Neck & Back Injuries Attorney in
Santa Barbara County, California

Andrade Law Offices is ready to help people who have suffered neck or back injuries caused by the negligence of others. Trauma to the back or neck can cause the victim to suffer serious injuries that require extensive rehabilitation, or paralysis that dramatically affects one's independence. The most severe injuries to the neck and back damage the spinal cord, the primary link between the brain and the nerves and muscles that control the rest of the body.

A Santa Barbara personal injury attorney at our firm can help if you have suffered a significant back or neck injury in an accident that was not your fault. Our legal team assists accident victims with neck and back injuries that have occurred in car accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, falls, and other accidents. Let us review the specifics of your accident at no charge and explain your legal options. If we believe that the negligence of another person or business contributed to your injury, we will launch a full investigation.

We can work with you to obtain an insurance settlement that adequately covers your medical bills, lost income, and other losses. Contact our office today.

Common Causes of Neck & Back Injuries

Any trauma to the neck or back can cause damage and lasting injuries. Potential causes include:

• Car and motorcycle accidents. Whiplash is an injury commonly associated with rear-end car collisions. It is caused by a sudden jolt that whips the head back and forth. Usually whiplash injuries heal over time, but in some cases, a victim may be left dealing with chronic pain and stiffness. The sudden impact of a collision also can cause the wrenching of a car occupant's or motorcycle rider's back, as well as trauma from a direct blow.

• Falls. Slipping or tripping and falling, or being knocked down, can cause injury to the neck and back. The manner in which a victim lands, impact with the ground, and twisting during a fall can cause these injuries.

• Pedestrian and bicycle accidents. Being hit by a car combines the crush of the impact injury with the consequences of a fall. In the worst cases, the vehicle may run over a pedestrian or cyclist, crushing vertebrae and spinal cord.

• Sports and diving injuries. Injuries suffered while playing impact sports (football, soccer, rugby) or from diving into shallow water also can cause serious injuries to the neck or back.

Consequences of Back & Neck Injuries

The 33 vertebrae of the spine run the length of your neck and back and protect your spinal cord, the main link between your brain and the body's nervous system. A direct blow, sudden jolts, or twisting of your back or neck can cause soft tissue damage to muscle, tendons, ligaments, or spinal discs, or can fracture vertebra and tear the spinal cord.

Back and neck injuries can be hard to diagnose and treat successfully. A neck or back injury can cause chronic, immobilizing pain. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) says pain is the most common physical complaint resulting from back and neck injuries requiring medical care.

Damage to the spinal cord will cause loss of function, including paralysis. Even the swelling from damaged disks can impinge on the spinal cord and cause temporary loss of function. If the spinal cord is torn, this cannot be repaired. The victim will lose function from the point of the injury throughout the lower portion of their body.

Paralysis: Paraplegia & Quadriplegia

Spinal cord injuries are described as “incomplete” or “complete.” An incomplete injury is one in which some movement or sensation remains. A complete spinal cord injury results in total loss of feeling and control over body parts below the point of injury.

Paralysis is typically described as paraplegia when it affects all or part of the legs and/or pelvic organs, or tetraplegia (and sometimes “quadriplegia”) when it affects the arms, hands, trunk, legs, and pelvic organs. Because the loss of function is below the point of injury, a neck injury is more serious.

The loss of function and sensation due to paralysis can also cause:

• Bowel and bladder dysfunction

• Sexual dysfunction

• Blood pressure fluctuations

• Breathing problems

• Vulnerability to infection and illness

We Help Victims of Neck & Back Injuries
in Santa Barbara, California

The AAOS says that, in addition to billions of dollars spent in this country to treat back and neck injuries, billions more are lost every year due to the indirect costs of lost wages resulting from back pain forcing people out of work. If a back or neck injury causes paralysis, the cost to care for the accident victim will easily top one million dollars over the course of their lifetime.

When a serious neck or back injury was someone else's fault, the injured person has a right to seek compensation from the at-fault party or parties for their medical expenses and other losses, including pain and suffering. Andrade Law Offices assists accident victims by investigating their injuries and other losses, working to hold liable parties accountable.

Our Santa Barbara personal injury lawyers have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for deserving accident victims in Southern California. Now is the time to call for a free initial consultation about your case. In personal injury and wrongful death matters, you pay us nothing until we win your case.

Contact Andrade Law Offices today.