Getting Compensation For Personal Injury Victims With Back And Neck Injuries
Depending on the severity of an accident, you could be left with anything from scrapes and bruises to serious injuries involving your neck and back, which can be life-altering and very painful. Because of this, neck and back injuries range from mild to severe and may cause permanent disability. These types of injuries can also have a large impact on a person’s life. Soft tissue injuries, which includes the most common neck and back injuries, are one of the most common injuries from car accidents. Soft tissue is defined as the connective tissue in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons, like the ones that surround your spine and support your head. These injuries can include things like whiplash, torn muscles, and lower back injuries.
Since neck and back injuries are so common during car accidents, motorcycle accidents, slip and falls, and may other types of personal injury accidents, they are important to understand in the context of an injury claim.
Types Of Common Neck Injuries
The most common and most familiar type of neck injury is whiplash. About 120,000 people seek medical attention for whiplash every year in the US. That’s about 13 people each hour. Whiplash is usually noticeable to those who have it and comes with symptoms like:
- neck pain and stiffness
- loss of range of motion in the neck
- headaches at the base of the skull
- tingling or numbness in the arms
- fatigue
- dizziness
Whiplash usually heals itself within a few weeks. However, complications can arise if you’ve had whiplash before, are older, have existing back and neck pain, or were injured at high speeds.
Other neck injuries include muscle spasms, lacerations or abrasions, soft tissue damage, vocal cord damage, brain injuries, paresthesia, and mental or emotional disorders. If you have a neck injury, it’s possible you may be dealing with one or more of these problems. It’s important to see a doctor as soon as possible to have your situation assessed.
Types Of Common Back Injuries
Neck injuries are certainly dangerous. However, back injuries have more of a chance of leading to paralysis or causing more long-term damage. Injuries to the spinal cord are incredibly dangerous and could require a lot of recovery time, surgery, or physical therapy. Because of this, these injuries can be more expensive because of higher medical bills and more treatment. Thankfully, a good attorney would be able to get you the compensation you need. That way, your medical bills aren’t something you have to worry about.
Another common back injury is a herniated disc. A herniated disc occurs when a lot of force is absorbed by the body and the discs in your back slip out-of-place. An out-of-place disc can cause pinching and compression of the nerves in your back. This in turn can result in numbness and pain.
Other back injuries include spinal compression fractures, spondylolisthesis, and sciatica. Back injuries differ from person to person and can range from mild to severe.
Accidents That Cause Neck And Back Injuries
Neck and back injuries can result from a variety of different accidents. These accidents usually occur because of someone else’s negligence or recklessness. When an accident occurs because of negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. The compensation will depend on the severity of the injury, recovery time, who’s at-fault, and more.
These injuries can be the result of car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, or pedestrian accidents, as well as workplace accidents, sports accidents, slips and falls, falls in nursing homes, or construction accidents. Your case will be different depending on what type of accident you were involved in and who else was involved. For example, a car accident with two people involved is a lot less complex than a commercial trucking accident that could involve multiple parties.
Soft Tissue Back And Neck Injuries
Soft tissue injuries can sometimes be hard to prove in court because they’re not always visible on MRIs or X-rays. Oftentimes, insurance companies will try to ignore soft tissue injuries and blame the pain on previous injuries or preexisting medical conditions.
Treating Soft Tissue Injuries
Some believe that over-treating soft tissue injuries may lead to higher compensation. However, it’s important to remember that over-treating your injury may not lead to higher compensation.
When it comes to the treatment of soft tissue or other unseen injuries it’s important to remember to treat them consistently. You want to avoid long gaps in your medical history, so follow up with your primary care physician when you can and always remain on the treatment plan they give you.
Damages Available In Back And Neck Injury Cases
If you’re not at-fault for your neck or back injury then you may be entitled to compensation to cover some of the costs after your accident. Damages you may be entitled to include:
- medical bills
- lost wages
- loss of earning capacity
- pain and suffering
- loss of function
- psychological treatment
- physical therapy
The compensation that you receive will depend on your specific circumstance, but an experienced attorney will be able to get you the compensation that you deserve.
Contact A North Dakota Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you or someone you love has experienced a back or neck injury as the result of a car accident, slip and fall, or other accident, reach out to one of our talented attorneys here at Sand Law. Our personal injury attorneys are ready to help you get the compensation you deserve. For more information, and a free case evaluation, contact us online or at 701-394-4744.
Offices in Watford City, Williston, Bismarck, and Minot.