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Car Wreck Injuries: Back Injuries

Knoxville Attorney Assisting Motor Vehicle Accident Victims in East Tennessee

Back injuries are quite common in East Tennessee car wrecks. These kinds of injuries may occur in head-on collisions, rear-end crashes, or T-bone accidents. They may range from very mild bruises to disc herniation or even spinal cord damage and paralysis. The treatment and therapy for back injuries may be significant, and in serious injury cases, the cost may rise to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Knoxville car wreck lawyer Mark Hartsoe is ready to provide aggressive representation if you have been hit by a careless driver.

Bringing a Claim for Back Injuries After a Car Wreck

Although there are many safety features installed in today's cars, including seat belts and airbags, back injuries are common. Your back is composed of muscles, tendons, and ligaments that are interconnected with your spinal cord, discs, and vertebrae. The vertebrae are separated by discs that serve as shock absorbers for the vertebrae, and behind them is the spine. Nerve endings surround both the vertebrae and the spine.

If a nerve ending comes into contact with damaged soft tissue or a herniated disc, it may cause excruciating pain. Since all of these parts are interconnected, damage to any part of the back, even just a single disc, may have repercussions for other parts of the back and your overall health.

Common types of back injuries arising out of a car wreck are herniated discs, compression fractures, soft tissue bruising, dislocation fractures, and axial bursts. Doctors use a variety of methods to diagnose these injuries, which include MRIs, X-rays, and CT or CAT scans. After an accident, you should consult a doctor if you notice back pain, weakening of muscles, numbness, or tingling. Any back injury may be worsened by a failure to treat it. You should tell the doctor about your accident so that the other side cannot try to argue that your back injury was caused by exercise, work strain, or another cause.

In order to recover damages from another driver, you will need to establish that the driver's negligence was the cause of your back injuries. Part of the proof will be what you told the doctor and when you went to see the doctor. If you do not see a doctor right away, the other side may try to convince the jury that your injuries were not as serious as you claim or even that you failed to mitigate your damages. The doctrine of mitigation of damages requires a victim to use reasonable care to avoid or minimize the harm arising out of an accident if possible.

The damages that you may be able to recover if you establish a defendant's liability include the costs of medical treatment. To treat back injuries, doctors may prescribe over the counter, narcotic, or steroidal medications, physical therapy, an endoscopy, a laminectomy, kyphoplasty, spinal fusion, artificial disc replacement surgery, or a microdiscectomy. These treatments may be extremely expensive, and in some cases, a doctor will first prescribe milder treatments, such as physical therapy or steroid injections, and then recommend surgery if a conservative treatment plan is not working.

Retain Knoxville Lawyer Mark Hartsoe for Your Car Wreck Case

After a car wreck, it may take time to know the full extent of your back injuries and which treatments may be advisable. However, due to the short statute of limitations, it is important to consult both a doctor and an attorney right away. Knoxville car wreck attorney Mark Hartsoe has the tenacity and the experience to represent you if you suffer back injuries. Call the Hartsoe Law Firm at 865-804-1011 or contact us via our online form to set up a free appointment. We represent people who need a motor vehicle accident attorney throughout East Tennessee, including in Knox, Blount, Monroe, Loudon, Jefferson, Grainger, Cocke, Campbell, Hamblen, Greene, Anderson, Cumberland, and Fentress Counties.


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I was on my way to Atlanta and a huge truck rear-ended me and knocked me off the side of the road. I was scared. Didn’t know what to do. I tried working with the insurance company. They are just difficult to work with. I had to call somebody to take care of me. So, My brother told me to call Mark Hartsoe. As soon as I called Mark Hartsoe, he let me know real quick that everything was going to be okay and that he would take care of everything. And, he did. He got me a great settlement. He took the worry off of me. Mickey Anderson
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I was hit coming home late at night by a drunk driver who took off. And the next day I was able to track down his vehicle and get the state police involved. At that point, a family friend recommended that I talk to Mark Hartsoe. Pretty much at that point, Mark handled the police, the insurance company and the guy who hit me. Settled with the actual person that hit me. Outside of that, everything came out great. Did not have to go to court. Got a great settlement. Got my car replaced. Got a check. Mark Hartsoe is my lawyer. Nate Holder
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I was involved in a motorcycle accident. It was a head-on collision. I broke my arm, injured by knee. I was out of work for a long time and had medical bills, other expenses. A personal friend handed me a card for Mark Hartsoe. I called Mark Hartsoe from the side of the road and he took care of everything. My case was settled out of court. I received a great settlement. Bike was totaled, motorcycle was replaced. It was easy, painless. About as painless as something like this can be. This is why my lawyer is Mark Hartsoe. John Lusinger
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I wanted to thank you for the excellent representation and your ability to handle the situation so well with such compassion and strength. We appreciate all of your help, concern and for answering my many questions. It has been a difficult road to travel but when we come across people like you, it really helps to lighten the load. We just wanted you to know how much we appreciate what you’ve done and your ability to handle the situation so well. S. Carter
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Thank you so much for all the work you did on our case. We received more than we expected. You were great through the whole time from the first meeting until the last. Thank you so very much. Sam & Judy Kachar
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