Experienced Bakersfield Back Injury Lawyers

Back injuries are among the most common and traumatic injuries one can sustain in an accident. This type of injury can affect the body’s overall physical function and often requires extensive and long-term medical care. Alongside pain, suffering from back injuries such as injuries to the neck and spine can also cause a loss of wages and loss of enjoyment of life.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, back injuries can result from sports injuries, slip and falls, maintenance work around the house, or a sudden jolt from a motor vehicle accident. Consequently, the lower back is the most common site of back injuries and the most vulnerable to pain.

Treatments for a back injury accident victim can include over-the-counter medicines or extensive physical therapy. For severe injuries, more invasive treatments such as epidural injections or surgery may be required in hopes of alleviating pain.

Consequences of back injuries range from mild non-exacerbating pain to reduced range of motion and mobility issues. Dangerous accidents could result in you being unable to move at all after being in a car accident. Worse cases can lead to a permanent disability like paralysis and the financial repercussions for such cases are likely to be overwhelming.

No one deserves to bear that burden or emotional trauma, especially you or any of your loved ones. Contact Farahi Law Firm if you or a loved one sustained back injuries due to a negligent party. Our experienced team of back injury lawyers will fight for your rights and obtain the monetary compensation you deserve.

Call us at (661) 669-7239 for a free initial consultation.

Symptoms of a Back Injury

According to The Mayo Clinic, back pain is one of the most common reasons why people consult a doctor or miss days at work. Personal injury victims can sustain a back injury by hyperextending their back doing usual strenuous movements such as bending or overstretching. However, severe cases, especially back pain stemming from car accidents, could eventually lead to more serious or fatal injuries. Hence, back injuries are one of the leading causes of disability worldwide.

Signs and symptoms of back injuries may include:

• Muscle spasms
• Shooting or stabbing pain in any areas of the back
• Pain radiating down the legs
• Pain aggravated by bending, lifting, standing, or walking
• Swelling
• Stiffness or difficulty in moving

Common Back Injuries

Some accident injuries are more serious and cause severe and persistent physical pain than others. Knowledge of the severity of your back injury may help you in recovering sooner. Below are some of the common injuries you can sustain from an accident injuring the back:

• Sprain or strain. This injury causes aches or stiffness that affect your upper arm, shoulder, back or neck. When you have a pinched nerve, you might also experience shooting pain in your hand or fingers.
• Torn or ruptured disc. A disc herniation happens when a disc moves from its stable place. When it compresses the spinal cord or nerves, it can result in severe pain in the lower back and numbness in the legs. This injury can also cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, or pain in the shoulders or arms.
• Spinal cord injuries (SCI). Spinal cord injury cases may cause you to experience a loss of sensation in some parts of your body, and you might be unable to control functions like your bladder, bowels, or sexual functions. A spinal injury can also cause involuntary muscle spasms. 
• Whiplash. It is the most common type of injury sustained during a rear-ended car accident. It happens when your torso jerks forward and your lower extremities remain restrained in the car seat. Whiplash involves damage to soft tissues such as muscles, ligaments, and tendons in the neck and back, creating severe pain.
• Lumbar sprain. While the pain related to a lumbar sprain can go away on its own. An incorrectly treated lumbar sprain can lead to nerve damage in the muscle tissue, leading to intense pain and preventing the victim from using their full range of motion.
• Spinal stenosis. According to the Spine Institute, leaving spinal stenosis untreated can lead to severe nerve damage to the lower half of the body, with numbness and pinching pain appearing on the knees, thighs, and buttocks. In addition, the symptoms may spread to nearby areas like the arms and shoulders.
• Spondylolisthesis/spinal fracture. This happens when one of the bones in the spine (vertebra) slips out of position. This can cause lower back pain. Most often, these kinds of spine injuries can be solved through non-surgical treatment. Although, if the case is severe, surgery is needed. 
• Paralysis. Defined as an inability to perform voluntary motions and movements due to loss of muscle control, paralysis is usually the result of an accident in which the head, brain, and spinal cord were severely injured. Depending on the type of bodily paralysis suffered, it can lead to the loss of motor function of one or more muscle groups severely lowering the quality of life of the victim.

The Cost of Having a Back Injury

If you sustain a back injury, your medical appointments and therapies may equate to missed workday/s, thus leading to lost wages. A delay in seeking help from a medical professional could lead to these internal injuries worsening over time. This could increase your chances of spending more on medical treatment.

The Good Body reports that Americans spend about $50 billion a year in medical expenses to treat back pain. Keep in mind that spinal injuries often persist for years, requiring ongoing therapy, medication, and time off work. Do not burden yourself with this alone; you must take legal action against the liable parties.

When Can Your Back Injury Lawyers Pursue Compensation?

As the injured party, your legal team of Bakersfield personal injury attorneys can seek financial compensation if another person’s negligence caused the accident that resulted in your physical injuries. Some types of negligence could be:

• Property owners or managers fail to provide a duty of care
• Distracted driving
• Substandard medical care
• Failure to recall a defective product
• Unsafe conditions in the workplace

Remember that insurance companies are never on your side. The at-fault party’s insurance provider will try to lower the financial liability of their client to lessen the cost of your personal injury claim. They may even try to low-ball you and avoid offering you a fair settlement. This is why you must seek the legal services of a personal injury attorney knowledgeable in these types of injuries. 

Experienced Bakersfield back injury lawyers will fight for your rights by filing a claim for damages and guide you through the whole process. We will fight to ensure that you get the maximum compensation from the responsible party. 

Compensation Available in a Back Injury Claim

Suffering from a back injury can cause undue emotional distress to both the victim and their family members. As your back injury lawyers, we have the knowledge and legal resources to help you determine the current and future economic costs of a back injury. Among the damages we will recover for you are:

• Past, present, and future medical costs
• Emergency care
• Rehabilitative or other physical or occupational therapies
• Pain and suffering
• Diminished earning capacity
• Loss of income
• Loss of consortium
• Burial expenses
• Funeral expenses
• Loss of companionship
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Temporary/permanent disability
• Long-term care (such as home care or assisted living)
• Emotional pain
• Property damage
• Punitive damages

What Can Affect a Back Injury Claim Value?

Although the value of back injury claims is determined by the severity of the plaintiff’s injuries, two factors will most likely affect the amount of the compensatory damages you will receive:

• Failure to mitigate damages: After sustaining a back injury, you are expected to minimize any further harm by taking appropriate action to lessen the damage. If you fail to do this, you will provide an opportunity for the defendant’s insurance adjuster to reduce a significant portion of damages.
• Comparative negligence: The Comparative Negligence Law states that if you were found partially at fault for the accident, your compensation amount will be reduced by the percentage you were responsible for.

If you have any doubts, do not hesitate to contact us. Our back injury attorneys will answer your questions. We are available 24/7.

Contact Farahi Law Firm

Have you or a loved one sustained a back injury due to someone else’s negligence? You are entitled to fair compensation for your economic and non-economic damages. 

Contact Farahi Law Firm. Our personal injury lawyers have years of experience in Bakersfield. We offer a contingency basis of a no-fee guarantee, so you don’t have to spend a dime unless we win your case. Call us at (661) 669-7239 for a free confidential consultation.