Back and Spine Injury Lawyer
Call Our Spokane Law Firm Today At (509) 444-4444!
The most common injuries our clients suffer from are mid-back, low-back, and spinal cord injuries. Spine pain can wreak havoc on the quality of life. Mid back and low back injuries can be especially aggravating, painful, and long-lasting.
Not all law firms are the same. At Sweetser Law Office, we understand that people in serious pain from back, neck, or spine trauma experience more than physical injury. Problems are being compounded by mounting medical debts, lost wages, impacts on your family, and total up-ending of everyday life.
You’ve likely played by the rules your entire life, believing you would never need the services of an attorney. But now you are up against a sophisticated insurance company that sees you as another claim number, and you need a strong advocate on your side.
Understanding the medical facts and being able to explain them to a jury are skills that a trial lawyer develops with time and experience. Sweetser Law Office has handled the most serious back and spinal cord injury cases, including those where the victim is left paraplegic or quadriplegic. Making sure the victim and their family receive the maximum recovery for the accident and injury is our goal.
The Right Choice is to Hire the Best
Sweetser Law Office offers experienced, compassionate, and committed representation to the seriously injured. If you or a loved one have suffered a back or spine injury, do not let the insurance company treat you like a statistic and try to settle your claim on the cheap. Insurance companies have experienced professionals whose job is to reduce compensation or, where possible, deny claims altogether. Representation from an experienced back and spine law firm like Sweetser Law Office will level the playing field to ensure legal rights are protected and that your family’s financial security is safe as you seek recovery.
Our Spokane law firm is dedicated to helping clients receive the full and fair compensation they deserve. Contact us today at (509) 444-4444 to schedule a free consultation with one of our spine injury lawyers.
If you have suffered a serious back injury, do not leave your choice of a lawyer to chance. At the Sweetser Law Office we obtained exceptional results in negotiations, mediation, and trial with:
- Cord Injuries
- Bulging, Herniated, Slipped or Ruptured Disc
- Cauda Equina Syndrome
- Vertebrae or Compression Fractures
- Nerves Root Compression (Radiculopathy)
- Whiplash and whiplash associated disorders
- Cervical, thoracic, or lumbar displacement
- Spinal stenosis or a narrowing the spinal canal
- Spondylolisthesis, Shifting, misalignment, or traumatically induced scoliosis
- Radiculopathy and chronic myofascial pain syndrome
- Persistent facet joint pain or facet joint syndrome
- Traumatically induced early onset arthritis
- Paralysis and Quadriplegia
Understanding Damage to the Spinal Cord
The spine is one of the most complex parts of the body. In many ways, the back is the foundation for the entire human body, and the hub of the central nervous system. Damage done to the spine and back can have debilitating consequences for the rest of the body. The nerves of the spine relay pain sensory signals throughout the body, so an injury to the back that disrupts the nerve pathways often affects function in other areas of the body as well.
Damage to the spinal cord often affects the bundle of nerves that runs through the backbone. Because the nerve network in a human body transmits sensation and controls movement throughout the body, damage to it can cause loss of mobility and feeling below the injured area, and can be fatal in catastrophic accidents.
Our backbone, the spine, is composed of a column of 33 bones and tissue
that extends from the skull to pelvis. The spinal bones, which are called
vertebrae, protect and enclose the bundle of nerves and tissues known
as the spinal cord. Between each vertebra in the spine is a band of cartilage
that serves as a shock absorber, called intervertebral discs. An injury
to one of the vertebrae, discs or even the spinal cord can be debilitating
and painful, causing loss of work and difficulty performing regular daily
activities, along with diminishing the enjoyment of time spent with family,
friends, doing hobbies and sleeping. In general, the higher up on the
spinal cord where the injury occurs, the greater the side-effects.
The spine's vertebrae closest to the brain contains our High Cervical Nerves (C1-C4). The next set of vertebrae in the spine are the Low Cervical Nerves (C5-C8). The center of a person’s spine contains the Thoracic Vertebrae (T1-T12), which is the area of the spine that controls stability, allows a person to sit and stand upright, and gives support for all of the organs in the upper torso. Directly beneath the low cervical nerves the Lumbar Nerves (L1-L5), which provide the strength and an ability to lift, bend, twist, and turn. The lowest point of a person’s spine contains the Sacral Nerves (S1-S5).
Any trauma that compresses, pulls, pushes sideways or cuts the spinal cord can cause spinal cord injury. At the neck level, spinal cord injury can impair breathing and paralyze the arms, torso, and legs (quadriplegia). Lower in the spine, spinal cord injury can cause weakness and loss of movement or feeling in the lower parts of the body and legs (paraplegia). A severed spinal cord can never be repaired.
Damage to the spinal cord or structure of the back can affect you for the rest of your life and gets worse over time. Symptoms of severe spinal cord injury include:
- Loss of feeling in the chest or appendage
- Restricted or limited range of motion
- Flare up pain from bending, lifting, twisting, standing, stooping or walking
- Inability to sustain bowel or bladder control
- Muscle spasms, muscle weakness, or atrophy
- Radiating pain into the limbs such as down the leg or arm
- Continual swelling and circulatory problems
- Difficulty taking normal breaths or cough
- Disruption or loss of sexual function
- Trouble sleeping, headaches or nausea
- Numbness, tingling, or pins and needles sensations
- Consistent sharp, shooting, stabbing or burning pain
Common Causes of Spine Injuries
Spine injuries are often caused by sudden trauma or repetitive stress to the back and neck. Vehicle crashes are the most leading cause of spinal injury, closely followed by falls. Common causes of spine injuries include:
- Car Accidents
- Falls
- Sports Injuries
- Workplace accidents
- Medical or surgical malpractice
- Defective products
We will fight to hold the responsible party accountable for your injuries and losses. Contact us today at (509) 444-4444.

Compensation for Spine Injuries
Compensation for spine injuries may include:
- Medical expenses, including surgeries, hospital stays, and rehabilitation
- Lost wages and future earning capacity
- Future medical expenses or lifecare plan
- Past and Future pain and suffering, including physical and emotional distress
- Past and Future Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of marital consortium including spouses diminished quality of life
- Wrongful death damages if the injury resulted in the death of a loved one
Nearly 350,000 Americans live with spinal cord injuries. Approximately 18,000 new back and spinal cord injuries are diagnosed each and over 75 percent of the injuries occur in men under the age of 50. On average, less than one-third of those with spinal cord injuries can walk up a flight of stairs even after a year of treatment. More than half are confined to a wheelchair, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistics Center.