Neck injuries can be painful. If you have ever hurt your neck, you know even a minor injury can interfere with the simplest tasks, such as driving, working, and getting a good night’s rest. Millions of Americans suffer from neck pain every day.
Often, this pain is the result of an accident or injury. If another person’s negligence caused your neck injury, you might have a legal claim for financial damages. For more information, contact an experienced car accident attorney in your area.
Signs You May Have a Neck Injury
The neck is one of the most vital parts of the human body. Consisting of seven cervical vertebrae, six cervical discs, muscles, nerves, ligaments, and tendons, the neck helps support the head, protect the spinal cord, and promote blood flow to the brain. Because it is essential to some of our most basic functions, you must take neck injuries seriously.
Depending on the severity and location of your neck injury, you may need immediate treatment.
These neck injury symptoms can force you to seek expensive medical care, cause you tremendous pain and suffering, and result in a strong legal claim.
Pain
According to Harvard Medical School, approximately 80 percent of people experience neck pain at some point in their lifetime. Pain is often one of the earliest and most obvious signs of a neck injury. However, the type and location of pain differ from person to person and can give insight into what kind of injury you have.
Types of pain you may experience include:
- Aching
- Throbbing
- Stabbing
- Shooting pain
In addition, you may experience radiating pain. In this case, the pain may begin in your neck and travel down your shoulders to your fingertips.
Stiffness
Neck stiffness is often a sign of a neck injury. It can be symptomatic of a strained muscle. However, it can also indicate an underlying disc issue. The stiffness may be localized or noticeable when you move your neck. While a stiff neck alone may not necessarily mean you have a neck injury, it is a good idea to get it checked out if you have been in a recent accident.
Numbness, weakness, or tingling
Your neck contains nerves that travel down your limbs. A herniated disc can pressure these nerves and cause numbness, weakness, or tingling down your arms or legs. Contact a medical professional if you experience any of these symptoms or have difficulty walking or finding your balance.
Other symptoms
An injury to the neck can affect other areas of your body. If you experience new or unusual symptoms, you must call your doctor.
Other signs that may indicate a neck injury include:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Facial pain, including jaw pain
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Tenderness
A closer look at different types of neck injuries
Different types of neck injuries respond to different courses of treatment. Therefore, you should seek medical attention if you experience any symptoms of a neck injury. If you believe another person negligently caused your neck injury, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer as well. Some of the most common neck injuries include:
Whiplash
Whiplash occurs when your neck forcefully and suddenly “whips” back and forth. Many people experience whiplash in car accidents, particularly rear-end accidents. When the neck snaps back and forth, it pulls muscles, tendons, and ligaments, which leads to a sprain, strain, or even tears.
In most cases, whiplash does not require intensive medical treatment. Often, your doctor will prescribe pain medication and rest. Contact your doctor if the pain continues after you receive treatment. Ongoing pain may signify a more serious issue, such as a bulging or herniated disc.
Herniated and bulging discs
Twenty-three intervertebral discs are in the spine; six of these are in the neck. These discs cushion the vertebrae and act as a shock absorber. The discs contain a tough outer casing and a gel-like center called the nucleus pulposus.
Trauma can squeeze the disc causing it to bulge or crack, allowing the nucleus pulposus to leak out. This material can put pressure on a nearby spinal nerve. When the disc ruptures, it is called a herniated disc. Generally, a herniated disc puts more pressure on a nerve than a bulging disc, resulting in more pain.
Cervical fracture
A cervical fracture occurs when one of the neck vertebrae breaks. The most significant danger of a fractured disc is its proximity to the spinal cord. A cervical fracture can easily turn into a spinal cord injury. For this reason, emergency medical responders generally stabilize the spine before moving a person they believe has a neck injury.
Cervical fractures are often the result of trauma and always require emergency medical attention. Treatment options depend on the severity of the fracture and whether the injury affects the spinal cord.
Spinal cord injuries
Spinal cord injuries are most often the result of trauma to the spinal cord, such as a brutal hit to the back or a penetrating wound. Cervical spinal cord injuries are the most severe type of spinal cord injury. Usually, they result in quadriplegia or complete loss of sensation and mobility from the point of injury down.
While spinal cord injuries can happen instantaneously, symptoms can worsen over time. In some cases, with proper treatment, doctors may prevent permanent paralysis. Therefore, seeking emergency medical treatment after an accident is important.
Other spinal cord injury symptoms include:
- Difficulty standing or walking
- Loss of feeling in the limbs
- Numbness or tingling
- Extreme pain or pressure in the neck, head, or back
- Swelling
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Trouble breathing
For medical advice, contact your healthcare practitioner. To recover compensation for these symptoms, call a personal injury lawyer near you.
Did someone else’s negligence cause your neck injury?
Many factors can cause neck pain. Age, poor posture, and injury can all lead to pain. But did you know a leading cause of neck pain is trauma?
A neck injury is not just painful; it can make your life come to a screeching halt. When you suffer from neck pain, everyday tasks that were once simple are now challenges, if not impossible. Far too often, neck injuries result from an accident because of someone else’s poor decisions. If you sustained a neck injury in an accident caused by someone else, focus on recovering and getting the legal help you need to move forward. Common causes of neck injuries include:
Motor vehicle accidents
Neck pain is one of the most common complaints after a car or truck accident. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries and a top cause of whiplash, neck fractures, and herniated discs.
After an accident, you will likely have access to healthcare coverage through your car insurance or the other party’s insurance. An experienced car accident lawyer can help you determine who caused your accident and help you get the treatment you need.
Premises liability accidents
In most states, property owners must make their premises safe for all visitors. They should remove any safety hazards, whether natural or artificial. You may have a viable legal claim if you suffer an injury on another person’s property because they failed to do so.
Premises liability laws cover both residential and business properties. Slip and fall accidents, swimming pool accidents, and negligent security that results in an assault can all result in neck injuries.
Recreational sports
Sports are a significant cause of neck injuries. High-risk sports include football, basketball, soccer, and hockey. Arguably, the scariest type of injury an athlete can sustain is a spinal cord injury. These injuries can happen in the blink of an eye and can change their life instantly.
In many cases, you cannot sue someone if you sustain an injury during a sporting contest. However, there are exceptions to the rule, including negligence and cases of willful harm.
Examples of situations where a coach or organization may be responsible include:
- Improper training, such as if the coach did not teach the athlete how to protect themselves or coached improper technique
- Inadequate supervision
- Defective safety equipment
- Abuse
Workplace injuries
Workplace injuries happen every day. Sometimes these injuries are the result of an accident. Other times they are the result of overuse. Overuse and slips, trips, and falls are the second and third leading causes of workplace injuries.
A workers’ compensation claim can help you recover the costs of medical treatment and lost wages for missed time at work. In some cases, if your injury is severe or disabling, you may also be eligible for vocational retraining or a permanent disability award.
Your legal options after you sustain a neck injury
It is hard to overstate how much a neck injury can change your day-to-day life. It is a problem when you cannot go through the day without pain. If someone else’s actions caused your injury, you might have a case for financial damages. You will need to file a personal injury claim to recover these damages.
The amount of compensation you can seek depends on several factors, including the severity of your injury, the circumstances surrounding your injury, and any permanent consequences of your injury.
However, in most personal injury claims, victims pursue:
- Medical costs: You will likely require medical care after a neck injury. Depending on the severity of your injury, your medical bills can range from a few hundred dollars for strains and sprains to over $100,000 for fractures and spinal cord injuries. In many cases, your personal injury case will include all of your medical bills. These include office visits, surgical procedures, prescription medicine, over-the-counter medication, imaging, and rehabilitative services.
- Lost wages: It is hard to work with a sore neck. If you are unable to go to work, you may be able to recover lost wages for the time you are out. Generally, your lawyer will fight for 100 percent of any missed wages. If you cannot return to work due to your injury, you may have a case for future lost wages.
- Pain and suffering: Medical bills and lost wages are obvious costs. They are easy to account for with bills and invoices. Loss caused by pain and suffering is harder to calculate. Compensation for pain and suffering covers the physical and emotional pain you incur due to your injury. These losses vary from case to case but can include chronic pain, short-term pain, loss of enjoyment, loss of a relationship, depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
Don’t wait. Get the help you deserve
When someone else’s negligence hurts you, you do not have to suffer in silence, and you do not have to cover the costs of your injuries alone. A personal injury case can help you recover the expenses related to your injury and help you get back on your feet. In most cases, the law limits how much time you have to recover damages, so act soon. If you have questions or are ready to file a claim, contact an experienced injury lawyer in New Port Richey.
