A back injury can change everything. It can mean months of pain, time away from work, medical bills that keep coming, and a worry that the pain may never fully go away. If someone else’s carelessness caused your back or spine injury, you may be able to recover money for your medical care, your lost income and what the injury has taken from your daily life. The Miller Law Firm, home of The Texas Bulldog, is a Houston personal injury firm that handles back and spine injury cases from car, truck and motorcycle crashes to falls on unsafe property.
Types of back and spine injuries we handle
Back injuries range from a painful strain to damage to the spinal cord. The National Library of Medicine lists sprains and strains, herniated disks and fractured vertebrae among the most common, and says the lower back is the most common site. These are the injuries we see most often.
Where back and spine injuries happen
| Injury | What it is | What you may notice |
|---|---|---|
| Sprain or strain | Stretched or torn muscles or ligaments in the back | Pain, stiffness and muscle spasms, often worse with movement |
| Herniated or bulging disc | A cushion between two vertebrae pushes out and can press on a nerve | Back or neck pain, and pain, numbness or tingling in an arm or leg. See our herniated disc guide |
| Sciatica or nerve compression | A nerve in the lower back is pinched or irritated | Pain that runs from the lower back down one leg |
| Vertebral fracture | A break or crack in one of the bones of the spine | Severe pain, trouble standing or walking, sometimes nerve symptoms |
| Spinal cord injury | Damage to the spinal cord itself | Weakness, loss of feeling or paralysis below the injury. See our catastrophic injury page |
| Aggravated prior condition | An existing back problem that a crash or fall makes worse | New or stronger pain than before the accident |
If your injury is in the neck, read our guide to whiplash after a car accident.
Get medical help right away for these symptoms
Most back pain after a crash is not an emergency, but some symptoms are. Go to an emergency room right away if you have new trouble controlling your bladder or bowels, numbness in the groin or inner thighs, or new weakness in a leg along with back pain. These can be signs of a spinal nerve emergency called cauda equina syndrome, where waiting can cause permanent damage. For any other back pain after an accident, see a doctor soon, even if the pain seems manageable. That visit protects your health and your claim.
How back injuries happen
Any sudden force that twists, jolts or compresses the spine can injure it. The accidents behind most of our back injury cases are:
- Car accidents, including rear-end and T-bone crashes
- 18-wheeler and commercial truck accidents, where the force of the impact is much larger
- Motorcycle accidents, where riders have no protection around them
- Uber and Lyft accidents
- Pedestrian and bicycle collisions
- Slip and fall accidents on unsafe property
What a back injury claim can include
A claim is meant to cover what the injury has cost you and will cost you. That can include:
- Medical care: emergency care, imaging, doctor visits, injections, physical therapy, surgery and the care you will need in the future.
- Lost income: the pay you miss while you recover, and lost earning ability if you cannot go back to the same work.
- Pain and suffering: the physical pain and mental anguish the injury causes. Our guide explains how pain and suffering is valued in Texas.
- Physical impairment and loss of daily life: what you can no longer do, like lifting your children, exercising or sitting through a workday.
Back injuries often mean a lot of medical bills, and how they are counted matters. See our guides on paid versus incurred medical bills and hospital liens.
How we prove a back injury
Back injuries are often hard to see, and insurance companies take advantage of that. They argue that the pain comes from age or wear, that you were not really hurt because the car barely had a dent, or that a gap in treatment means you got better. We build the case to answer those arguments.
- Medical records and imaging: MRIs, X-rays and your doctors’ notes, starting from the first visit after the accident.
- Your treating doctors: their opinions on what caused your injury, what treatment you need and what your future looks like.
- Before and after evidence: proof of how your life and work changed, from coworkers, family and your own pain journal.
- The crash itself: photos, the crash report and, in truck cases, the trucking company’s records.
Our guide on what to do after a car accident covers the first steps to protect your claim.
Back injury results
These are results listed on our case results page. They show the kinds of cases we handle, and every case is different.
| Result | What happened |
|---|---|
| $1,000,000 | An 18-wheeler rear-ended our client’s truck on I-10 near Junction, Texas. Our client suffered neck and back injuries that required surgery. |
| $700,000 verdict | An 18-wheeler struck our client from behind, causing serious back injuries that required surgery. |
| $650,000 | Our client suffered a serious back injury while driving an 18-wheeler into the Port of Houston for work, and needed a laminectomy, discectomy and spinal fusion. The insurer’s first offer was $0, and attorney Daniel Weisfeld resolved the case for $650,000 at mediation. |
| $545,000 | A commercial truck collision in which our client suffered a spinal injury. |
| $375,000 | A car accident in which our client suffered a spinal injury. |
| $325,000 verdict | A collision on Interstate 10 near Columbus, Texas. Attorney Adam Miller took the case to trial, and the client suffered back injuries that required surgery. |
| $312,325 | A Houston car accident in which our client suffered a back injury that did not require surgery. |
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its own facts and law.
What to do after a back injury
- Get medical care and follow it. Go to a doctor, describe all your symptoms, and keep every appointment.
- Report the accident to the police, and take photos of the scene and any visible injuries.
- Keep a pain journal. Write down your pain level, what you could not do and how you slept.
- Be careful with the insurance company. Do not guess about your injury or sign anything without advice.
- Stay off social media. A photo of you doing something normal can be used against you.
- Talk to a lawyer early. You have two years under Texas law to file a lawsuit, and evidence gets harder to find with time. Texas also lowers your recovery by your share of blame, as explained in our comparative fault guide.
Why Houston clients call The Texas Bulldog
The Miller Law Firm is led by Adam H. Miller, known as The Texas Bulldog, and we take cases to trial when an insurance company will not offer a fair amount. You pay no attorney’s fee unless we recover money for you, and the first consultation is free. We also help clients throughout the Houston area, including Pearland, Conroe, Sugar Land and Katy.
Frequently asked questions about back injury claims
How much does a back injury lawyer cost?
You pay no attorney’s fee up front. We are paid only if we recover money for you, and the fee comes out of that recovery. Our fee guide explains how that works in a car accident case.
How much is a back injury case worth?
There is no set number. The value depends on how serious and lasting the injury is, your medical treatment and future care, the work you miss, how the injury changes your daily life, and who was at fault. Our settlement calculator and our guide to back and neck injury settlements show the factors, and our pain and suffering guide explains the part of a claim that has no receipt.
Do I need surgery to have a back injury claim?
No. Surgery usually raises the value of a claim, but a back injury that is treated without surgery can still be a strong claim if it is documented. Some of our results involved back injuries that needed surgery, and some did not.
What if I already had back problems before the accident?
A back that was already sore or worn is not a reason to skip a claim. If the crash made an existing problem worse, the added harm can be part of your claim. Insurance companies often blame the pain on “degeneration” or age, so clear medical records from before and after the crash matter. Tell your doctor about any earlier back problems.
What if my back pain did not start until days after the accident?
That is common. Adrenaline and swelling can hide pain at first, and some back and neck symptoms take a day or more to appear. See a doctor as soon as you notice them and tell the doctor about the crash. A gap between the accident and treatment gives the insurer something to argue. See our post on whether whiplash can get worse days later.
What kinds of accidents cause back injuries?
Car, truck and motorcycle crashes, rideshare crashes, pedestrian and bicycle collisions, and falls on unsafe property are the most common. Any sudden force that twists, compresses or jolts the spine can hurt it.
How long do I have to file a back injury claim in Texas?
Two years from the date of the injury in most cases. Waiting makes evidence harder to find, so talk to a lawyer early. See our statute of limitations guide.
Should I talk to the other driver’s insurance company?
Be careful. The adjuster works for the insurance company, and what you say about your pain can be used to argue that you are not hurt. You do not have to give a recorded statement. Read our recorded statement guide first.
