Herniated Disc

You are moving into a second-floor walk-up in a gorgeous Victorian home. You and a buddy extract an overstuffed armchair from the back of the moving truck and start up the staircase. Because you’re walking backward, you have to feel your way from riser to riser with one foot. About midway up, you hear a sickening crack. You overreact, twisting sharply to look behind you. A painful spasm radiates through your lower back as you fall to one knee, your foot stuck in the collapsed stair step. Your friend practically has to carry you downstairs and then takes you to a nearby emergency room. After x-rays and a couple of high-tech tests, your physician diagnoses a herniated disc.

What Is a Herniated Disc?

Also called a bulging or a slipped disc, a herniated disc is a type of injury that occurs along your spinal column, often in the lower, or lumbar, section of your back. Your spine is composed of vertebrae interconnected with soft, flexible discs that cushion the bone, absorb shock and promote flexibility of the spinal column. A traumatic injury can cause the hard shell of the disc to rupture. The soft contents bulge out, exerting pressure on the surrounding nerves and causing significant pain.

What Causes This Condition?

People can experience slipped discs due to normal deterioration over time. A traumatic back injury can also do this type of damage. A slip and fall or a blow to the back can result in tiny cracks where the spongy material bulges through. A rapid, wrenching movement can also create tears and herniation.

What Is the Treatment for a Herniated Disc?

Once you get a diagnosis, your doctor may recommend short bed rest if your pain is severe. Heat wraps plus pain relievers can help in managing less debilitating pain. Typically, your slipped disc will heal on its own, but it may take several months. During this time, you may experience numbness in your lumbar region and your legs, sciatica, and loss of strength in affected areas.

What Happens if Someone Else is Responsible?

In the above scenario, your injury was the result of an unsafe staircase in your rental premises. Because your landlords were not proactive in fixing the hazard, they are probably liable to pay for your damages. Due to the specific legal requirements, statutes of limitations and variations in state law, your best strategy in such a case is to seek the guidance of a local personal injury attorney.

Legal compensation for a disc injury caused by unsafe premises, a car accident, assault or another action by another party, whether unintentional or on purpose, is always financial. Some of the damages that qualify for compensation include:

• Medical bills
• Ambulance charges
• Loss of wages
• Loss of future earnings
• Disability costs
• Physical therapy costs
• Loss of consortium with a spouse

In many cases, your experienced lawyer can negotiate a satisfactory settlement with the responsible party without taking your case to court. However, your lawyer should be fully prepared to present your case to a judge if necessary.

Rizio Lipinsky Heiting Can Help

When you are blindsided by an injury accident, you need dedicated, conscientious legal help to get the compensation you deserve. Call us at Rizio Lipinsky Heiting in California at 888-292-8888, or fill out our contact form to arrange a free initial consultation now. You should not have to suffer financially because of somebody else’s errors in judgment.