We all know injuring your back can be a huge problem. Even a minor back injury can make working and living an everyday life difficult. But a severe back injury from an accident, such as a herniated disc or spinal cord injury, can have a negative impact for years or even the rest of your life. If you injured your back in an accident caused by someone’s negligence, call (847) 434-3555 NOW to talk to our back injury lawyer in Schaumburg at SJ Injury Law for legal advice.
There are all kinds of back injuries, and most adults have had back pain here and there. In most cases, these injuries are relatively minor and heal with time. Common causes of minor back injuries are:
Most minor back injuries last a few days or weeks and usually heal with rest. Most low back pain is of this variety. However, major back injuries can cause months or years of disability and could be permanent. Serious back injuries are often caused by:
If you have back pain or disability for 12 weeks or longer, this is categorized as a major back injury. While you might think the injury is minor, severe pain may continue even after treatment, which suggests a severe injury.
The back is highly complex, and many things can be injured that cause varying degrees of pain. The back consists of many bones, muscles, ligaments, and tissues that can be damaged from an injury or overuse. While many injuries heal with time, you should get immediate medical assistance in these cases:
If you are unsure how severe your back injury is, it is smart to be seen by a doctor. Also, if the injury was in a car accident, you should see a doctor immediately; car accidents have some of the worst back injuries and could be more severe than you think.
If you have one of the serious back injuries listed below and someone’s negligence caused it, you should call SJ Injury Law NOW at (847) 434-3555 to talk to our Schaumburg back injury attorney. Back injury recovery is expensive, and you should not bear the cost alone:
Just like other bones in your body, bones can fracture when the spine is struck with a lot of force. Spine fractures are prevalent in car accidents, work accidents, and severe falls. In an auto accident, for example, you might fracture your spine when the upper body moves forward while the seatbelt holds the bottom half.
Between your vertebrae are soft, spongy discs that provide a cushion between the bones. If your spine experiences a high level of force, such as hitting a barrier in a car accident, the discs can slip or even rupture.
A herniated disc alone does not cause pain. However, it may press against spinal nerves, leading to often debilitating pain. Other possible symptoms of a herniated disc include numbness and weakness in the legs and feet or in the arms and hands.
The spinal cord runs from the bottom of the skull to the lower back and provides a pathway for signals between the body and the brain. Car accidents can cause injury to the spinal cord, including bruises and tears. This is the most severe back injury and may cause nerve injury or paralysis. Because of the severity, any spinal cord injury needs treatment immediately. If you think you have a spinal cord injury after an accident, do not move and have someone call 911 right away then call SJ Injury Law at (847) 434-3555.
Spondylolisthesis means the vertebrae themselves slip out of position in an accident. Like a herniated disc, you can have this condition without pain. But slipped vertebrae may pressure spinal nerves, leading to severe pain, stiffness, and difficulty walking, bending over, or standing.
Major back injuries, such as whiplash, are often easier to diagnose than minor ones. This is usually because the cause of a significant back injury is easier to see in diagnostic imaging tests. A doctor’s visit for a severe back injury usually includes a physical examination that checks your range of movement and degree of pain. If you have bowel or bladder control issues, tell your doctor during the exam.
The doctor may perform several tests to diagnose a severe back injury, including X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and bone scans. If the injury was caused by a recent accident, tell your doctor; this information will be critical if you file a personal injury claim or lawsuit later.
Serious back injuries can be life-changing and expensive, so contact a skilled back injury attorney if someone else caused your injury. For instance, if you have a spinal cord injury from an accident causing paraplegia, you face more than $2 million in lifetime costs for treatment if you are 25, or more than $1.5 million if you are 50. Most people cannot afford that expense without funds from a personal injury lawsuit. If your attorney proves that another party’s negligence caused your back injury, you could receive:
Economic damages for a severe back injury mean tangible and calculable losses related to the injury. The damages compensate you for your monetary losses and attempt to return you to your previous state before the accident. Some of the potential economic damages you may be entitled to are:
Non-economic damages attempt to pay you for the pain and suffering you endured because of the back injury. These damages are harder to calculate, and you need the assistance of a back injury attorney to get the most money from the insurance company for pain and suffering. Some of the economic damages you could receive include for:
You may have questions about filing a claim or lawsuit if you have a severe back injury. Here are some common questions about this type of injury:
Almost always. Back injuries can be more severe than you think, and few non-attorneys understand what a serious back injury claim is worth. Therefore, if you attempt to negotiate your settlement, there is a strong possibility you will receive far less than you could if an attorney negotiates for you. Call SJ Injury Law at (847) 434-3555 NOW!
All back injury claims are different because injuries are of varying severity, and everyone’s bodies are slightly different. However, research conducted by After Car Accidents found a wide range of back injury settlements. Many settlements for these injuries ranged between $20,000 and $75,000.
But more severe injuries, such as herniated discs and spinal cord injuries, could be between $100,000 and $500,000 or more. Also, the Bureau of Justice Statistics reports the average car accident settlement nationally, with a severe spine injury is $834,000, and the median is $285,000.
No lawyer can guarantee what your back injury case will settle for because of the many factors involved. For instance, a back injury settlement that did not require surgery will be worth less than one that needed several operations. Some factors that influence the size of the settlement are the severity of the injury; injections and/or surgeries required; length of the treatment plan; ability to work after the accident; whether you have a permanent disability, and if the other party is 100% liable.
At SJ Injury Law in Shaumburg, our attorneys are compensated by contingency arrangements. If we accept your case, we will be paid a percentage of your settlement or award after a favorable verdict. Our attorneys are not compensated if your case does not result in compensation. Thus, we are interested in obtaining the best financial settlement or award for you.
If you injured your back in an accident another person caused, you could have months of recovery ahead of you. You should not have to pay for it yourself; our personal injury attorneys can help. Please contact our back injury lawyers in Schaumburg at SJ Injury Law at (847) 434-3555.
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