Back Injury

Common Back Injuries After an Accident

Sprains and Strains

A sprain injures a ligament. A strain affects a muscle or tendon. These injuries can cause pain, stiffness, spasms, swelling, and limited movement. Some improve with time and care; others interfere with work or daily activities for months.

Herniated or Ruptured Discs

Discs cushion the bones of the spine. Trauma can cause disc material to bulge or push through the outer layer. When the disc irritates or presses on a nerve, the person may feel burning pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in an arm or leg.

Radiculopathy and Sciatica

Radiculopathy occurs when a spinal nerve root becomes irritated or compressed. Sciatica commonly describes pain that travels from the lower back through the buttock and down a leg. The pain may be sharp, burning, or electric.

Vertebral Fractures

A collision, fall, or crushing event can fracture one or more vertebrae. Some fractures are stable. Others can threaten the spinal cord and require surgery, bracing, or extended rehabilitation.

Aggravated Degeneration or Spinal Stenosis

Many adults have age-related changes in the spine before an accident. They may have had few symptoms or no limits at all. Trauma can make a previously manageable condition painful and disabling. The key legal question is not whether an older condition existed. It is whether the accident caused a new injury or made the prior condition worse.

When Back Pain Needs Prompt Medical Attention

A federal health agency lists common symptoms and reasons to see a doctor in its back pain guide. Seek prompt medical attention after an accident if you develop severe pain, increasing weakness, numbness, trouble walking, fever, loss of bladder or bowel control, or numbness around the groin or inner thighs.

This page gives general information, not medical advice. A doctor should diagnose the injury and recommend care.

How Accident-Related Back Injuries Happen

Car Accidents

Rear-end, side-impact, head-on, and rollover crashes can place sudden force on the neck and back. Our Houston car accident lawyers investigate the collision and the medical evidence instead of treating the injury as a diagnosis alone.

Truck and Commercial Vehicle Crashes

The weight and force involved in an 18-wheeler or commercial vehicle crash can cause fractures, disc injuries, spinal-cord damage, and permanent disability. These cases also require fast action to preserve company and vehicle evidence. Read how our Houston truck accident lawyer handles serious commercial-vehicle claims.

Falls, Construction Accidents, and Workplace Incidents

Falls from ladders, roofs, scaffolds, and elevated work areas can injure several levels of the spine. A jobsite injury may involve workers’ compensation, a claim against a non-subscriber employer, or a third-party claim. Our resources on Houston construction accident claims and Texas work injury cases explain these differences.

Texas does not require most private employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance. The Texas Department of Insurance employer guide explains the distinction between employers that carry coverage and non-subscribers.

Why an X-Ray May Not Tell the Whole Story

X-rays are useful for showing bones and certain fractures. They generally do not show discs, nerves, or many soft-tissue injuries the way an MRI can. The right imaging depends on the symptoms, examination, medical history, and the doctor’s judgment.

The American College of Radiology publishes imaging criteria for low back pain. These criteria help medical professionals decide when imaging may be appropriate. An insurer should not use one normal test as a shortcut for deciding that no injury exists.

How Insurance Companies Dispute Back Injury Claims

Insurers often dispute back injuries because pain and limits do not always show in a photograph. Common arguments include:

• The condition was caused by age or prior degeneration, not the accident.
• The person waited too long to seek treatment.
• A gap in care means the injury healed or was not serious.
• The vehicle damage was too small to cause the reported injury.
• The MRI finding was present before the accident.
• Surgery or future treatment is not related to the accident.
• The person can return to work without restrictions.

Greg’s perspective: The best answer to a causation argument is not a word like ‘severe.’ It is a clear timeline backed by records. Show what the person could do before the accident, what changed, what the medical findings show, and whether those changes continued.

Evidence That Can Strengthen a Back Injury Claim

• Emergency-room, urgent-care, and follow-up medical records
• Prior records that establish the person’s condition before the accident
• MRI, CT, and X-ray reports, when medically appropriate
• Treating-doctor opinions about diagnosis, causation, restrictions, and future care
• Physical therapy records and documented changes in strength or mobility
• Proof of missed work, reduced hours, or lost earning capacity
• Photographs, video, vehicle evidence, incident reports, and witness statements
• Specific examples of activities the person can no longer perform or must perform differently

A pain journal can help, but it should be honest and specific. ‘I could not sit through my daughter’s school program’ says more than writing ‘pain was 8 out of 10’ every day.

What If You Had Back Problems Before the Accident?

A prior back problem does not end a claim. An injured person may seek damages for a new injury or for a proven worsening of an old condition.

The insurer will usually examine old medical records. Trying to hide prior treatment can damage credibility. It is better to address it directly and show the difference between the person’s condition before and after the accident.

Compensation Available for a Texas Back Injury

The damages depend on the evidence and the effect of the injury. A claim may include:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
• Physical pain and mental anguish
• Physical impairment and disability
• Disfigurement, when applicable
• Other accident-related out-of-pocket losses

Texas uses a shared-fault rule. Your recovery is reduced by your share of fault. You cannot recover if your share is more than 50%. See Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 33.

Most Texas personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years, although exceptions can change the deadline. See Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code section 16.003. Waiting also makes it easier for records, video, and witnesses to disappear.

Baumgartner Law Firm’s Reported Back Injury Results

The value of a case depends on its facts. These prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome, but they show why liability and medical proof must be developed together.

You can review additional outcomes on our personal injury case results page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a car accident cause a herniated disc?

Yes. A collision can place sudden force on the spine and cause or aggravate a disc injury. Whether the accident caused the condition depends on the medical history, symptoms, examination, imaging, and the timing of the complaints.

Does a normal X-ray rule out a serious back injury?

No. X-rays are helpful for evaluating bones, but they do not show every disc, nerve, or soft-tissue injury. A medical professional should decide whether other testing is appropriate.

Can I make a claim if I already had back pain?

Possibly. You may pursue compensation when an accident causes a new injury or measurably aggravates an earlier condition. Prior and later medical records are often important in proving the difference.

What affects the value of a back injury claim?

The value depends on fault, medical proof, treatment, future care, lost income, daily limits, available insurance, and whether the injury will last. No honest lawyer can value the claim from a diagnosis alone.

Is a back injury automatically a catastrophic injury?

No. Many back injuries are painful but not catastrophic. An injury that causes paralysis, major nerve damage, or a lasting loss of independence may qualify as a catastrophic injury claim.

Should I give the other insurance company a recorded statement?

You should get legal advice before giving the other party’s insurer a recorded statement. The adjuster may ask questions about prior symptoms, treatment, fault, and daily activities that can later be used to challenge the claim.

How long do I have to file a Texas back injury lawsuit?

Most Texas personal injury lawsuits have a two-year filing deadline, but some claims have shorter notice requirements or different rules. Speak with a lawyer promptly rather than calculating the deadline from a general website.

Talk Directly With Greg Baumgartner

A serious back injury claim should be based on the full medical and personal picture, not an adjuster’s first impression. Baumgartner Law Firm has represented injured Texans since 1985. We keep a selective caseload so Greg can remain directly involved and clients can receive clear answers about their cases.

Call (281) 587-1111 or request a free consultation. There is no fee unless we recover compensation for you.