Back And Spinal Injuries Firm Serving Sioux Falls And All Of South Dakota Since 1995

Last updated on March 9, 2026

A spine injury can end a career, drain savings and force painful medical decisions you never expected to face. The compensation you receive must not only help you manage your finances today but also provide you with support for years to come.

For more than 25 years, Alvine Law Firm, LLP, has helped injured South Dakotans pursue compensation. We fight for compensation that reflects the true cost of spinal trauma: medical care, future limitations and the reality that a back injury can permanently change how you earn a living.

Not All Back Injuries Are The Same

A spinal injury can range from a painful soft-tissue strain to a fracture, disc injury or spinal cord damage. Many crash and fall victims suffer damage that is structural and lasting when they injure their back. This can include:

• Herniated or bulging discs
• Annular tears
• Compression fractures
• Nerve impingement
• Spinal instability

These injuries can cause persistent pain, numbness, weakness and loss of function, especially when the spinal cord or nerve roots are involved. At Alvine Law Firm, LLP, we work to prove the full extent of your injury, what it will cost to treat and how it affects your future.

Understanding The Types Of Spinal Injuries

The location of your injury matters because different spine regions create different symptoms and limitations.

Sacral Injuries

Sacral injuries involve the lowest portion of the spine. Symptoms of these injuries include:

• Weakness
• Numbness
• Difficulty with balance or stamina
• Changes in urinary control and bowel habits
• Changes in sexual function

One of the most serious spinal injuries is Cauda Equina Syndrome, which can occur when nerves at the base of the spinal cord are compressed. If you experience symptoms such as new loss of bowel or bladder control, numbness in the groin or saddle area, or severe weakness, you may need prompt treatment to prevent permanent damage.

Lumbar Injuries

The lumbar spine in your lower back carries much of your body weight and absorbs force during lifting, twisting and bending – exactly what many South Dakota jobs require. Lumbar injuries often cause:

• Lower back pain that worsens with activity
• Sciatica (pain radiating into the buttocks/leg)
• Numbness, tingling or weakness in the legs or feet
• Difficulty standing, walking, lifting or sitting for long periods

Thoracic Injuries

Thoracic or mid-back injuries can be overlooked because people assume the pain is muscular. However, injuries to the spine in this region should be taken seriously. They can impact your ribs, posture and stability. Symptoms may include:

• Mid-back pain that wraps around the chest or ribs
• Pain with breathing, twisting or reaching
• Significant limitations in lifting and overhead work

How Do Doctors Treat Spinal Cord Injuries?

Treatment depends on what part of the spine is injured (neck/cervical, mid-back/thoracic or low back/lumbar), whether nerves or the spinal cord are affected, and how stable the spine is. Below is an overview of the types of treatment someone may need after a spinal injury.

• Immediate evaluation and emergency care: After a serious fall, crash or work accident, evaluation often starts in the emergency department. Early care may include immobilization, imaging such as X-ray, CT or MRI, and pain management.
• Movement restrictions: Many spinal injuries – especially strains, sprains and some disc issues – start with care like rest, activity modification and a guided return to normal activities.
• Medications: Injured people may need anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxants and prescription pain medication.
• Physical therapy (PT): PT is commonly used to improve mobility, flexibility, core and spinal stability, and a person’s tolerance for work and daily activity.
• Bracing: For certain fractures or instability, a physician may prescribe a brace to support healing and limit motion.
• Surgery: Serious spinal injuries often do not end with rest and physical therapy. When conservative treatment fails – or when imaging shows dangerous compression – surgery becomes the next step. Common procedures include discectomy (removing part of a damaged disc to relieve pressure), laminectomy (removing part of the vertebral bone) and spinal fusion (permanently stabilizing segments of the spine).

Spinal Injuries Can Be Career-Ending

In South Dakota, many people earn a living with their bodies: construction, farming, trucking, warehouse work, manufacturing, maintenance and trades. A serious back injury does not just hurt. It can make your old job impossible.

When your injury affects your ability to lift, climb, kneel, bend, drive long hours or work safely, you may be forced into lower-paying work or out of the workforce entirely. Alvine Law Firm, LLP, builds cases that pursue:

• Future lost wages and reduced earning capacity
• Loss of employment benefits like retirement savings and health insurance
• Cost of long-term care and ongoing treatment

The insurance company may focus on what you can do this week. We focus on what you will lose over decades of life.

Serious Back Injury Cases Require Immediate Investigation

Serious back injury cases require immediate investigation because the most important evidence can disappear quickly. Vehicle positions change, skid marks fade, debris is cleared, surveillance video is overwritten and witnesses become harder to locate. In work and premises cases, job site conditions can change within hours. Early investigation helps lock down how the incident happened, who is responsible, and what proof exists to support the claim – before an insurance company builds its own version of events.

Immediate investigation also protects the medical side of a serious back injury claim. Early records often carry the most weight in showing that symptoms started after the incident, that care was reasonable, and that restrictions were necessary. Delays can give insurers room to argue the condition was “pre-existing.”

At Alvine Law Firm, LLP, we move quickly to preserve evidence and prove liability, whether the injury came from a heavy truck crash, a dangerous property condition or a workplace-related incident involving third-party negligence. Our team can help you pursue the full value of the claim, including future treatment needs and long-term loss of earning capacity.

Talk To Alvine Law Firm, LLP, About Your Back Or Spinal Injury

If you are facing injections, surgery or permanent work restrictions, you need more than a quick settlement. You need a claim that reflects the true medical severity and the future financial fallout, especially if your job depends on physical ability. Contact Alvine Law Firm, LLP, by calling 605-275-0808 or reach out to our team online to discuss your back or spinal injury case.