How Much Does a Steroid Injection Increase a Settlement in Texas?

Any accident can leave you suffering from painful neck and back injuries. Over time, these injuries usually heal. However, for some, the pain from these injuries increases and becomes constant.

Dealing with relentless back or neck pain permeates every aspect of your life, and you may find it challenging to work, exercise, and even sleep.

For some, epidural steroid injections provide temporary relief from this pain. If you’ve decided to initiate a personal injury lawsuit against the party that caused your injuries, you may wonder, how much does a steroid injection increase my settlement?

Contact a Texas personal injury attorney to discuss your back pain, recovery options, and whether epidural steroid injections may increase your settlement. 

What Is an Epidural Steroid Injection? 

Doctors often prescribe epidural steroid injections to those suffering from spinal injuries causing low back and neck pain radiating into the arms and legs. These injections reduce inflammation by injecting medicine directly into the affected area. 

The injection consists of a corticosteroid and an anesthetic injected into the outside of the spinal column. Corticosteroids provide immediate relief, as well as long-lasting relief from inflammation. A saline injection may follow to flush the spinal column to eliminate inflammation-causing proteins.

The inflamed nerves causing extreme pain and discomfort are located in the space between the bone and the sac protecting the nerves in the spine. When inflamed, they put pressure on the nerves and nerve roots.

A doctor performs these procedures at their office or surgery center. A local anesthetic is applied, and X-ray guidance ensures the steroid reaches the correct area in the spine. 

When Does Someone Need Steroid Injections?

Your treating physician is the best person to determine when you may benefit from receiving epidural steroid injections. You may want to discuss epidural steroid injections with your doctor if you suffered a back and neck injury and are experiencing chronic pain that travels down your legs and into your arms.

Risks of Epidural Steroid Injections

Although steroid injections are considered a non-invasive and effective way to treat back and neck injuries, there are risks associated with this procedure.

Common risks and side effects include:

• Pain at the injection site,
• Development of insomnia,
• Increase in blood sugar,
• Allergies to the medication,
• Bleeding disorders, 
• Issues with the local anesthetic, and
• Infection.

Your doctor may recommend a series of epidural steroid injections if your back pain fails to cease and increases.

An unfortunate reality is that you may experience ongoing back pain. While steroid injections provide relief for a few months, they do not necessarily provide permanent relief from these painful injuries. 

Factors Affecting Personal Injury Settlement 

Multiple factors affect the value of a personal injury settlement. All or some of these factors may apply to your case.

Liability

If the defendant in your personal injury lawsuit was entirely at fault for causing your injuries, you should pursue total compensation for your damages.

Texas uses a comparative negligence standard for individual injury cases. The Texas comparative negligence statute provides that even if you are partly at fault for causing your injuries, you may still recover for your losses.

However, your percentage of fault reduces your compensation award. If your fault percentage amounts to 51% or more, the comparative negligence statute bars you from receiving any money from the defendant.   

Severity of Injuries 

Accidents cause injuries ranging widely in severity. Some may walk away from an accident unscathed, while others may suffer from long-term back and neck pain. Generally, the value of a personal injury claim increases with a more severe injury.

For example, if your doctor prescribes epidural steroid injections, undergoing the procedure may increase your settlement because it signals that you are experiencing severe and chronic pain from your injuries. You will also be entitled to compensation for the cost of these injections.

Medical Prognosis

Permanent disabilities or chronic pain may result in higher settlement due to the continued need for medical treatment.

Additionally, permanent injuries may result in an inability to work or enjoy everyday activities. If you’ve been administered epidural steroid injections, this implies that your back pain has failed to alleviate over time. 

How Much Does an Epidural Steroid Injection Increase My Settlement? 

Many suffering from spinal or disc injuries may wonder, How much does an epidural steroid injection increase my settlement? Doctors generally prescribe epidural steroid injections only for those suffering from chronic pain that fails to subside over time.

Your attorney may use the severity of your back injury and the need for these injections as a negotiating tool for a higher settlement.

If the steroid injections provide you relief from your injuries, your personal injury attorney can negotiate continued treatment costs of epidural steroid injections into the value of your settlement.

Waiting to receive epidural steroid injections until after your case has settled may result in a lower settlement value. This is based on the implication that your back pain was not severe or chronic enough to require the injections.

That doesn’t mean you should seek treatments you don’t need. But it’s essential not to put off necessary treatment. Doing so will not only delay your relief from chronic pain, but may also affect the value of your final settlement.

Contact Us 

For nearly forty years, the attorneys at Fadduol, Cluff, Hardy & Conaway, P.C. have represented the rights of personal injury victims. We aggressively prosecute claims on behalf of those injured by the negligence of others. 

If you’ve been in an accident and suffer from chronic back pain due to your injuries, we understand what you are going through.

We know that you must feel overwhelmed by not only your pain but mounting medical bills and an inability to work. It’s impossible to focus on anything else when you’re unable to find relief for your pain.

Are you curious about how much a steroid injection may affect your settlement options? We are here to help. No one should have to live with chronic pain caused by the negligence of another.

Contact our office today to discuss your case.