Back and neck injuries may upend your life. Not only are such injuries extremely painful, but they often affect mobility. If the injury resulted from another’s negligence or a defective product, a Dallas-Fort Worth back and neck lawyer may help you receive the compensation you deserve.
Common Back and Neck Injuries
Back and neck injuries can cause permanent or long-term disability, affecting your ability to work or lead a normal life.
Fractures
A broken neck can prove fatal. Broken vertebrae in the back are not only incapacitating but extremely painful. Auto accidents may cause compression fractures in the lower and middle back due to the action of a seat belt. The lower part of the body holds firm while the upper portion is thrown forward rapidly.
Larynx/Trachea Injuries
Frontal neck damage may harm your larynx (voice box) or trachea (windpipe), resulting in communication and/or breathing difficulties.
Herniated Disc
Traumatic force can result in disc herniation. Since a disc’s role is absorbing impact, any violent force can cause the jelly-like disc center to exude through cracks in the hard, outside shell. That material then contacts nearby nerves, causing substantial pain. Other symptoms of herniated discs include arm and leg pain.
Pinched Nerves
Tiny bone fragments can enter nerves in your neck, causing pain and weakness.
Soft Tissue Injuries
While not as serious as fractures, soft tissue and muscle strains and sprains can result in a lot of pain and a prolonged recovery time.
Spondylolisthesis
This injury may result from traumatic impact, which fractures the supporting elements of the spine. Without immediate treatment, there’s a danger of losing neurological function.
Whiplash
This descriptive term involves rapid force moving the head back and forth, resulting in soft tissue injuries. Whiplash often occurs when cars are “rear-ended” by another driver. The pain from a whiplash injury may not appear immediately but starts within 24 to 48 hours of an accident. Symptoms include vision issues, dizziness, headaches, and neck pain.
Types of Accidents That Can Lead to Back and Neck Injuries
Motor vehicle accidents are the most common causes of back and neck injuries but are far from the only sources of these debilitating issues. Other frequent causes of back and neck injuries include:
- Falls
- Falling objects
- Construction accidents
- Offshore drilling accidents
- Sports accidents
- Other work-related accidents
If the back or neck injury was work-related, claims must be filed with workers’ compensation. Your attorney can help you with filing a workers’ compensation claim and ensuring you receive the compensation you deserve.
Damages Available to Dallas-Area Back and Neck Injury Victims
Victims of back and neck injuries may be unable to work for a long time or perhaps permanently. They may never return to the type of job they once held because of the injury. Damages available to back and neck injury victims include:
- Lost wages
- Medical expenses, past and future
- Pain and suffering