Although the two are spoken of interchangeably, a back injury and a spinal cord injury are actually two different conditions. The spinal cord, specifically, is the bundle of nerves that stretches down through the vertebral bones which make up the spinal column in your back.
A spinal cord injury occurs when the spinal cord is damaged by direct trauma to the cord itself, or when the bones and soft tissues and vessels surrounding it are damaged. This can cause weakness and loss of feeling at and below the point of injury. The symptoms you experience depend on where along the cord you are injured. The severity of the injury depends on whether the entire cord is severely injured (complete) or only partially injured (incomplete). In most people who suffer a spinal cord injury, the cord remains intact. The most severe, non-fatal cases of spinal cord injury cause paralysis of the arms and legs (quadriplegia) and paralysis of the lower half of the body (paraplegia).
A back injury occurs to the bones of the spine (vertebrae), the cushioning discs between those bones, or to the ligaments, muscles or other soft tissues. One or more of the vertebrae can be broken without causing a spinal cord injury, but that doesn’t mean these injuries are any less painful. Sprained or strained ligaments and muscles, or damaged or irritated nerves in the back, can result in acute pain at the time of the injury or soon after. A torn or ruptured inter-vertebral disc causes acute pain that may become chronic. If the tear in the disc is severe enough, the disc herniates and presses against (impinges upon) a nerve resulting in long-term pain and impairment.
Understanding the extent of your impairment after your car accident, work accident, or slip-and-fall accident causes a back or spinal cord injury is essential to your legal case and settlement. Our years of working with personal injury victims in New Jersey gives us detailed insight into the devastating impact these injuries have on you and your family.
Building Your Case and Telling Your Story
Getting fair compensation for a back or spinal cord injury case requires lots of time and patience. We know this from experience and will not allow you to be rushed into a settlement. We make sure you know where your case stands and work to inform you of all your options as they develop.
The long-term effects of your injury are initially hard to assess because you actually need to heal before a doctor can determine what symptoms are permanent. Naturally, more severe injuries need more time to heal. Proper diagnosis and treatment can require ongoing trips to a doctor or other medical professional.
Our Lodi legal team consults with doctors, therapists, economists and other experts to construct a clear picture of your injury, the treatment it requires and/or modifications needed while you are living with the aftermath of the injury. In addition, we will work with you and your family and friends, to talk about how the accident and injury has changed your quality of life.
No amount of money can eliminate the suffering, lingering pain and often irreversible damage caused by severe back or spinal cord injuries, but as your attorneys, we fight to ensure you or your loved one receives proper medical care and ongoing treatment. We understand the importance of obtaining a financial settlement that will allow you to recover.
Talk to us before you sign or settle anything with an insurance company! We will make sure that you get what you need to get your life back to normal.
The Law Offices of Peter N. Davis and Associates are Lodi back injury lawyers and service communities such as Lodi, Newark, and Passaic. Our staff has more than 60 years of combined law experience and welcome personal injury cases such as car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, workers’ compensation and premises liability. To schedule a consultation with one of our practicing attorneys, please give us a call at 973-279-7246 or complete our inquiry contact form.