Central Cord Syndrome : If the neck is forcibly extended, the spinal cord can be squeezed and damaged. The cord bleeds, swells, and bruises. The center of the spinal cord, which is most severely damaged in this scenario, controls the arms. Thus, weakness of the arms is a symptom of this injury, making it difficult to do everyday tasks. The legs and other areas of the body may also be affected. Associated Complications and Injuries: Secondary complications associated specifically with injuries to the spinal cord include respiratory, cardiovascular, urinary, and bowel complications, as well as muscle problems, pain, pressure ulcers, sexual and fertility difficulties, osteoporosis, bone fractures, and depression.
Additionally, studies have found a link between spine injuries and head trauma. Patients with spinal cord injuries are later diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury 24 to 50 percent of the time. About one-third of patients with cervical spine or spinal cord injuries also have moderate to severe head injuries.
The cervical spine, or the neck, is the most commonly injured region of the spine in car crashes. Seat belt restraints, though still overwhelmingly beneficial, allow the neck to bend forcefully to the front, side, or back while restraining the rest of the body. Colliding with seatbelts can cause injuries to other areas of the spine as well.
In frontal-impact accidents , the head and torso are thrown forward. However, they may accelerate forward at different speeds, damaging the cervical area of the spine.
Severe spinal cord injuries in the neck happen in frontal accidents after the seat belt stops the forward motion of the torso but the head continues to move forward. High-speed accidents can also cause a Chance fracture in the thoracic or lumbar spine due to the bending of the spine against the seatbelt.
In a Chance fracture, the front of the spine is compressed together, and the back of the spine is cracked apart, potentially crushing or tearing the spinal cord. The torso pushes back and upward until caught by the lap restraint, putting pressure on the thoracic vertebrae and discs.
Meanwhile, the neck snaps backward, causing whiplash and potentially damage to the cervical vertebrae, discs, ligaments, or spinal cord. The lumbar area of the spine may also be affected by the lap restraint and from being pushed into the seatback.
Side-impact accidents typically cause more damage to those vehicle occupants sitting on the side of impact. In contrast to rear- and frontal-impact accidents, in which the body primarily moves forward or backward, side-impact accidents cause the body to move sideways. In these crashes, the seatbelt holds the lower body in place but does little to hold the torso, neck, or head in place.
The upper body may slip out of the seatbelt, resulting in even more damaging sideways bending and impact with the door of the car. In motorcycle accidents , the thoracic spine is the most commonly injured region of the spine. Whereas cars have seatbelts that cause the body to bend largely at the neck in collisions, motorcycles have no seatbelts, meaning that the body bends naturally at the midsection.
Injuries on multiple levels of the spine occur in over half of motorcycle accidents. The direction and speed of crashes are important factors for spinal injuries. The faster that cars are going when they collide, the higher the risk of severe injury. The best way to avoid a spinal injury is to observe posted speed limits, drive defensively, and never ride in a vehicle with an intoxicated driver. Additionally, when a vehicle rolls during a crash, the likelihood of spinal cord injuries increases.
When a vehicle rolls over, the body experiences more changes in direction and speed than with other crashes. The head may come into contact with the roof or other parts of the car, greatly increasing the risk of damage to the spine.
Additionally, the body may be partially or entirely ejected from the car. SUVs are more top-heavy, making it easier for them to flip over. Their large size can result in more severe accidents, as well as provide a false sense of security to their drivers. Certain risk factors make one more likely to have a spine injury as a result of a car collision.
Young adult males are at the highest risk since they are more likely to drive recklessly. There is also a correlation between weight and body mass index BMI and the risk of injury in car crashes. Individuals who weigh more will experience greater forces to their body upon impact. Wearing a seatbelt reduces the risk of serious spinal injury. This is especially true in head-on and rear-end collisions, though seatbelts certainly help in rollover and side-impact accidents as well.
How much money should you expect from your back-injury case? This is a fair question. The civil justice system can offer you money to help with the expenses, pain, and lifestyle changes associated with a severe back injury.
However, how a back injury settlement is calculated depends largely on the type of injury sustained. Let's look a the individual types of back injuries. The value of back injury cases depends on the type of injury. At the top of the value chart is clearly spinal cord injuries. This means cases where the spinal cord was injured, including by a fractured or dislocated vertebra.
Assuming adequate insurance, these cases are typically assessed in the millions. Next in line is disc injury cases. As a general rule, herniated disc injury cases are usually valued at more than ruptured or bulging discs. Some herniated disc cases are million-dollar cases.
Others are relatively minor injury cases that cause the victim little, if any, long-term trouble. The settlement compensation payouts for these types of back injury cases hinges on:. At the top end of the scale is herniated disc injuries that require back surgery. The decision to get surgery for a disc herniation in your back is a difficult one. The risks of surgery include infection , thrombophlebitis , spinal fluid leak , and death in rare cases. On the other hand, surgery may provide more relief than conservative treatment.
The settlement value of a surgery case will almost always be higher than a case without surgery. Our lawyers see many of our clients in Maryland back injury cases with radiating pain getting at least some relief with epidural steroid injections. The literature is less clear about the usefulness of injections for chronic non-radiating back pain, but we have had clients report progress.
The compensation awarded by juries in these back injury claims can be very high. Jurors often understand that having to put a needle we show jurors the needle in your back is a strong indicator of real suffering. Still, insurance companies put less stock in any case that does not involve surgery, even when injections are warranted.
This is why non-surgery low back injury lawsuits are more likely to go to trial or settle in the days before trial. At the bottom end of the scale for the amount you can expect in a back-injury settlement are soft tissue back injuries that cannot be confirmed by any diagnostic testing.
This includes things like whiplash. The settlement payouts in these cases will depend on:. The victim's credibility is critical in a personal injury case. This is particularly true in back injury cases. Juries approach back injuries with healthy skepticism since back injuries are an incredibly common complaint.
Moreover, with back injuries, the extent of the injuries and symptoms often don't line up with the radiological findings. But the reality is that any fair back injury settlement without surgery in Maryland and Washington, D.
The toughest back injury cases involve preexisting injuries, like degenerative injuries like spinal stenosis and spondylosis. Our injury attorneys do not let them do this. We fight aggressively for our injured clients every step of the way. The following examples demonstrate the possible outcomes of successful settlements that far exceed initial settlement offers. Each case is different, and the examples below do not predict nor do they guarantee the outcome of your particular case.
In this case, the client suffered a lower back injury due to a serious rear-end car accident. Treatment for her injury required surgery. A motorcycle collision left this client with a damaged disc in his neck. The client tried injection therapy and conservative treatment options without success. To get relief, the client underwent cervical fusion surgery to repair the damaged disc in his neck.
The case settled one day before the trial was to begin. This client was rear-ended while sitting at a railroad crossing.
While the insurance company tried to prove the herniated disc pre-existed, it did not. Your case is unique to your situation and your outcome may differ from those listed above. With proper documentation and evidence of your accident, securing compensation for neck and back injuries is possible and worth pursuing.
Insurance company representatives may offer you a settlement soon after the accident. While the offer may seem like a large amount, it most likely will not cover your future medical expenses.
Neck and back injuries are painful and as such, often require pain medication. Lying in your hospital bed, groggy from your medications, is no time to make important decisions. With rising medical costs, this amount barely covers a basic hospital stay. Serious neck and back injuries can result in future surgeries, extensive physical therapy, and the need for personal care.
Depending upon your injury, the costs can sore beyond the thousands and into the millions of dollars. Lost wages — A neck or back injury can not only slow you down, it can prevent you from doing your job. Even desk jobs involve proper posture and turning your head. Driving your car to work may suddenly become impossible due to a neck brace. A warehouse job where you once lifted heavy boxes is now impossible. Losing your job and the ability to provide for your family is stressful and heartbreaking.
Many people work hard for years at a career they enjoy, only for an accident to force them to the sidelines. Accountability — Of all the key reasons for pursuing a settlement, accountability is perhaps the most important. Holding the negligent driver responsible for their actions may help to assure they will never drive recklessly again.
Neck and back pain can follow you throughout your life and long after the initial injury. Pursuing a settlement is your opportunity to seek legal action against the responsible party. Ask yourself what you have to lose by pursuing litigation and what you have to lose by not taking the chance? Our personal injury lawyers can help you seek monetary damages after a car accident in Florida, or anywhere in the United States. We are a national injury law firm with considerable experience representing victims of car accidents.
Some of the most common types of damages available to accident victims include:. Hiring a personal injury attorney at Sibley Dolman Gipe Accident Injury PA is the best way to obtain these damages and reach a successful settlement with the insurance company after a car accident. We can advocate for your interests and maximize the types of damages you can obtain. Even if the insurance company fights or pushes back — we fight harder. If necessary, we can take your case all the way to trial to secure the compensation you deserve.
There are many factors that will affect the amount of your back and neck injury settlement. As such, the amount you can receive may vary greatly from the average settlement amount.
Instead of thinking in terms of average settlements, it is important to consider how much YOUR case is worth. Any settlement you receive is unique to YOUR situation. No two cases are ever the same. Many factors will affect the amount you can receive in a back or neck settlement. Some of those factors include:. Insurance companies may try to claim that you already had back or neck injuries.
These pre-existing injuries may be used to try and reduce your claim. Our attorneys know how to combat these tactics. We will gather the necessary evidence to show liability and build your case. Sadly, you will only be able to recover up to the maximum policy limit unless you sue the defendant or bring a claim against another party.
Our lawyers know how to find all liable parties to maximize compensation. If filing a lawsuit is necessary, we are experienced and skilled litigators who are not afraid to fight tough battles in and out of courtrooms for our injured clients. The first step towards winning your case and reaching a back and neck injury settlement is to understand your injuries and how they will affect your life and your future. That's not a major surprise. Workplace back injuries are similar to those found in our road accidents section that comes next.
Typically, back injury and back conditions occur in the following circumstance at work:. If it wasn't your fault, you can. This means if your injury was potentially caused by your employer's negligence , we may be able to help you claim for back injury compensation. A back injury at work claim amount will vary according to its severity and the circumstances of your accident.
Call our friendly, legally-trained advisors for a confidential chat on. We'll be able to assess if you might have grounds to claim for compensation for back injury at work. Road traffic accidents are a common cause of back injury and they can often be serious. Neck and spinal injuries for drivers and passengers range from whiplash damage to soft tissues, muscles and ligaments through to spinal cord trauma that can result in life-changing paralysis or fatality.
Vulnerable road users like cyclists , motorcyclists , pedestrians and horse riders are particularly at risk of severe spinal injury in an accident. If you 've been injured by a road traffic accident wasn't your fault, call us on. We can help you find out if you may have grounds to make a back injury compensation claim.
The impact forces in a vehicle accident are huge, even at low speed. A driver of average weight 70kg , wearing a seatbelt and coming to a sudden collision stop at 30mph in 30 milliseconds will be subject to:. Whiplash - one of the most common car accident injuries , causing damage to soft tissues, muscles and ligaments in the neck and shoulders. It often occurs in rear-end shunts where the head and neck are jerked forward sharply while the body stays still. It can take hours or days for symptoms to appear.
They include: pain, stiffness, dizziness, fatigue or blurry vision and vary from mild to severe. It often requires physiotherapy during recovery. Spinal fracture - often occurs in accidents where the seatbelt doesn't hold you in place properly. The lower half of the body remains still, but the torso and head are jerked around, sometimes causing compression fractures in the vertebrae.
Symptoms include: painful breathing while sitting or walking, numbness, a general sense of weakness and bladder issues. Treatment depends on severity and ranges from rest through to surgery. Herniated discs - better known as a slipped disc. The soft, jelly discs between your vertebrae can be squeezed very hard in an accident.
They can move and compress nerves causing severe pain and numbness that takes time to heal. Treatment usually involves physiotherapy and pain relief, with surgery in more serious cases. Spondylolisthesis - when a stress fracture forces vertebrae out of position, spondylolisthesis can occur.
It squeezes nerves in the spinal cord, causing pain, numbness and difficulty walking. Treatment depends on severity and location of the damaged vertebrae but it's usually either physiotherapy or surgery. Spinal stenosis - spinal stenosis isn't usually caused by a road accident directly, but can cause someone with asymptomatic spinal stenosis to develop symptoms.
The condition is usually found in people over 60 and is where the spinal column narrows around the spinal cord and compresses sections of nerve tissue. A spinal specialist will be able to assess if your accident triggered the symptoms and then determine the right course of treatment. Spinal cord injuries SCI - are often the most serious and are where the cord itself is bruised, torn or severed.
They can occur even in low speed accidents. SCI injuries can result in various forms of paralysis and can be permanent, involving loss of feeling and movement in some or limbs.
Brachial plexus injury - your brachial plexus is a network of nerves in your spine that sit between your shoulder blades. Damage to this nerve network can cause an injury called brachial neuritis, also known as Parsonage Turner syndrome. The damage to your nerves can lead to numbness or tingling, as well as pain in the arms and hands.
The rules for making a small personal injury claim following a road traffic accident changed on 31 st May The government introduced a tariff for whiplash claims linking compensation awards to the duration of the injury. They are designed to reduce the number and cost of exaggerated or fraudulent claims plus reduce motor insurance premiums for drivers. The changes mean:. The changes do not affect vulnerable road users like pedestrians or cyclists and do not apply to other types of personal injury claim like accidents at work, accidents in public or medical negligence cases.
We know it can be difficult to cope with the seen and unseen effects of an injury that wasn't your fault, so that's why our Legal Support Advisors LSAs are fully trained to help you through an emotional and important part of the recovery process. No two cases are the same and so back injury compensation payouts vary. We look at each case on an individual basis so we can decide the best way to help you and who's the most suitable solicitor for your claim.
Because of this, we can't tell you exactly how much back injury compensation you might receive, but you can get an estimate by using our compensation calculator. We'll work hard to make sure you get the full amount of compensation you're owed. Your solicitor will take anything caused by your injury into consideration when putting together your back injury claim.
Your compensation can't take away what you've been through, but it really can help you get as much of your independence back as possible. If you're unsure whether you could make a back injury claim , contact us free on. Our legally trained advisors will listen to everything you have to say and will be able to tell you whether they think you have a claim.
First and foremost - we're here to offer advice. We'll never rush or pressure you into claiming. If you do decide you'd like to go ahead, we can connect you with one of our specialist solicitors.
We take the hard work out of finding the right solicitor so that you can focus on your recovery. Your solicitor will be the point of contact throughout your claim - we monitor the standards of their service so you can be sure you'll receive the best possible service. They'll keep you up to date and will be on hand to answer any questions you might have.
Like all of our friendly and professional team members, Yaa has great listening skills and pays close attention to what our customers have been through. It's her job to help her team help people understand whether or not they may have grounds for a claim. Yes there are. To qualify for making any no win no fee back injury compensation claim, you must have been injured within the last three years. The accident must also have been wholly or partially the fault of someone else.
There are exceptions to the three-year limitation, for instance if the claimant has experienced such severe injury they can't make the claim themselves or if they lack the psychological capability to do so. If you've got any questions about making a no win no fee compensation claim, contact us for free and impartial advice on.
We'll listen to what you've been through and let you know if we think you could make a no win no fee claim. Alternatively, you can try our eligibility verifier which asks some simple questions about your experience and will let you know whether we think you may be able to make a back injury claim. It's important to add that we'll never rush or pressure you. We're here to give you impartial and free no win no fee compensation advice so you can decide what to do next.
We realise that if you've suffered from an injury, the last thing on your mind will be making a compensation claim.
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