Back Injury Lawyer
Back injuries are some of the most common types of physical trauma suffered by car accident and personal injury victims. Even if the spinal cord is not damaged, back injuries can be debilitating, resulting in chronic conditions and the need for ongoing medical intervention.
At Shea & Shea – A Professional Law Corporation, our team of spinal cord injury lawyers represents victims in San Jose and the broader regions of central and Northern California.
If you’ve received a back injury in an auto accident or other incident that wasn’t your fault, then we encourage you to learn more about your legal options.
Call (408) 716-1560 to schedule a free case evaluation for more information.
Expert California Back Injury Lawyers
Since 1966, the personal injury attorneys here at Shea & Shea have committed themselves to the pursuit of justice for our clients. We specialize in spinal cord injury cases and our consistent track record of successful outcomes demonstrates our ability to aggressively pursue and secure compensation for injuries.
We understand how much work is required to recover from back pain and spinal injury, so do your best to remove the stress of your personal injury lawsuit off your shoulders so that you can focus on recovery.
If you were injured due to the negligence of another person or company, we want to ensure you have the financial resources necessary to afford the highest quality medical care. You didn’t bring this pain and suffering on yourself, and so you shouldn’t be held liable for the medical expenses and lost wages associated with your recovery.
Schedule a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer by contacting Shea & Shea today, or continue reading to learn more about spinal cord damage and other back injury conditions.
Common Back & Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries and other back conditions are extremely common after an auto accident or other violent situation involving physical trauma. This is because the back and spine are composed of a complex network of tendons, muscles, ligaments, bones, joints, and nerves. When the body is shaken, struck, or jolted, one or more of these vulnerable structures can be affected, and because all these systems work together to deliver a healthy, functioning back, damage to one can quickly cause problems across all.
Another thing worth knowing is that the spinal cord is divided into three primary regions:
- The Cervical Spine. This is your upper back and neck
- The Thoracic Spine. This is the middle of your back.
- The Lumbar Spine. This is your lower back and tail bone.
When a complete spinal cord injury occurs, communication between the brain and anything past the region of injury is completely eliminated, resulting in paralysis below that region. For example, if you suffer a complete spinal cord injury in your Thoracic Spine, then you’ll lose function in both the Thoracic and Lumbar regions.
Incomplete spinal cord injuries, on the other hand, occur when an injury compresses or damages the spinal cord but doesn’t completely severe it. This means that function below that region may still be had and, if lost, there is also the possibility to regain function.
Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injuries
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), Motor vehicle accidents are the most common cause of spinal cord injury, with 38% of spinal cord injuries resulting from auto accidents.
As you can imagine, injuries of this nature are extremely serious, bringing with them a host of painful and life-altering symptoms.
Symptoms of spinal cord injury include:
- Muscle spasms
- Difficulty breathing
- Painful breathing
- Digestive problems
- Loss of ability to feel touch or temperature sensations
- Problems with sexual ability
- Numbness and tingling
- Paralysis of the lower body & legs
- Muscle weakness
- Inability to move limbs
Now that you understand the symptoms that come with a spinal cord injury, let’s explore some of the most common back and spine conditions that are inflicted during auto accidents:
Paraplegia
Paraplegia is a paralysis condition where the ability to control anything from the waist down is extremely restricted or lost completely. This is usually the result of a spinal cord injury in the Thoracic region of the back.
Symptoms of paraplegia onset include loss of sensation in the lower body, pain, impaired mobility, sexual dysfunction, and difficulty with bowel and bladder function.
There are no treatments to reverse paraplegia, but with the right medical expertise, physical therapy, and time, you can mitigate some of the symptoms and regain partial control of your lower body.
Quadriplegia
Quadriplegia is inflicted with damage to the Cervical region of the spine and results in paralysis from the neck down.
Due to the vast amount of procedures required, spinal cord injury victims of both paraplegia and quadriplegia can quickly be buried in medical bills.
This is why it’s crucial for victims in this situation to partner with experienced personal injury lawyers who can provide legal advice and help secure compensation from insurance companies.
Muscle Strain & Soft Tissue Injuries
Muscle strain is another common injury suffered in the back. During car accidents, muscles frequently pull or tear. In these instances, the muscle may become damaged, attacking the tendons.
Muscle strain can also be caused by heavy lifting, sports, or everyday activities. Additionally, muscle strain could be the result of repetitive tasks that involve heavy lifting or place strain on the muscles in any way.
Depending on the kind of accident or action that caused the injury, all or some of the muscle fibers may be torn. If all fibers are damaged, the injury may be identified by broken blood vessels, bruises, local bleeding, and pain.
Muscle strain can be identified by:
- Swelling
- Bruises
- Open cuts
- Pain (when the muscle is used or at rest)
- Inability to use muscles
Muscle strain injuries can be treated at home, but severe cases require medical attention. Generally speaking, muscle injuries that persist for more than 24 hours may need treatment. If at-home remedies do not successfully subside the pain and symptoms, you should be treated by a doctor as soon as possible.
Whiplash
As one of the most common injuries suffered by accident victims, whiplash may occur when the victim’s head is quickly thrown backward and forward. This type of injury is often the result of traffic accidents, slip-and-fall injuries, falls, sports injuries, and other types of trauma.
In some cases, whiplash can damage joints and disks in the neck. Nerve roots and the spinal column may be damaged as well.
Whiplash victims may suffer weakness, numbness, tingling, pain, stiffness, dizziness, or an inability to sleep. This type of injury is not life-threatening but often requires the attention of a medical professional.
Herniated Discs
Herniated disc injuries occur in the neck or back and can be debilitating. This type of injury occurs when the nucleus pulposus (a soft substance inside the disc) is pushed out. If the nucleus pulposus is pushed out of the disc onto the nerve root, the injury may become extremely painful. Additionally, the victim may suffer weakness, numbness, and pain.
Herniated disc injuries may be the result of sudden stress, car accidents, or repeated stress to the joint. These types of injuries are often caused by repeated heavy lifting or accidents that twist the neck or spine.
This type of injury requires medical treatment and usually includes physical therapy and medication for recovery. Depending on the severity of the injury, a herniated disc may require surgery.
Again, if you are suffering chronic pain from an accident that wasn’t your fault, then you should take legal action and pursue compensation for your injuries. And by partnering with an experienced spinal cord injury law firm, like Shea & Shea, you drastically improve the odds of your personal injury case receiving the favorable outcome it deserves.
Back Fractures
Vertebrae fractures can compress or pinch your spinal cord, causing pain and discomfort. Symptoms of vertebrae fractures include pain that gets worse when you walk, a curved shape in the spine, and difficulty twisting or bending your body.
Healing from a back fracture can take up to three months or more, depending on the quality of medical care and physical therapy received.
Get Expert Legal Counsel For Your Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuit
If you’ve suffered a neck or back injury because of someone else’s carelessness or negligence, you may be entitled to financial compensation and should consider a spinal cord injury lawsuit.
Whether you’ve been injured in a car accident, a slip and fall, medical malpractice, or another kind of accident that wasn’t your fault, you deserve to recover compensation for your injuries. Not only to cover your current hospital bills, but to also protect you against future medical expenses, lost wages, and other consequences resulting from a spinal cord injury.
Each spinal cord injury lawyer at Shea & Shea has decades of experience representing victims of back pain, nerve damage, and other personal injury situations. We are well versed in this field and have the resources and experience necessary to help you secure your future.
Start your journey towards justice today by calling our office at (408) 716-1560 and scheduling your free consultation.
Other Service Areas We Serve:
Catastrophic Injury
Brain Injury
Spinal Cord Injury
Loss of Hearing
Los of Vision
Back Injury
Wrongful Death
Birth Injury
Pediatric Injury
Amputation Injury
Burn Injury