What To Do If You Hurt Your Back At A Friends House

Visiting a friend can be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding things you can do for your mental health. Surrounding yourself with good people who love and care about you can make all the difference in the world with how you see yourself and the world. But, what if something happens while you’re there and you wind up hurting your back. It’s not something you may want to think about, but it is a possibility and something you should be prepared for if it happens. Of course the old adage of, accidents happen, can be applied here, but also if you’re facing a New Haven personal injury that could become long lasting you shouldn’t have to go it alone.

As with all injuries, the severity of a back injury can vary from mild to severe and everything in between. The difference with a back injury is that it can seem mild when it first happens, just a small tweak that is more of a minor nuisance then it is a severe pain, but over time as you start to feel the pain grow it can become much more then just a nuisance. In fact, back pain can become so severe that you can’t do things like drive or sit for long periods of time at work or school. This type of pain can directly impact your ability to live a full life and put you in a situation where you need some other way to support yourself. If this happens, it can be quite painful both physically and emotionally and it may be something that lingers for a long time.

While you never want to think about taking steps to hold a friend accountable for your injury, if it happens while you’re at their house and as the result of some level of negligence on their part you should strongly consider taking action. It can be awkward and difficult to approach the situation and you should absolutely weigh the benefits against the cost that you might face. In extreme cases you may wind up ending your friendship, which may be a bridge too far for you and you may decide that even though you feel you should be compensated for the injury you do not want to take the risk of burning a bridge with that friend. When you’re making your decision about this you may want to seek the advice of an attorney who can help you see all sides of the situation.

In the immediate aftermath of an injury to your back at your friend’s house you will want to make sure you are taking care of yourself and not letting the pain linger. You do not want to try to be “tough” and say you’re alright, when you really might be in severe pain. So, some steps you should take to address your injury immediately after it happens include;

1.) Rest. If you are in a situation where you can get off your feet and find a quiet place to get some rest this should be your first step. The sooner you can rest the better your chances are that you won’t re-aggravate the injury.

2.) Ice or heat will help. When you’re feeling pain in your back you will want to apply an ice pack to the affected area for about 15-20 minutes of every hour. Once the initial injury has subsided a bit, you may find that applying heat to the area will help.

3.) Over-the-counter pain relief. There are a number of different pain relief options that you can get at a local drug store. This is something you should try if the pain persists and you are not feeling like you can make any progress with ice and heat.

4.) Seek medical attention. The most important step you can take when your back pain subsists is to visit with a medical provider. The sooner you can do this the better your chances of reducing or eliminating your long-term risks are.

The truth is that if you injure your back at a friend’s house it can be quite difficult to find relief from the pain and then take the steps to hold your friend accountable. If you make this difficult decision that you want to file a New Haven personal injury claim against your friend you may want to do so with the help of an attorney who can work with you to review all of your options. As stated above, you need to keep in mind all aspects of the situation as the physical pain you are feeling may turn into emotional distress if the situation begins to affect your friendship. This difficult decision should not be made lightly and while it is important that someone be held accountable for your injury it may also not be something that is worth taking up for you at the time.

If you need the assistance of an attorney in helping to determine what your next steps are you may need to seek the advice of an experienced attorney who has dealt with these types of complicated situations in the past. Contact our office and one of our attorneys will reach out and get the specifics of your situation and work with you to protect your long-term interests.