Back Injury at Work in Houston

worker dressed in blue and gray uniform laying on steps holding lower back in pain

When you hurt your back at work, it affects more than your ability to do your job. Because of the unfortunate work injury, you may suddenly find yourself facing a pile of medical bills, unable to work, and unable to take care of tasks around the home and enjoy life as you used to know it. It can be a highly difficult time for you and your family. The Callahan Law Firm is here to help.

For more than 25 years, we have helped injured workers in Houston and throughout Texas rebuild their lives by seeking the compensation they are due from those responsible for their injuries. If you suffered a back injury at work, count on us to thoroughly investigate your case and help you explore all your legal options, including pursuing a personal injury claim.

You have one chance to get justice. The choice is yours. Call or reach us online today and get started with a free consultation.

How Often Do Back Injuries at Work Happen?

Back injuries at work happen all the time in Houston and throughout the state of Texas. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that work-related musculoskeletal disorders involving the back, or injuries or illnesses caused by overexertion or repetitive motion, account for more than one-third of the injuries in that category every year. The injuries include soft-tissue injuries such as strains, sprains, tears, disc herniations, and potentially worse.

According to the BLS, work-related back injuries are especially common among workers in fields such as manufacturing and construction as well as healthcare.

What Are the Common Types of Back Injuries Employees Suffer?

Any job carries a risk of back injury. It can be caused by a traumatic blow, fall, or sudden exertion. The condition could also be attributed, in part, to a condition that has grown worse over the years, or a degenerative condition, which is then exacerbated by a workplace accident.

Some of the most common types of back injuries we encounter among workers include:

Herniated discs
Bulging discs
Fractures of one or more vertebrae
Nerve damage
Paralysis including paraplegia and quadriplegia
Crushing injuries
Lumbar strains and sprains
Cervical strains and sprains
Torn ligaments and other soft-tissue damage

Regardless of the type of back injury you suffer in a Houston workplace accident, you should explore all your options for seeking maximum compensation. The first step is to consult with a lawyer who understands these injuries, the impact they can have on people’s lives, and the options for recovering compensation.

What Are the Symptoms of Back Pain?

Regardless of where you work or the type of work you do, you should pay close attention to signs of a back injury. The sooner you detect an injury, the quicker you can get medical attention. You may also need to report the injury to your employer promptly to preserve your right to recover certain types of compensation.

Some of the most common symptoms of a back injury are:

Throbbing or sharp constant pain in your back
Weakness, numbness, or tingling that radiates into the shoulders and arms
Weakness, numbness, or tingling that radiates into the hips and legs
Pain that radiates from the back to other parts of the body
Trouble with standing or sitting for prolonged periods

If you notice any of these symptoms, you should consult with a medical professional right away and give notice to your employer.

How Are Back Injuries Treated?

If you go to a doctor with a suspected back injury from work, you can expect the doctor to order one or more tests, initially, to find out what is wrong with you and to come up with a treatment plan. The tests may include an X-ray, CT scan, MRI, or nerve conduction study, for example.

Based on what the tests show, a doctor may recommend treatments such as:

Physical therapy
Pain management
Epidural steroid injections
Facet joint injections
Radiofrequency ablation
Surgery, to repair or replace a damaged disc

The costs of treating a workplace back injury can quickly become very expensive. That is why it is crucial to seek help from an experienced Houston workplace injury lawyer who can seek maximum compensation for your past and future medical expenses, lost wages and other damages. At The Callahan Law Firm, our goal will be to give you peace of mind by knowing that your medical bills will be paid and that you can get the treatment you need for your injured back.

Can You Recover Compensation for a Workplace Back Injury?

If your workplace back injury is covered by workers’ compensation insurance, then your options will be limited when it comes to recovering damages from your employer. In terms of a claim against your employer, you are typically limited to workers’ compensation benefits provided through the state-regulated workers’ comp system.

However, those benefits all too often fall short of covering the full range of harm that a person has suffered because of an on-the-job injury. For this reason, it is crucial to work with an attorney who will work hard to determine if you can go beyond workers’ comp to recover compensation for your back injury.

For example, in Texas if your employer does not carry workers’ compensation insurance and your injury was caused by the negligence of your employer or a co-worker, you could bring a personal injury claim against your employer. This is known as a “non-subscriber” claim. Damages you can claim include medical care expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, physical impairment, and potentially more.

Additionally, if a person or company who caused the injury is not your employer, you may have a “third party” claim that can be made against that party. In a third-party claim, damages that can be sought include economic damages (primarily medical care expenses and lost income), non-economic damages (such as pain, suffering, and impairment), and even exemplary damages, or damages awarded to punish and deter wrongful conduct.

Who could be liable for a workplace back injury? Depending on the facts of your case, additional third-party claims should be considered against negligent drivers, property owners, equipment manufacturers, and negligent contractors.

Get Help from a Houston Workplace Injury Lawyer Today

Dealing with a work-related back injury can be stressful enough. Don’t make matters more stressful by trying to seek compensation on your own. Instead, get help today from the experienced and dedicated Houston work injury lawyers at The Callahan Law Firm. We can review your case and help you to understand all options available to you, including a potential third-party claim.