California Back Injury Lawyers

Common Back Injuries 

Back injuries represent a complex area of personal injury law because there are several different parts of the back that might be affected. The parts of the back where injuries commonly occur include the vertebrae, discs, nerves, ligaments, and muscles. 

Sprains and Strains

Sprains and strains in your back occur when muscles and ligaments are stretched or torn. These can be caused by impacts, falls, or twisting of the back. Wear and tear, failing to use proper posture, or sudden movements can also cause these injuries. While most of these injuries will heal in time, they can still cause significant pain and inconvenience.

Vertebrae Injuries 

Twenty-six vertebrae, or small bones, make up the spinal column. Compression fractures are a common type of vertebra injury. These fractures cause the vertebrae to collapse, compress together, and cause intense pain. Burst fractures are another type of common vertebrae injury. Burst fractures occur when the vertebrae break and small pieces of bone enter the spine and surrounding tissue. Vertebrae injuries are commonly caused by old age, degenerative disease, and traumatic accidents.

Ruptured Disc 

Small fluid-filled discs separate each of the vertebrae. These discs keep the vertebrae from rubbing directly against each other. When a disc ruptures, the fluid in the disc can leak out. Symptoms of this type of back injury include excruciating pain, numbness, tingling, and limited mobility. 

Bulging Disc

When discs in your vertebrae become misshapen, damaged, or compressed due to an injury, they can bulge or flatten on one side. This can cause pain and discomfort in the back, neck, or limbs. 

Nerve Damage 

The nerves in the spinal column facilitate communication between different parts of the body. When these nerves are damaged or blocked due to an injury, communication between the nerve endings can be temporarily disrupted or shut down entirely, causing extreme pain, limited mobility, and, in some cases, paralysis. 

Spinal Fractures 

Fractures in the thoracic and lumbar regions of the spine can cause significant pain and require a long recovery period. When this type of injury occurs, your mobility may be significantly limited, or you may experience pain when making even the slightest movement. 

Common Causes of Back Injuries 

Back injuries can be caused by any number of things, including impacts caused by collisions and falls. The most common causes of back injuries include the following: 

• Car accidents, 
• Work accidents, 
• Sporting activities,
• Medical malpractice, 
• Swimming pool or gym accidents, 
• Motorcycle accidents, 
• Large truck accidents, 
• Acts of violence, and
• Slips and falls.

You should seek medical attention immediately if you suspect you’ve suffered a back injury. Medical records can help you establish when your injury occurred, the severity of your injury, and your prognosis. A California back injury lawyer can investigate the cause of your back injury to help you determine who is responsible for your injury and what your legal options are.  

How Can California Back Injury Attorneys Help Me? 

California back injury attorneys can assist their clients throughout every step of a claim. An experienced attorney can help you prove another person was responsible for injuries, negotiate a settlement, or prepare your case for trial. 

Negligence 

If your back injury resulted from someone else’s action or failure to act, you will need to show that person was negligent to receive compensation. Generally, you must establish the following elements to show that someone was negligent: 

• The defendant owed you a duty of care;
• The defendant breached this duty of care;
• That breach of care caused your injuries; and 
• You suffered damages because of that breach of care. 

An attorney can help you gather evidence, review medical records, interview witnesses and other parties, and calculate your damages to support your negligence claim. 

Negotiation and Settlement 

Attorneys can also help guide you through the negotiation and settlement process of a personal injury claim. By calculating the value of your lawsuit, an attorney can counsel you on what a fair settlement offer might be when considering factors such as the severity of your injury, how much your medical treatment will cost, and your long-term prognosis. Accepting an initial offer without knowing the full extent of your damages can leave you and your loved ones shouldering added financial burdens. 

Trial Preparation

If parties cannot reach a favorable settlement, your attorney can prepare your case for trial. Trials can be expensive and time-consuming. However, in certain situations, a trial might be the only way to get all of the compensation you deserve.   

What Can I Recover? 

In personal injury cases, California law allows injured victims to recover compensatory damages in the form of economic and noneconomic damages. 

Economic damages represent financial losses related to your injury and include the following:

• Medical expenses, 
• Lost wages,
• Loss of future earnings, and
• Property damage.

Retain copies of all receipts, invoices, pay stubs, and other tangible evidence to give to your attorney. This evidence will help your attorney calculate a value for your case and support your damages claim. 

Noneconomic damages include damage to your quality of life and emotional well-being caused by your injury. These losses are subjective and include the following:

• Pain and suffering,
• Emotional distress, 
• Loss of enjoyment of life, 
• Permanent disability,
• Disfigurement, and
• Loss of consortium.

Sometimes the most significant losses in personal injury cases are noneconomic losses. For example, how do you put a value on losing mobility in your back and not being able to engage in your favorite pastimes? However, because noneconomic damages are subjective and vary from person to person, recovering them can be extremely challenging without the assistance of a qualified attorney. 

Contact Us

At Silva Injury Law, we believe our duty goes beyond achieving significant monetary awards for our clients. We strive first to solve problems through compassionate advocacy. Although our legal team prepares every case for trial, we also skillfully negotiate to get fair settlements for our clients without having to go to trial. If you suffer a back injury, you may feel lost and overwhelmed. We are here to guide you if you want to pursue compensation for your losses. Contact Silva Injury Law today to schedule a free consultation to learn how we can help you.