Back or Spinal Cord Injury

Get an experienced car accident lawyer who can handle your claim

Some of the most serious car accident injuries involve injuries to the back and spine. In an instant, your life can change forever due to a serious back or spinal cord injury sustained in a car accident caused by another driver. When this happens, it’s important that you get the medical care you need to properly treat your injury.

Medical expenses can add up fast in such cases. Often, you might not be able to work for several weeks or perhaps ever again due to your injury. You should be focused on getting the best medical treatment possible, not whether you can afford to. That’s our job. That’s why we want to meet with you right away.

Attorney Stephen A. Longo has years of experience working with injury victims and their families. As a result, he and his legal team at The Longo Firm, LLC, in Colorado Springs know how to find the evidence needed to build the strongest possible legal case. That way, you can focus on what matters most – your recovery.

What are common back injuries?

Back injuries sustained in a car accident can cover a wide range, including:

Strained back muscles.
Nerve damage to the back.
Fractured vertebrae.
Stress fractures that move the vertebrae out of place, a medical condition known as spondylolisthesis.

Many other types of back injuries are common. In each case, it’s critical that you have your injury identified and treated as soon as possible. That way, you can hopefully fully recover in a timely manner.

What are common spinal cord injuries?

Many back injuries involve injuries to the spine. These are some of the most serious car accident injuries that can result in a permanent disability. This includes paralysis, which can result in the loss of movement below the spinal cord injury.

Depending on the location and severity of the spinal cord injury, victims may have one of the following types of paralysis:

Partial paralysis, meaning the person can still move parts of their body below the injury location due to an incomplete spinal cord injury.
Complete paralysis, meaning the person cannot move any part of the body below the injury location since the spinal cord is completely severed. In such cases, there are two, common types of complete paralysis:
Paraplegia (paralysis of the legs and lower part of the body, meaning the person can still move their arms)
Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia (paralysis from the neck down, meaning the person cannot move their legs or arms)

Every spinal cord injury is different. No two are ever exactly the same. That’s why it’s important that your injury is properly diagnosed right away. That way, you can receive the medical treatment need for your specific injury.

How do I know if I have a back or spinal cord injury?

The only way to know for sure if you have a back or spinal cord injury, along with the severity of your injury, is to have an experienced doctor diagnose exactly what’s wrong. Medical professionals often use a wide range of medical tests to determine if you have an injury to your back or spine. Such diagnostic tests often include X-Rays and MRIs.

It’s also important to pay attention to possible symptoms or warning signs of a serious back injury. Such symptoms often include:

Severe back pain.
Numbness or loss of feeling in certain parts of your body.
Difficulty walking or standing up.
Difficulty breathing or pain in the chest when breathing.

You know your body best. If something doesn’t feel right, seek immediate medical attention, including even going to a hospital emergency room right away if you suspect you have a spinal cord injury. Such injuries can be life threatening and sometimes require immediate medical care.

How much is my injury claim worth?

There’s no set dollar amount when it comes to spinal cord injury claims. However, the financial impact of a back injury can often be much higher than other claims due to the severity of your injuries. What matters most is you should be paid for all your accident-related expenses, now and in the future. Such expenses can include:

Vehicle repair or replacement costs.
Emergency medical care.
Surgical procedures.
Follow-up doctor’s appointments.
Physical therapy.
Follow-up surgery.
Prescription pain medications.
Home modifications due to a permanent disability, including paralysis.
In-home medical care in certain circumstances.
Replacement income if you cannot work while you’re recovering from your injury.
Lost future income if you cannot return to work due to a permanent disability.

The stakes are high in many back injury cases. Insurance companies know this. That’s why they often do everything they can to reduce or deny claims involving back or spinal cord injuries.

It is critical that you have an experienced attorney on your side. Your lawyer can find evidence demonstrating the other driver was at fault, which is essential for obtaining compensation in states with a fault-based insurance system. Colorado and Arizona, for example, have such a system, which requires the at-fault party (which is often the at-fault driver’s insurance company) to compensate injury victims.

Take a stand after your accident. Contact us.

Don’t underestimate the complexity of your legal case. If you don’t take a stand, you could end up having to pay for your accident-related expenses out of your own pocket, even though you didn’t do anything wrong.

Attorney Longo knows how to handle tough legal cases. He thrives on fighting for injury victims and making sure their rights are respected. You can count on him to always put your best interests first. If you have a question about your case, you can call attorney Longo directly anytime on his personal phone. We work this way because we believe we should be accessible on your terms.

Get the law firm that gets results. Contact us and schedule your free case evaluation. We can meet with you in our office, your hospital room, your home or wherever’s convenient for you. You decide. We’re simply here to help you get your life back on track after your back or spinal cord injury.