The human back is very delicate, yet it plays a critical role in the body’s structure. The vertebrae, discs, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and other parts of the back are quite vulnerable to the forces of a car accident. If you have hurt your back in a car crash, you understand just how debilitating the pain can be.
The human back is very delicate, yet it plays a critical role in the body’s structure. The vertebrae, discs, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and other parts of the back are quite vulnerable to the forces of a car accident. If you have hurt your back in a car crash, you understand just how debilitating the pain can be.Pain and weakness from your back injury may prevent you from working and may make it difficult to handle even the most basic tasks of daily living. You may require significant medical treatments that result in big bills. So it’s understandable that you are concerned about your future and how you can get the compensation you need to make ends meet.
That’s where The Bruning Law Firm can help. Our St. Louis car accident injury attorneys aggressively fight for car crash victims who have suffered serious injuries in Missouri and Illinois. Our aim is to take the legal burdens off you so you can focus on your health and your life. Our firm’s exceptional client service and years of legal experience have earned us recognition from organizations such as the Top 100 Trial Lawyers and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Are you ready to find out how we can help you seek maximum compensation for your back injuries from a car accident? Contact us now for a free case consultation and advice about your legal options.
We Fight for Maximum Compensation for Your MO Back Injury
The Bruning Law Firm has earned a reputation for helping car accident victims recover full and fair compensation for their injuries. Our auto accident attorneys have the experience, legal skill, and resources required to take on insurance companies that drag their feet on paying valid claims or try to get away with a lowball settlement offer.
How do we do it? We often rely on an extensive network of trusted experts in areas such as medical treatment, financial planning, accident reconstruction, and vocational rehabilitation. These experts help us calculate the total extent of your losses due to a back injury so we can make a proper demand for fair compensation.
Although each case is unique and compensation depends on a number of factors, some of the types of compensation frequently available in car accident cases include:
- Compensation for medical bills, including the cost of anticipated future medical needs related to your injuries, as well as rehabilitation, surgery, medication, assistive devices, and other medical expenses
- Replacement of lost wages for time missed from work (even if you were able to take paid sick leave) and compensation for reduced earning capacity if you have a lasting impairment
- Repair or replacement costs for your damaged vehicle – including rental car fees – and other personal property
- Pain and suffering compensation
- Punitive damages in exceptional cases
Talk to the St. Louis back injury lawyers at The Bruning Law Firm now to find out we can help you seek the compensation you need after a car accident.
Types of Back Injuries Frequently Suffered in MO Car Crashes
The structure of the human back is vulnerable to the extreme forces exerted on the body during a car accident. Some of the most common types of back injuries that result from crashes include:
- Fractured vertebra. The force of a car accident can fracture any of the 26 bones that make up the back. Not only is a fractured vertebra exceptionally painful, it usually puts harsh limits on a victim’s ability to move, both during the healing process and lingering into the future.Compression fractures, flexion fractures, and extension fractures are all common in serious accidents. A spinal fusion surgery is frequently required to stabilize the back after vertebrae are broken.
- Pinched or compressed nerve. When an accident causes excessive pressure on a nerve in the back, it can cause severe pain and can impair the victim’s ability to move.
- Nerve damage. Nerves in the back can suffer damage due to trauma, compression, or other forces in a car accident. The result is often debilitating pain.
- Slipped or herniated disc. The 26 individual vertebrae that make up the “backbone” are cushioned by soft discs between each pair of bones. When the soft inner part of a disc protrudes through its rigid outer portion, the injury is known as a slipped or herniated disc. This is often the source of exceptional pain.
- Ruptured disc. When a disc is so severely damaged that the tough outer portion breaks open, this is referred to as a ruptured disc – a very painful form of back injury.
- Back sprain. A back sprain involves the tearing or excessive stretching of the ligaments in the back, resulting in back pain. A back sprain can make it difficult or impossible to reach, stretch, bend over, or walk.
- Back strain. Sometimes called a “pulled back,” a back strain happens when the muscles and/or tendons in the back suffer painful damage. Muscle spasms, swelling, and difficulty flexing the damaged muscles are other common results of a strained back.
Causes and Treatments of Back Injuries from MO Car Accidents
A back injury can result from virtually any kind of traffic accident, but they are particularly prevalent in head-on and rear-end collisions. That’s because the force of these types of collisions usually throws the body forward and backward, putting extreme stress on the delicate structures of the back. Side impacts (T-bone or broadside crashes) are another frequent source of back injuries. Because many cars lack strong side-impact protection, the body – and the back in particular – is left to absorb the force of the impact. Severe back injuries may also happen when an occupant is ejected from the vehicle during a wreck.
Seeking medical treatment should always be your top priority after an accident. Even if you don’t receive emergency medical treatment on the scene, you should get a full examination as soon as possible in order to properly diagnose and treat any back injury you may have suffered. Some back injuries are not immediately obvious after a crash, and the adrenaline and chaos of the accident may mask the pain of a serious back injury.
Proper treatment of back injuries usually concentrates on pain control and stabilization to promote recovery. Some common treatments include:
- Surgery (often repeated surgeries over a period of months or even years)
- Physical and occupational therapy
- Treatment with prescription pain medication
- Chiropractic treatments
- Steroid injections
- Casts and braces to support the back while bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and other damaged parts heal
Some patients may require adaptive medical devices (a wheelchair or a hospital bed, for example), in-home nursing care, household assistance, and other services. The cost of these and all treatments should be covered by the party at fault for causing the crash. The responsible party should also provide compensation for lost wages during your recovery and any reduction in income due to ongoing impairments.
Let Our MO Back Injury Lawyers Take the Burden Off You
Compassion for victims of serious injuries is what motivates the dedicated St. Louis car crash injury attorneys at The Bruning Law Firm. When you’re dealing with debilitating pain and mounting medical bills from a back injury, we understand that you need help as soon as you can get it. We are committed to taking timely and effective action on behalf of accident victims so we can start building a solid case for a strong recovery.
We are here for you when you need us. Call or contact us online now to find out how we can fight for justice on your behalf.
