Back Injury Questions

Serving West Virginia and Ohio, including Parkersburg, Charleston, Morgantown, Huntington, Wheeling, Belpre, and Athens

What exactly is injured when you hurt your back?

Back injuries can impact any of the following:

• Muscles
• Bones of the spine
• Cartilage pads between the spinal bones (vertebrae)
• Nerves that run through the vertebrae
• The spinal cord itself

The most severe back injuries are to the spinal cord. For the spinal cord to be injured, the spinal bones that encase it have to be injured. All things being equal, the spinal cord is well-protected by the vertebrae. But when these bones are knocked out of alignment or cracked, the spinal cord is easily damaged.

When the nerves are damaged, intense pain can result, as well as numbness or paralysis. This pain, numbness or paralysis would be experienced in the part of the body the damaged nerve runs to. Back muscles can be injured without the nerves or spinal cord being hurt, and these would be comparatively minor injuries.

What is the spinal cord?

The spinal cord is a long cluster of nerve cells and nerve fibers known as axons, which run from the brain through the spinal column (the backbone) to about waist level. Along with the brain, the spinal cord comprises the central nervous system. It sends messages from the brain such as "Catch that ball!" and brings information back to the brain, such as "Ouch! That's hot!"

How does a spinal cord injury affect the body?

In general, a spinal cord injury will impair sensation (e.g. temperature, texture, and wind), movement, or both. Depending on which part of the spinal cord is damaged, the results will be noticed in different areas of the body. There are four sections of the spinal cord, each one controlling a different part of the body:

• Cervical - the top eight vertebrae enclose this section and the nerves running out through these vertebrae from the spinal cord control the neck, shoulders, arms, hands, back of the head, and diaphragm. Read more about neck injuries.
• Thoracic - the next twelve vertebrae, whose nerves control the torso and some parts of the arms.
• Upper Lumbar - the next five vertebrae, whose nerves control the hips and legs.
• Sacral - the lowest five vertebrae, whose nerves control some parts of the legs, the groin and the toes. The sacral bones are fused together, rather than being separated by cushioning pads.

A complete spinal injury causes paralysis and lack of sensation in the body from that point downwards. Quadriplegia is the term for paralysis of both arms and both legs; paraplegia refers to paralysis of both legs.

A partial spinal injury allows the patient to move or feel with one limb more than the other and creates a one-of-a-kind impairment, each person's injury being unique to him.

How can your lawyers help me after I have suffered a back injury?

If your back injury was caused by the negligence of another, the attorneys at Jan Dils & Jim Leach, Attorneys at Law can help you receive compensation for your damages. We have handled many back injury claims, and we understand the complex issues involved in these cases. We will carefully investigate the events of your accident in order to prove negligence, and we will work with experts to demonstrate the extent of your damages so that you receive a fair settlement. We will fight aggressively to recover damages for:

• Current and future medical expenses
• Rehabilitation costs
• Lost wages
• Diminished earning capacity
• Diminished quality of life
• Pain and suffering

Please contact our West Virginia and Ohio back injury lawyers today to schedule your free initial consultation. Our back injury lawyer represent back injury victims throughout West Virginia and Southern Ohio including the communities of Belpre, Parkersburg, Wheeling, Athens, Morgantown, Charleston, and Huntington.

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