Austin Back Injury Lawyer

Filing A Personal Claim After Your Back Injury

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an accident caused by someone else's negligence, contact an experienced Austin back injury attorney as soon as possible. Personal injury attorneys can work to make sure that fair compensation is offered for your injuries and medical bills after a serious accident. Your personal injury case is high stakes, and it's important to have a law firm help review any insurance settlement that you may be considering. Our Austin personal injury lawyers can help you understand your legal options and ensure that your rights are protected. 

What is different about back injury cases?

Back injuries can appear in a variety of ways and have different underlying causes than other medical conditions.

For example, someone can suffer from sore muscles after doing a strenuous workout, or experience an immobilizing pain due to an impacted disc. Compared to minor cuts or bruises, which usually heal with basic at-home first aid, back injuries often require more intensive treatment and evaluation from experienced medical professionals. Poor posture, certain types of activity such as physical sports or bending/lifting excessively, genetics and other psychological effects can all attribute to back pain. Therefore, it is important to approach back injuries differently than other common injuries in order to address the issues correctly and prevent any long-term complications or damage.

How back injuries happen in car accidents. 

Back injuries are common when someone is involved in a car accident. The impact of the accident causes the body to be thrown around and compressed, leading to damage in the spinal column, muscles and ligaments. A serious accident can cause serious injuries and it's important to understand how the issues are related to the impact.

Furthermore, the nature of deformity to a person's spine as a result of a crash can be difficult to identify until weeks or months later. It's important to take appropriate safety measures while driving, such as wearing seatbelts, since they can reduce the likelihood of back pain after an incident involving a motor vehicle. Back injuries are a common damage at issue in personal injury cases. Your Austin Car accident lawyer will likely have experience gathering the evidence needed to support your back injury case.

What makes back injuries from car accidents dangerous? 

Back injuries from car accidents can be some of the most serious, debilitating injuries a person will experience in their life. The danger lies in the fact that these back injuries, namely whiplash and herniated discs, cause both physical and psychological trauma. Whiplash often results in severe pain and stiffness that can take months or years to abate.  

Those who suffer from back injuries will struggle to return to their normal lives, dealing with chronic pain and decreased mobility while managing costly treatments such as physiotherapy and medications. For this reason alone, it is critical for accident victims to seek medical help immediately if they believe they may have suffered a back injury from a car accident. In addition to securing treatment, they should consider contacting an Austin personal injury lawyer before communicating with an insurance company. Without knowledge on personal injury law, injured victims may miss key steps in the claim process. 

What are the different kinds of back injuries?

Back injuries involve a wide range of different symptoms and conditions. The back is one of the most expansive parts of the human bodies and encompasses numerous major muscles and tendons. The injuries sustained in an injury incident can cause many issues for the injured victim.

Herniated disks

A herniated disk back injury diagnosis is a serious medical condition that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. It occurs when the soft, gel-like center of one or more spinal disks becomes displaced and presses against the surrounding nerves, leading to pain, numbness, and weakness in the area where the disk has ruptured.

Signs and symptoms of herniated disks

Signs and symptoms of herniated disk back injury usually include pain that radiates from the lower back outward through the hips and legs. This type of pain is known as sciatica. Other symptoms may include difficulty standing or walking, loss of balance, muscle spasms, tingling sensations in the arms or legs, or a decrease in bladder/bowel control. The patient may also experience shooting pains down their legs or numbness in their feet.

Diagnosis of a herniated disk

Diagnosis of herniated disk back injury typically begins with an examination by a physician. During the exam, they will ask questions about your medical history and perform physical tests to check for signs of weakness or tenderness around your spine. They may also ask you to describe your symptoms in order to determine which structures are affected. Your doctor may then recommend imaging tests such as X-rays, CT scans, MRIs (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), or EMGs (electromyography) to get a clearer picture of what’s happening inside your body.

Treatment of a herniated disk

Treatment for this type of injury will vary depending on how severe it is and what other conditions are present. In mild cases, medications such as NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs) can be used to reduce inflammation and manage pain associated with herniated disks. 

If these remedies don’t work well enough for you, then your doctor might suggest physical therapy exercises designed to strengthen core muscles and improve flexibility around your spine as well as lifestyle changes like avoiding heavy lifting and getting adequate rest at night. Surgery is usually only recommended if other treatments fail to provide relief from your symptoms after several months or if there are signs of nerve damage due to the pressure caused by a herniated disk.

Herniated disk back injuries can be both painful and disruptive; however, with proper diagnosis and treatment it’s possible to recover fully without long-term complications. If you think you might have a herniated disk condition it’s important that you see a doctor right away so they can provide an accurate diagnosis and develop an effective treatment plan based on all relevant factors related to your individual case.

Fractured vertebrae

Fractured vertebrae is an injury which occurs when one or more of the vertebrae in the spine become cracked or broken. It can be caused by a traumatic incident such as a fall, car accident, or sports related injury. It can also be caused by medical conditions like osteoporosis, cancer, or an infection that compromises the strength of the bones in the spine.

Symptoms of a fractured vertebrae

Symptoms of fractured vertebrae may include back pain, fatigue and weakness, tingling sensations in the extremities, abdominal tenderness and swelling, numbness around the torso area and difficulty breathing. In some cases there may also be loss of bladder control due to nerve damage caused by compression on the spinal cord.

Diagnosis of a fractured vertebrae

Receiving a diagnosis of a fractured vertebrae typically requires an x-ray or MRI scan. The images created by these scans allow doctors to see the fractures and other bone damage in more detail. In some cases, further testing such as a CT scan or bone scan may also be recommended to get a better understanding of the extent of the injury and any related conditions. In addition to imaging tests, doctors may also perform neurological tests to determine if there is nerve damage and muscle strength tests to check for any muscular weakness. If there is any concern that the fracture may be caused by a medical condition, additional blood tests may be necessary as well.

Treatment of a fractured vertebrae

The treatment for fractured vertebrae will depend on the severity and location of the fracture as well as any other medical conditions present. Pain medications are often prescribed to help manage pain associated with the injury and physical therapy may be recommended to help strengthen muscles supporting the spine and improve range of motion. 

Depending on the extent of the fracture and associated conditions, surgery may also be recommended in order to stabilize or correct deformities in the vertebrae. Surgery typically involves fusing bones together, placing rods and screws into spine, or performing spinal cord decompression in order to reduce pressure on nerves. 

Recovery times vary depending on which type of treatment was received, but physical therapy is usually required for several weeks after either type of treatment in order to ensure proper healing and regain strength.

Back sprain injuries

Back sprain injuries are common musculoskeletal injuries that occur when the muscles, ligaments, and tendons in the back are stretched beyond their normal range of motion. Back sprains can result from a strain or tear to the muscles, ligaments, and tendons in the lower or upper back. Symptoms may include pain and tenderness along with difficulty moving or an inability to move the affected area.

Diagnosis of a back sprain injury

A doctor will typically diagnose a back sprain after conducting a physical examination and evaluating your medical history. They may also order imaging scans such as X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, or bone scans to help determine the severity of the injury. 

Treatment of back sprain injury

Depending on the diagnosis and severity of your back sprain injury, treatment options may involve:

  • Rest
  • Physical therapy exercises and stretching routines
  • Medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or naproxen sodium to reduce swelling and relieve pain 
  • Injection therapy such as steroid injections to reduce inflammation around nerve roots in particular areas of the spine
  • Localized cold or heat applications to provide relief from symptoms of pain and inflammation
  • Activity modification such as avoiding activities that cause pain until symptoms have improved significantly
  • Wearing a brace; or 
  • Surgery if conservative treatment is unsuccessful in providing relief for severe cases.

In addition to seeking medical care for your back sprain injury, there are some self-care strategies you can use at home to help reduce pain and promote healing. These self-care strategies include resting your body by taking breaks from activities throughout the day;

  • Using hot/cold compresses to relieve pain 
  • Engaging in gentle stretching exercises approved by your doctor; 
  • Practicing good posture habits while sitting or standing up; engaging in low impact aerobic exercises like swimming or biking with doctor approval
  • Maintaining a healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals that support tissue regeneration.

By following doctor’s advice along with making lifestyle modifications that promote better health overall, you can help heal your back sprain injury more quickly while minimizing chances of re-injury.

What kind of doctors can help with back injuries. 

Back injuries can range from minor aches and pains to more serious, chronic conditions that require ongoing care. Fortunately, there are a variety of medical specialists who are qualified to treat back-related problems.

  • Orthopedists specialize in musculoskeletal conditions and can help examine the spine and related muscles, as well as provide advice on therapeutic activities such as stretching and strengthening exercises.
  • Chiropractors also specialize in back-related issues and use hands-on manipulation to relieve pain, improve joint function, restore mobility, and reduce irritation on nerves.
  • Physical therapists may be consulted to focus on preventing future injury through specialized exercise programs tailored to the patient's needs.
  • In addition, general practitioners and family doctors are available for diagnosis and prescribing medication or other treatments. No matter what type of issue you're dealing with, there will likely be a medical professional who can assess your symptoms and determine the best course of action for you.

How to prove back injuries in your personal injury case.  

Establishing a clear link between a back injury and an incident in a personal injury case can be challenging, but not impossible. For example, in personal injury claims, an insurance company will often dispute that the severe injuries that personal injury victims are suffering from are related to the incident.

In a personal injury lawsuit, the insurance company will often ask the injured party to sign a medical authorization that will allow them to collect the medical records and medical bills. This is permissible in personal injury law, and experienced personal injury attorneys know how to make sure that these records are obtained properly.

A personal injury lawsuit will also often include a deposition of the injury victims, where they will be questioned about their treatment and any pre-existing issues. Contact one of our Austin personal injury lawyers for a free consultation to get an idea of what is needed to make that connection in your personal injury claim. 

Medical records

When a patient visits their doctor for treatment for any kind of back pain or discomfort, the physician needs to document the timeline of when the symptoms began and how they evolved over time, from both reported complaints as well as physical observations. Additionally, this medical record ought to make reference to any personal injury incident that could potentially have given rise to these symptoms to ensure that the connection is documented in the event that it needs to provide legal proof in a future court case.

When you’re filing a back injury case, having medical records is essential for proving your claim. Medical records can provide the doctor’s diagnosis and treatment plan, as well as information on any previous treatments that have been attempted in order to alleviate the pain. These documents are important because they demonstrate how long you have been suffering from the injury and what steps you have taken to seek relief from it. 

Furthermore, if there were any delays in receiving treatment due to insurance issues or other circumstances beyond your control, these details may also help strengthen your claim by showing that you did not contribute directly to causing further harm or exacerbating existing symptoms. 

Testimony from family and friends

Family and friends can play an important role in supporting your back injury claim. Testimony from family and friends who have direct knowledge of the event or situation at issue may be used to prove how you were injured, as well as the impact that injury has had on your life. Testimony from witnesses who are not related to you is also available, such as medical professionals, co-workers, or even strangers who witnessed the accident.

If you plan to use testimony from loved ones in court, it is important that they provide a credible account of what happened and explain why they believe you suffered a back injury. Your witness should be able to explain how long they have known you, what symptoms they observed prior to and after the incident, and any changes they saw in your physical or emotional health.

Additionally, their testimony can provide valuable insight into how the injury has impacted your daily life, such as difficulties with sleeping, performing activities of daily living (ADLs), or engaging in leisure activities.

It is also important to note that witness testimony should be clear and succinct. Witnesses should avoid providing irrelevant details or embellishing the story to make it more dramatic. If a witness provides a vague account of what happened or contradicts themselves in any way, it could undermine the credibility of their testimony and weaken your case.

Expert witnesses

Along with medical documentation, some jurisdictions also allow victims to submit evidence from expert witnesses and accident reconstruction specialists to offer pertinent testimony about their experience in support of their claim. Ultimately, all of these elements must be combined into one cohesive narrative if there is to be success in obtaining damages due to a back injury caused by someone else's negligence or wrong doing.

Start Your Case Today. Call Our Austin Back Injury Attorneys. 

Gage Fletcher Personal Injury Lawyer
Austin, Texas Personal Injury Lawyer Gage Fletcher

Back injuries are different than other kinds of injuries because they can take a long time to heal and may never completely heal. If you have been in a car accident, it is important to see a doctor who specializes in back injuries as soon as possible. Contact our law firm today to make sure that your rights are protected so that you can focus on recovering your health. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you get the compensation you deserve for your back injury. Call our firm for a free consultation today at 512-619-4006.