Neck and Back Pain After an Accident? Our Lawyers Can Help.
Neck and back injuries are often downplayed – especially in motor vehicle collisions. People believe that neck and back injuries are minor or just a way to take advantage of insurance companies. In actuality, these injuries can be debilitating, and victims rarely get full compensation without aggressive legal representation.
If you suffer a neck or back injury from an accident in Chicago, make sure you obtain the proper medical treatment and get the legal help you need from the very beginning. This could be the difference. Let our team of neck and back injury lawyers help you.
Call us at 312-236-2900 or reach out online. Initial consultations are free, and there are no upfront fees.
Hiring a Chicago Back and Neck Injury Attorney
Given the nature of many neck and back injuries after a car accident or other act of negligence, you may wonder if you need a lawyer. Some people believe that hiring an attorney doesn’t make sense and that they will lose a portion of their settlement if they need ongoing care or treatment.
However, this is precisely why you need a neck and back injury attorney. Neck and back injuries are severe, often requiring surgery or physical therapy, and you could be left without an income for an extended period. The liable party’s insurance company may offer a settlement, but the amount may not reflect the severity of your injuries.
If your injury requires ongoing care and you eventually realize that you should have received far more, you cannot ask for more. That’s why you need to demand the right amount the first time and fight aggressively to get it.
Our team of Chicago personal injury lawyers advocates fiercely for every client. We know that an injury can be costly and seriously disrupt your life. Whether your case is settled or fought in the court system, we are here for you every step of the way.
Back Injuries From Car Accidents
When you have been involved in a car accident, you could suffer many different back injuries. Car accidents can affect the lumbar vertebrae, cervical vertebrae, and thoracic vertebrae.
This includes networks of ligaments, tendons, tissues, nerves, and bones that extend throughout your body.
Some common back injuries in Chicago car accidents include:
- Slipped discs: The discs in your spine absorb the shock of everyday movement, and when one slips out of place, the bones of the spine can come into direct contact with each other. This is extremely painful and may even leave you bedridden until fixed, depending on your pain tolerance.
- Other types of disc damage: Unfortunately, the discs in the spinal cord can go through all kinds of damage. This is one reason why prompt medical care is so important; without an expert’s opinion, it is impossible to know what treatment you need. Disc injuries from a car accident can lead to disc herniation, sequestration, and nerve compression.
- Muscle and ligament damage: Many types of generalized back pain can be traced back to a damaged muscle and ligament. These injuries cause pain in a specific, limited part of the back in some cases. In others, it causes widespread pain that is difficult to pinpoint.
- Sciatica: Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve is compressed or put under pressure. Most people experience radiating pain through one leg and hip.
Treating Back Injuries
The medical care and treatment for a back injury also depend on the injury, type of injury, and severity. Some common treatment options for back injuries include physical therapy, back braces, anti-inflammatory medication, gentle stretching, spinal cord surgery, and corticosteroid injections, to name a few.
Severe back injuries can often have a considerable impact on your life. You may find it difficult to complete tasks independently, take care of your family, continue working, and otherwise provide for yourself and your loved ones. This makes it essential that an experienced attorney is helping you recover the compensation you will need.
Neck Injuries From Car Accidents
Neck injuries are also typical in Chicago car accidents. The neck is made up of small bones known as the cervical vertebrae. This is located in the spinal column and supports your neck and skull. Cervical discs are shock absorbers that can be strained, stretched, or torn after a car accident.
Neck injuries take many forms. However, some common neck injuries in Chicago car accidents include:
- Whiplash. Many car accident victims experience whiplash, a condition that happens when your neck jerks violently backward and forward. The extent of damage depends on the force of the accident.
- Cervical spine injuries. Other types of back injuries can be traced to the spinal cord. The higher an injury is, the more it can limit your motion. Cervical cord injuries at the top of the spinal cord can impact your trunk control, arm mobility, and leg mobility.
- Thoracic and lumbar spine injuries. These injuries often lead to loss of mobility in the legs.
- Sacral spine injuries. People who sustain sacral spine injuries often suffer paralysis of the hips, loss of sexual function, and loss of bowel or bladder control.
Treating Neck Injuries
Obtaining medical care immediately will be essential if you hope to recover physically, not to mention financially for your resulting damages. Common treatment options available for neck injuries are:
- Physical therapy
- Anti-inflammatory drugs
- Use of a neck brace
- Spinal cord stimulation
- Epidural steroid injections
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Facet and medial branch blocks
- Chiropractic techniques, including gentle stretching
- Kyphoplasty
- Stem cell therapy
- Robotic spine surgery
- Fusion surgery
- Microdiscectomy
Compensation for Neck & Back Injuries in Chicago, IL
After a car accident, dealing with a neck or back injury could have a devastating impact on your life. Fortunately, you have the right to be made whole. This means every loss should be taken into consideration.
Some examples of damages you could recover for your neck and back injuries include:
- Costs of physical therapy
- Prescription medication fees
- Co-pays
- Transportation costs
- Diagnostic imaging fees
- Hospital bills
- Necessary medical equipment
- Future medical treatment and care
- Your physical pain and suffering
- Disfigurement or skin scarring
- Lost wages
- Loss of potential future earnings
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of consortium
Your neck and back injury attorney will also consider that your back and neck injuries could have a significant impact on your life for years. You will want to be sure to seek compensation so you can handle any expenses that may come your way as a result of your neck or back injuries following a car accident in Chicago.
Proving Your Back and Neck Injury Case
To seek compensation for a back or neck injury, you must be able to prove:
- The other party had a duty to you
- The other party violated that duty
- You suffered injuries because of that violation
- The injuries caused you to sustain measurable damages
A significant part of this is demonstrating the severity of your injuries. Getting prompt medical care is essential, as it documents the severity of your injuries immediately after the accident. You must attend all scheduled and recommended appointments. Your medical records are an important piece of evidence.
You might also want to keep a personal injury journal. Pain is subjective, but a journal allows you to outline how your injuries have impacted your life. A personal injury journal describes your pain level each day and details the ways in which your injuries limit your daily activities.
Contact a Chicago Neck and Back Injury Lawyer Today
Time is of the essence after suffering a serious neck or back injury. Contacting a Chicago neck and back injury lawyer gives you a better chance at gathering evidence, building a case, making liability clear, and fighting for the compensation you deserve.
Call Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. at 312-236-2900 or fill out our contact form to get started. Initial consultations are free, and there are no upfront fees.
