If the crash made an old problem worse, that part counts.

Expect the other side to point at your history. Disk wear is common even without pain. One review found it in 37% of people with no symptoms at age 20 and 96% at age 80. By age 60, most people show signs of neck wear on x-ray.

So tell your doctor about old injuries, and bring old scans if you have them. A doctor can compare before and after better than anyone.

Who pays for neck and back treatment after a crash in El Paso?

SourceWhat it doesLimit
Your personal injury protectionPays you and your household reasonable expensesDepends on your policy
The other driver's liability insurancePays for the harm that driver causedRequired minimum is $30,000 per person
Your uninsured motorist coverageProtects you from uninsured or underinsured driversDepends on your policy
Hospital lienA hospital may claim a share of a recoveryOnly if you were admitted within 72 hours

A jury can award only the medical expenses actually paid or owed.

Where you were hurt can matter. The city's crash plan says over 40% of the most severe crashes happened on a state road, including I-10, Dyer St. and Zaragoza Rd. It ranks Dyer from Sun Valley Dr. to US 54 first among state roads.

How long does a neck or back injury take to heal, and does the clock wait?

Neck and back pain often goes away or improves a lot over weeks to months. Pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks and happens daily counts as chronic.

Healing does not pause the legal clock, and 2 years is the usual deadline to file suit. If a City of El Paso vehicle or Sun Metro bus was involved, you need to send the Mayor a sworn notice within 90 days, or within 6 months for good cause.

Questions

Can I still claim if my x-ray looked normal?

Yes. An x-ray shows only bones, so a normal one does not rule out a herniated disk. An MRI or CT is how a disk is seen, so ask your El Paso provider whether one is needed.

What if I was partly at fault for the crash?

In an El Paso crash claim, you recover nothing if you are found more than 50 percent at fault. Below that, your award is cut by your share.

Who do I call about a Sun Metro bus injury?

Sun Metro takes complaints at (915) 212-3333 or in an online form with the bus number, route and date. The sworn notice still goes to the Mayor.

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Sources (34)

  1. MedlinePlus, checked 2026-11-09. “it is not possible to diagnose a herniated disk by a spine x-ray alone”
  2. MedlinePlus, checked 2026-11-09. “Spine MRI or spine CT to show where the herniated disk is pressing on the spinal canal.”
  3. Coates v. Whittington (Tex. 1988), checked 2026-11-09. “It is well settled that a tortfeasor takes a plaintiff as he finds him.”
  4. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  5. MedlinePlus, checked 2026-11-09. “Back pain after a severe blow or fall”
  6. MedlinePlus, checked 2026-11-09. “Any numbness, loss of movement, weakness, or bowel or bladder changes”
  7. UMC El Paso, 2024 Annual Report, checked 2026-11-08. “UMC Receives Reverification as Level 1 Trauma Center”
  8. National Library of Medicine, AJNR 2015, checked 2026-11-09. “Disk degeneration prevalence ranged from 37% of asymptomatic individuals 20 years of age to 96% of those 80 years of age”
  9. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 18.001, checked 2026-11-09. “is sufficient evidence to support a finding of fact by judge or jury that the amount charged was reasonable or that the service was necessary”
  10. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 18.001, checked 2026-11-09. “The affidavit is not evidence of and does not support a finding of the causation element”
  11. City of El Paso City Attorney, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “shall within 90 days or within 6 months for good cause shown from the date the damage occurred or the injury was received, give notice in writing to the mayor”
  12. City of El Paso City Attorney, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be sworn to by the person claiming damages or by someone authorized by him to do so on his behalf”
  13. MedlinePlus, checked 2026-11-09. “Loss of control over urine or stool (incontinence)”
  14. The Hospitals of Providence, Awards & Distinctions, checked 2026-11-08. “The Hospitals of Providence East Campus is recognized as a Major Level II Trauma Center”
  15. Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso, checked 2026-11-09. “Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso is part of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine.”
  16. El Paso Police Department, Records & Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “EPPD RECORDS DIVISION 911 N. Raynor St El Paso, TX 79903”
  17. El Paso Police Department, Records & Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “Accident or Crash Reports $6.00”
  18. TxDOT, Crash reports and records, checked 2026-11-08. “TxDOT is the custodian of crash records for the state of Texas”
  19. TxDOT, Crash reports and records, checked 2026-11-08. “$6 for a regular copy. $8 for a certified copy”
  20. MedlinePlus, checked 2026-11-09. “By age 60, most people show signs of cervical spondylosis on x-ray”
  21. Texas Insurance Code 1952.151, checked 2026-11-09. “provide for payment to the named insured in the policy, members of the insured's household”
  22. Texas Transportation Code 601.072, checked 2026-11-09. “$30,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in one collision”
  23. Texas Insurance Code 1952.101, checked 2026-11-09. “protects insureds who are legally entitled to recover from owners or operators of uninsured or underinsured motor vehicles”
  24. Tex. Prop. Code § 55.002, checked 2026-11-09. “For the lien to attach, the individual must be admitted to a hospital not later than 72 hours after the accident.”
  25. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 41.0105, checked 2026-11-09. “recovery of medical or health care expenses incurred is limited to the amount actually paid or incurred by or on behalf of the claimant”
  26. City of El Paso, Vision Zero Action Plan (June 2023), checked 2026-11-08. “Over 40% of the most severe crashes in El Paso occurred on a state roadway, resulting in 371 deaths or serious injuries”
  27. City of El Paso, Vision Zero Action Plan (June 2023), checked 2026-11-08. “ROADWAYS WITH THE HIGHEST FREQUENCY OF SEVERE CRASHES [...] Dyer St. Sun Valley Dr. – US 54 [...] Zaragoza Rd. Azogue Ave. – Don Haskins Dr.”
  28. MedlinePlus, checked 2026-11-09. “often goes away or improves a lot over weeks to months”
  29. NIAMS, checked 2026-11-09. “lasts longer than 12 weeks and occurs daily”
  30. Sun Metro Suspension of Service Policy, checked 2026-11-08. “the City of El Paso's Mass Transit Department (Sun Metro)”
  31. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
  32. Sun Metro, Safety & Security, checked 2026-11-08. “customer service line at (915)212.3333”
  33. Sun Metro Contact Us, checked 2026-11-09. “Bus Number:”
  34. City of El Paso City Attorney, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “Office of the Mayor P.O. Box 1890 El Paso, Texas, 79950”

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