If your back sustains trauma, one of the discs that cushion your spinal vertebrae can become damaged, allowing its soft inner material to push through the tougher outer layer. A herniated disc can cause pain, numbness, weakness, and other symptoms when it irritates or compresses nearby nerves. If you suffered this injury because of another party’s negligent or wrongful conduct, a personal injury lawyer can help you understand your legal options and pursue compensation for medical expenses and other losses.
What Are Herniated Discs?
Your spine is made up of 33 bones called vertebrae, which form the spinal canal. Intervertebral discs sit between many of these vertebrae and act as cushions and shock absorbers while helping the spine move and remain flexible.
Intervertebral discs have tough outer rings and soft, gel-like centers. A herniated disc occurs when some of the soft inner material pushes through a tear in the tougher outer layer. If the herniated material presses on or irritates nearby nerves, it can cause pain and other symptoms.
The symptoms of a herniated disc can depend on where along your spine the injury occurs, but they can include:
- Numbness or tingling
- Leg or arm pain
- Weakness
- Unsteadiness when walking
Herniated discs often develop gradually because of age-related wear and tear. They can also occur after lifting, twisting, or other movements that place stress on the spine. In some cases, trauma such as a fall or a blow to the back can cause a disc to herniate.
Treating Herniated Discs
The severity of the injury will impact the type of treatments you may need. Some people only need to avoid painful movements and take over-the-counter pain medications. Your doctor can also offer prescription nerve pain medicine as well as muscle relaxants to address muscle spasms.
Opioids will generally be avoided unless other treatments fail to offer relief from the pain. There is also the option of steroid injections if oral medications are not as effective as necessary.
You may need physical therapy to help you recover your range of motion and ease your pain. The right exercises can strengthen your core and make it easier to move.
The majority of people don’t need to undergo surgery, but it may be recommended if the pain doesn’t improve with more conservative measures, you have severe muscle weakness, or you have bladder or bowel control problems. Surgery will generally involve removing the part of the disc that is causing the symptoms. Only rarely is the whole disc removed.
Pursuing Legal Action After a Herniated Disc
What legal steps can you take if you sustained a herniated disc as a result of negligence? For example, if you were driving your car and another driver violated Florida’s right-of-way laws, causing an accident at an intersection, can you take action against them? What if a property owner doesn’t address a broken stair step, leading you to lose your footing and fall?
When another party causes you harm as a result of negligent or wrongful conduct, you may be entitled to begin a personal injury claim. In the above car accident example, you would need to prove that your injury meets Florida’s serious injury threshold to recover pain and suffering and other non-economic damages from the at-fault party.
For other types of negligence claims, you will generally need to show that the other party owed you a duty of care and breached it, causing the herniated disc and resulting damages you suffered.
How Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help in a Florida Claim
To have the best chance to obtain fair compensation, whether beginning a claim after a crash, fall, or assault, you may benefit from having an attorney by your side. Personal injury lawyers know how to gather pertinent evidence and calculate your losses, including medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
They will negotiate aggressively with insurance companies. This is often one of the most difficult aspects of personal injury claims. Insurers may try to minimize your compensation, but your legal team can counter their tactics. If reaching a settlement isn’t possible, your team can take the case to court.
Often, people who have suffered painful injuries, like herniated discs, and have had to pay for medical assistance, are wary of needing to spend more money to hire an attorney. Personal injury lawyers charge a percentage of the recovery when they work on a contingency fee basis, meaning attorney’s fees are generally not owed unless compensation is recovered.
Speak With a Florida Personal Injury Lawyer at Workman Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers About Your Herniated Disc Claim
If you sustained a herniated disc because of another party’s negligence or wrongful conduct, you may be entitled to pursue compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses.
At Workman Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers, our attorneys can evaluate your case, explain your legal options, and help you pursue the compensation available under Florida law. Contact our Florida personal injury attorneys today at (954) 361-3997 to schedule a free consultation and learn how we can help with your herniated disc claim.