Neck and Back Injuries

Neck and Back Injuries in Florida

In Florida, back and neck injuries are brought on by a number of causes including car accidents, slips and falls, swimming accidents, or sports-related accidents. Due to the variety of causes of back and neck injuries suffered by personal injury victims, they are the most common injury reason people seek medical care every year.

A neck or back injury can range from soft tissue whiplash injuries to debilitating spinal fractures and spinal cord injuries that result in permanent disability. Most of these injuries require physical therapy, medications, or even surgery to repair damage. In some cases, the damage is a result of sudden trauma, however sometimes it’s the result of strains that occur from repetitive twisting, bending or reaching. The result can be chronic pain, dizziness, tingling or numbness in the back and limbs and in the worst cases, victims can suffer paralysis and even death.

To further complicate matters, the pain associated with a back or neck injury may require a victim to abandon activities they once enjoyed, or can even destroy the ability to function normally from day to day, thereby affecting the quality of life. Fighter Law personal injury attorneys will ensure you are fairly compensated for all past, present and future suffering caused by your back or neck injury.

Symptoms of Neck or Back Injury

Knowing the symptoms of a neck or back injury is important, as these injuries are often left untreated. There are three common types of back and neck injuries:

Whiplash or connective tissue injury

Whiplash occurs when joints located between the vertebrae, discs, ligaments, muscles and nerve roots in the neck become damaged.

Herniated, ruptured or slipped disc

The round and flat discs between the vertebrae in the spine are designed to absorb pressure and maintain the spine’s flexibility. These discs can herniate, rupture or slip out of the proper placement when the body experiences force or trauma.

Compression fractures

Compression fractures happen when the bones in the spine break or shatter due to trauma.

Neck and back injuries cause a variety of symptoms:

Symptoms of whiplash

• Pain, decreased range of motion and tightness in the neck. Muscles may feel hard or knotted.

• Pain when rocking head from side to side or back to forth.

• Headaches at the base of skull that radiate toward the forehead.

• Swelling of neck

Symptoms of herniated, ruptured or slipped disc

• Arm or leg pain, depending on the part of your spine that is affected

• Numbness or tingling in the body part served by the affected nerves.

• Weakened muscles served by affected nerves, which can cause you to stumble or impair your ability to lift or hold things.

Symptoms of compression fractures

• Sudden, severe back pain, but symptoms can come on gradually and worsen over time.

• Some pain relief when lying down.

• Difficulty and pain when bending or twisting.

• Loss of height.

• Deformity of spine – a curved or “hunchback” shape.

Seek Medical Treatment if you Have Sustained a Neck or Back Injury

It is important to seek treatment immediately; many of neck and back injuries can worsen over time, and for some, pain may be relieved over time but the damage sustained is unrepairable and can cause long-term problems.

Your claim for compensation is better preserved the earlier you seek treatment. When unbiased medical professionals are able to attest to your condition immediately or shortly after an incident, it can help bolster your case in terms of causation. In other words, you will have to prove defendant’s action or omission caused your injury. The more time lapses between the incident and when you seek treatment grants the defense a greater opportunity to assert your injuries were caused by something else.

Hire an Experienced Attorney for your Neck or Back Injury Case

Personal injury cases require an experienced lawyer to thoroughly examine all of the facts about the case, collect evidence, and obtain witness statements to construct a winning legal claim. These matters and legal procedures include initially investigating the facts of the accident, properly documenting the client’s injuries, complying with legal procedure, such as, filing deadlines, meeting policy notice requirements, and recording the payment of accident related medical bills. Fighter Law personal injury attorneys have the litigation knowledge and experience to protect your legal right to fair compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.