Your Accident Result in a Herniated Disc? Consult a Cook County Back Injury Lawyer Today!
Spinal discs are like shock absorbers between the bones (vertebrae) in the spine. These round “pillows” can tear, rupture or herniate, becoming a painful bulge. If left untreated, a bulging disc can cause tremendous pain and lead to further complications. Often, disabling neck or back injuries and pain to other parts of the body are the result of pinched vertebral nerves. If you suffered a herniated disc in an accident that was caused by someone else, you may be eligible for compensation. For more information on your legal options, request a free case evaluation with a Cook County back injury lawyer at our firm.
Quite a few accidents can cause a herniated or bulging disc. Some of the more common accidents may include:
- Motor vehicle wrecks;
- Lifting heavy objects and repeated twisting of the back;
- Falls, either due to slips or from heights;
- Lower lumbar strain when a person does not have proper back support;
- Continued exposure to vibration, such as heavy equipment drivers or using jackhammers; and
- Long periods of sitting such as commercial drivers or continuous work at a computer.
Injury Claims for Herniated or Ruptured Discs
There are several ways a justifiably injured accident victim could be paid compensation if a herniated disc from an accident was caused by someone’s negligence.
- Medical malpractice – Some legal claims could involve misdiagnosis, such as failure to diagnose a bulging or herniated disc or a diagnosis of a less serious condition. Or it can be properly diagnosed, but the patient receives the wrong treatment, substandard treatment or lack of follow-up treatments. If the patient is on pain medication, then he or she might be the victim of a prescription error or some other form of medical negligence may be present.
- Accident injury – Many disc injuries can result from a vehicle or slip-and-fall accident where another person or entity caused the mishap that resulted in this “soft tissue” damage. Though disc injuries might often be viewed as “whiplash”, that doesn’t mean that the injured victim isn’t in pain, can work or won’t face months or years of recovery. The common avenue to compensation is a traditional personal injury lawsuit unless the injury occurs at your job, in which case it would be an at-work injury.
- At work injury – Many injury claims for soft-tissue back injuries can arise from an on-the-job accident. When this happens, workers’ compensation is likely the most practical avenue to compensation. Workers’ comp does not pay the full value of the total injury damages that one might have when filing a civil claim or case. But it typically pays quicker than civil litigation – an avenue not usually open to workers injured on the job. There might be third-party exceptions, so discuss the possibilities with your lawyer.
One of the problems that arises when trying to prove your injury case has merit is your ability to document a direct correlation between the injury and the accident. This is because some disc injuries can be chronic and may have been lurking without symptoms for years. Insurance companies typically try to prove the accident you were involved in is not the cause of your herniated or bulging discs — that you had this condition all along or maybe suffered your injury playing sports years ago.
We Help Disc Injury Victims Obtain Compensation for Their Losses
Seek legal help from a law firm that can investigate your claim properly, then build a strong case to help you get rightful, fair compensation for medical bills, lost current and future income, pain and suffering, disability, and other damages. If you or a family member suffered a disc injury or any serious back injury as a result of an accident, Buttafuoco and Associates’ experienced injury lawyers are happy to evaluate your case without charge. Contact us anytime by calling 1-800-NOW-HURT.
