Personal Injury and Chronic Back Pain
Personal injuries are commonly the result of slips and falls, automobile crashes, workplace accidents, and medical malpractice. Personal injuries can cause a lot of pain, in addition to emotional and financial damages. When another person or party is responsible for a personal injury, victims have the right to pursue financial compensation for related losses.
Determining the damages in a personal injury case can be complicated, especially when injury effects are ongoing, as is the case with personal injuries resulting in chronic back pain. Personal injury lawyers at the Foley Law Firm, which serves Scranton, PA, Stroudsburg, PA, Wilkes-Barre, PA, and surrounding areas, understand the long-term losses caused by chronic back pain, and they are prepared to assist their clients in pursuing maximum compensation for damages.
When Is Pain Considered Chronic?
Most personal injuries cause some degree of pain or discomfort. However, pain usually diminishes over time, as injuries heal. Unfortunately, some injuries are more complex and can lead to chronic pain. Pain is generally considered chronic when it lasts for three months or longer. Pain may be consistent or it can come and go, leading to routine flare-ups.
Back Injuries that Can Lead to Chronic Back Pain
Chronic pain is especially common following accidents that result in back injuries. The muscles, tendons, and spinal cord that run along the back control a wide range of movements, so injuries to these areas can cause pain when a person is sitting, walking, or performing other routine activities. Back injuries can often take longer to heal, which is another reason that pain tends to persist. Back injuries that are likely to result in chronic pain include:
- Herniated discs
- Pinched nerves
- Facet joint injuries
- Sciatica
- Spondylolisthesis
- Spinal stenosis
Treating Chronic Back Pain
There is no easy cure for chronic back pain. However, there are treatments that encourage healing and help individuals deal with painful flare-ups. Chronic back pain sufferers are likely to require multiple types of treatment, many of which are ongoing. Some of the most common treatments for chronic back pain include:
- Physical therapy
- Epidural injections
- Massage
- Chiropractic treatment
- Medication
- Surgery
Damages for Personal Injuries Resulting in Chronic Back Pain
The damages in cases involving personal injuries resulting in chronic back pain are widespread. These types of injuries can affect a person’s physical, emotional, and financial well-being. When our lawyers are seeking compensation for clients who are dealing with chronic back pain we consider the damages they have already suffered, as well as those they are likely to suffer in the future. Potential areas of compensation include:
- Medical expenses
- Cost of ongoing therapy and/or rehabilitation
- Cost of prescription medication
- Cost of any assistive medical devices (cane, walker, wheelchair, etc.)
- Lost wages
- Diminished wage earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Diminished quality of life
Contact Our Law Firm
Personal injury attorneys at the Foley Law Firm have assisted numerous people in collecting financial compensation for damages related to chronic back pain, and they’d like to do the same for you. To discuss the details of your case with our legal team, contact our law firm online, or call (570) 424-1757.