Neck Injury? Do I Have A Case?

Sustaining a neck injury is one of the most frustrating injuries to have, and also one of the most painful and life-altering.

Neck injuries are invisible.  There is usually no bruising or bleeding or cuts to see.  But once you have neck pain from a neck injury, you realize for the first time how heavy your head is, and how many times every day you turn your neck. That’s because neck pain gets worse every time you move, every time you use your arms, and even when you lay down to try to go to sleep.

My clients typically get neck injuries due to car accidents, work accidents, construction accidents and fall down cases.  And the severity and permanence of neck injuries can vary greatly.

If you sustain a ‘whiplash’ type of injury to the neck, you are most likely to have a muscle  sprain or strain to the muscles and ligaments in the neck.  These injuries can heal in 8 weeks with proper therapy and medical care.  Or, they can become chronic pain conditions.

You can also herniate the ‘shock absorber’ disks in your neck.  The whiplash movement can actually tear the disk and then the disk does not act as a spacer or shock absorber as well anymore, and that can cause pressure on the nerves and a lot of pain. Treatment for a herniated or ruptured cervical (neck) disk can include physical therapy, pain medication, and even injections and surgery.  In rare cases, multiple surgeries may be necessary.

Finally, a direct blow or trauma to the neck can cause a fracture of the vertebrae (bones) of the neck. These kinds of neck injuries almost always damage the “shock absorber” disks, too.  If their bones are displaced or are broken into many pieces, then you will almost certainly have to have neck surgery to help the bones heal and fix the damages disks in the neck.

The troubling thing about a neck injury is that whether you have a ‘soft tissue” or ‘whiplash’ injury or a very severe herniated disk, the pain and disability and bad effect on your daily routine is very similar.  In other words, it is impossible to know HOW BAD the injury is, or HOW LONG IT WILL LAST just based on your symptoms.

Many of my clients with a neck injury started out not wanting to see a doctor for their car crash or work injury.  As the days went by, the pain got worse.  Some of them had a short-term injury, and others needed neck surgery.

If you or a loved one has been hurt and sustained an injury to the neck, your first priority is to get in to see a doctor right away.  If there is a pinched nerve in the neck, you could be doing permanent injury to your nerves if it is not addressed right away.

You should also talk to an experienced injury lawyer right away.

You should also talk to an experienced injury lawyer right away.  I offer a free, no obligation  DVD that explains your legal rights, and I also offer a free case evaluation. Either way, whether you just want to watch the DVD or talk to a real, experienced neck injury lawyer, I am here to help you.  So relax and give me a ring at 312-895-0545.  I hope you have found this information to be helpful, and please know that I am here to answer any questions you might have about your neck injury.