Neck injuries normally result in many different problems that impact your daily life. You could have relatively minor pain and soft tissue sprains and strains all the way up the more serious herniated or bulging discs, and even spinal cord damage.
If you suffered a neck injury due to negligence, you could file a personal injury lawsuit for damages.
The neck is a vulnerable part of your body, making it susceptible to an injury. Whether the neck injury is due to an automobile accident, violent physical force, or a slip-and-fall damage to the neck is common.
If you’ve suffered a neck injury in an accident, you might not be able to work and earn income while the medical expenses keep rising. No one starts their day expecting to suffer an injury from an accident.
Unfortunately, accidents can happen, and injuries from these accidents can vary greatly in type and severity. If you have suffered a neck injury, there are many other issues that you may be facing with your injury.
Our Los Angeles personal injury attorneys can help you by filing an injury lawsuit against the party who was negligent and at fault for causing the accident.
Further, there are no advanced fees and you don’t pay unless we win your case.
If your neck injury is due to an accident, then it is important to speak to an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible to discuss your potential case.
What is a Neck Injury?
In the neck, seven vertebrae are part of the spine. In between the neck bones, spinal discs allow the neck and spine to bend and flex comfortably.
When there is trauma to this area, damage to the bones or spinal discs can also result in nerve damage around the spine. Neck injuries can be minor or can be life-threatening, depending on the seriousness of the accident.
There are several different reasons people can sustain a neck injury. Automobile accidents are a leading reason resulting in enormous costs for medical care, disability claims, lost wages and injury lawsuits. Every year, thousands of victims die from serious neck injuries and thousands more suffer significant spinal cord damage.
Common Types of Neck Injuries
Several types of neck injuries can result from an accident. Some of the most common types of neck injuries are:
- Whiplash – this injury results from an abnormal motion that can damage the muscle, ligaments, or soft tissue in the neck. It is the most common injury during a rear-end automobile collision.
- Neck Strain – this injury results when muscle fibers in the neck are stretched too far and tear, resulting in issues with rotational motions.
- Neck Sprain – this injury results when soft muscle fibers or ligaments are overstretched by trauma, even when there are no obvious signs of a neck injury.
- Herniated Disc – this injury results when the soft disks between the vertebrae push through their bone casing, often causing nerve pain or numbness.
- Pinched Nerve in Neck – this injury results when a nerve in the neck is compressed or irritated in some way. This can cause pain that goes down your arms and hands.
- Cervical Spondylosis – this injury is neck arthritis resulting in harsh pain in the joints and disc of the cervical spine as the victim ages.
- Spinal Cord Injury – this injury can be the most serious of the injuries listed. This injury results from a blow or cut of the spine. This can result in the permanent loss of function, strength, and feeling anywhere below the injury site.
As noted, whiplash is by far the most common form of neck injury that often has many different symptoms, including headaches, dizziness, pinched nerves, neck stiffness, ligament injuries, loss of concentration, burning sensation, irritability, and inability to sleep.
Whiplash can dramatically change your quality of life. If you have experienced whiplash because of someone’s negligence, our neck injury attorneys can help you recover financial compensation.
‘This is only a partial list of the different types of neck injuries that can result from an accident. If you have suffered an injury of any kind in an accident, make sure to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney who can give you specific advice.
How is a Neck Injury Different from a Regular Injury?
Neck injuries are unique due to the complex structure of the neck and spine. They are very serious because the trauma to your neck can last forever as the structure connects your brain to the rest of your body.
Neck injuries are different from other injuries because of two main reasons:
- The general importance of the neck and spine to overall body function, and
- The delayed onset of neck injury symptoms before the victim feels them.
The importance of the neck and spine cannot be overstated, nor can the seriousness of injuries to this part of the body.
A whiplash injury is the most common form of a neck injury and can dramatically change your life.
Most injuries have limitations as they affect only localized areas of the body. For example, if you break your hand, it is unlikely to affect your ability to walk or even use your other hand.
Neck injuries are unique because the full extent of the injury may not be fully known until well after the accident.
A serious neck injury can result in lifelong pain, or even worse, can cause temporary or permanent paralysis, paraplegia, quadriplegia, and more.
The recovery and rehabilitation process from a neck injury also differs from most other injuries. Some injuries simply require time to recover and therapy to help strengthen the injured area.
Neck injuries may result in the need for several different types of therapy and extensive rehabilitation services.
Most injuries are also immediately apparent after an accident. However, because a neck and spinal injury cannot be seen from the outside, a neck injury might take time before it is apparent.
This is because your body releases adrenaline and other hormones after it has been through a trauma or shock, which can mask the pain and injury.
What Should I Do If I Don’t Feel Any Neck Pain?
Even in a situation where you don’t immediately feel any neck pain after the accident, you should still seek medical attention.
Adrenaline and other hormones are released after neck trauma, which could mask the pain.
Also, even if you don’t believe the neck pain is serious, you still need to get the opinion of a medical professional. Why?
First, some neck injuries like whiplash or nerve damage are commonly known to have delayed symptoms.
Put simply, even if your neck pain is minor right after the accident, not seeking medical treatment right away can have serious long-term consequences.
Second, it’s crucial to have some documentation of your injury claim for your personal injury lawyer to make an argument for maximum financial compensation.
Your doctor will document your neck injury and keep a record that can be used later in your injury lawsuit.
You should visit the emergency room for an examination and then make an appointment with a chiropractor.
What Types of Accidents Cause Neck Injuries?
In the state of New York, there is a wide range of common causes for neck injuries, including:
- Car accidents,
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bus accidents,
- Bicycle accidents,
- Bicycle accidents
- Scooter accidents
- E-bike accidents
- Train accidents,
- Uber accidents
- Pedestrian accidents,
- Premises liability accidents.
What Kind of Compensation is Available for a Neck Injury?
If you have suffered a neck injury in an accident, you may be able to recover several types of compensation as part of a legal settlement.
You can get reimbursed for medical bills and the cost of medical treatments, along with lost income following the accident.
You could also be compensated for personal property damage, pain and suffering, and loss of quality of life.
If your neck injury was from a car accident that was not your fault, the negligent driver could be required to pay for medical treatments and expenses.
An overview of the compensation you can receive includes payment for:
- Medical bills,
- Medical treatment,
- Lost wages,
- Lost future earning potential,
- Property damage,
- Pain and suffering,
- Loss of life enjoyment,
- Loss of consortium,
- Punitive damages.
Your case may qualify for economic damages (such as medical bills), non-economic damages (such as pain and suffering), and punitive damages.
Each case is viewed independently by insurance companies, and a court judgment can include all of the damages listed above.
These types of compensation may be available if you suffered injuries because of the negligence of another.
Why Do I Need a Neck Injury Attorney?
A New York neck accident attorney will know your legal rights and how to best fight for damages. They will also know all the facts and documentation you need to need to gather.
Call our injury lawyers to learn how we can help you.
Insurance companies are famous for being difficult, frequently delaying or refusing to pay injury claims when there is no visible evidence of damage.
Put simply, you need an injury lawyer with experience negotiating with insurance companies.
Further, you will need qualified medical professionals who can determine the full extent of your neck injures for our legal team to present a compensation claim.
At Michael J. Redenburg, Esq. PC, we know how to identify the responsible parties and will seek full compensation in your neck injury case.
If you have suffered a neck injury in an accident, such as whiplash, due to the negligent actions of someone else, we can help you.
We offer a free in-office consultation, contact us now at 212-240-9465 to get the wheels of justice spinning for you!