Back Injuries

Montgomery County Back Injury Attorney

Back injuries are extremely common. Indeed, the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) reports that more than half of all working age Americans complain of back pain each year. Overall, Americans collectively spend $50 billion per year treating their back problems. Not only are back injuries expensive for victims, but they can be extraordinarily painful and sometimes even completely debilitating. This means that many back injury sufferers are kept out of work, unable to earn a paycheck.

If your back injury was caused by the negligence of another party, whether a driver, a business owner or anyone else, you deserve fair compensation for your damages. Unfortunately, actually obtaining that compensation can be challenging. Back injuries are notoriously difficult to diagnose and document. While a broken leg can be clearly displayed on an x-ray, there is no such definitive test that can clearly establish the severity of a back injury. If you have suffered severe back damage, you need to work with an experienced Norristown back injury attorney who can help you fight for the full and fair compensation you rightfully deserve.

Common Types of Back Injuries

Back injuries come in a wide variety of forms. These injuries can vary considerably in both severity and the anticipated recovery time. In some cases, it may take weeks to recover from a back injury, in other cases, it may take years. Indeed, sometimes, a full recovery is not possible, and a victim will have permanent effects from their back pain. It is imperative that back injury victims are able to receive a proper diagnosis. Not only will this allow them to receive the appropriate type of treatment, but it is also necessary to seek legal compensation. Some of the most common types of back injuries that our attorneys have seen include:

  • A ruptured or herniated disc;
  • A bulging or collapsed disc;
  • Lower back muscle strains;
  • Neck area strains;
  • Soft tissue damage from whiplash (car accidents);
  • Spinal cord damage; and
  • Fractured vertebrae.

Legal Liability in Pennsylvania Back Injury Cases

Back injuries can occur in a seemingly endless number of different ways. Ultimately, proving liability for a back injury claim will always require a thorough investigation of the specific facts of the case. However, there are some important overriding principles that will apply. In Pennsylvania, liability for personal injury claims, including back injury claims, is typically established under the state’s negligence standard. This means that in order to hold another party liable for your back injury damages, you will need to be able to prove that their negligence contributed to your accident.

What constitutes negligence? It depends. Your attorney will need to examine the relationship that you had with the defendant in order to determine what duty they had to look out for your safety. Then, your attorney will need to determine if, and how, the defendant breached that legal duty. If you can prove causation between their breach of duty and your damages, you will be able to recover compensation for your back injury.

How Much is a Back Injury Case Worth?

There is no definitive answer to this question. In Pennsylvania, back injury victims, like all other personal injury victims, are entitled to compensation that accounts for the full extent of their losses. As such, all back injuries cases are unique. The amount of compensation that you can recover will always depend on the individual circumstances of your case. Our Philadelphia back injury attorneys will work aggressively to help you seek recovery for any of the following:

  • Emergency medical expenses;
  • General medical bills;
  • Cost of medication and medical equipment;
  • Rehabilitative treatment;
  • Lost current and future wages;
  • Pain and suffering;
  • Short-term and long-term disability; and
  • Loss of life enjoyment.

Beware of Insurance Companies

Most back injury victims are required to seek compensation from an insurance company. Whether your back was injured in a car accident or after a slip and fall at a Montgomery County business, you need to be ready to deal with insurance adjusters. In some cases, back injury victims may even be dealing with their own insurer. Regardless, there is one critically important rule that must be kept at the forefront of your mind: The insurance company is never on your side. Ultimately, insurers are simply looking out for their own bottom line. One of the ways that they can do that is by trying to settle your personal injury claim for far less than its true value, or, worse yet, they may improperly deny your claim outright. When dealing with insurance company representatives, please consider the following three important tips:

  1. Speak carefully, and stick to the facts: Insurance companies train their representatives to get you to say things that they can use against you. Whenever you are speaking to an insurance adjuster, you need to keep the conversations short and formal. Never give any opinions about your medical condition or the cause of your accident. Better yet, do not give a recorded statement at all. Let your lawyer do the talking.
  2. Do not sign anything without a lawyer: Your signature is very valuable. Never sign anything, including a release for your medical records, without first getting the document to a qualified lawyer for a review. Your lawyer will be able to tell you if signing the document is truly in your best interests.
  3. Do not settle without a lawyer: Finally, never settle your claim without first consulting with a lawyer. This is especially true if the insurance company seems eager to settle your claim. There is a reason that they want to get your claim settled so quickly. Why? Because they are almost certainly not offering you fair compensation.

Request Your Free Case Review Today

Serious back injuries can occur in many ways. No matter the cause of your accident, the experienced Montgomery County back injury lawyers at The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers can help protect your rights. To learn more about what our team can do for you, please do not hesitate to contact our Norristown office today by calling (267) 427-2620 or (877) 825-8542.

Norristown Office
Attorneys Gabriel Levin and John Mattiacci at The Levin Firm welcome the opportunity to meet and work with you.
Toll Free: 877.825.8542