We Help People Who Have Sustained Neck Injuries in Preventable Accidents
Have you suffered a neck injury after an accident or fall? Do you experience pain in your neck and shoulders that does not seem to go away? If so, you might be able to obtain compensation for your accident-related losses. Neck injuries can range from mild to debilitating, but you should treat all injuries seriously.
Contact a lawyer about your neck injury claim
At The Law Office of Hurst Limontes LLC, we help clients with neck injuries get the compensation to which they are entitled under Indiana law. We will review the facts of your case at no cost to and inform you as to whether we believe you will be able to recover compensation. Should you choose to have us represent you, you will not owe us anything for legal representation unless we obtain compensation on your behalf. To schedule a free consultation with one of our lawyers, contact us online or call our office today.
Contact a lawyer about your neck injury claim
Common Neck Injuries
A painful neck injury can restrict your range of movement and can also leave you with debilitating pain. Here are some of the most common neck injuries that regularly affect people hurt in accidents:
Neck & Back Injury. While it is not a medical diagnosis itself, the term “Neck & Back Injury” broadly refers to injuries to the soft tissues of the neck, including the muscles, ligaments, and tendons. It often occurs as a result of a vehicle accident or a slip and fall where the head is violently thrown frontwards, backwards, or side-to-side. This sudden movement overextends the neck and stretches or tears the tissues of the neck. This whip-like motion can also damage soft tissue in the shoulders and upper back.
Typically, Neck & Back Injury symptoms show up within 24 hours after the accident. Some of the most common include the following
- Pain
- Stiffness
- Headaches
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Weariness
Contact a doctor immediately if you have any of these symptoms. Treatment for Neck & Back Injury can range from simple pain management to invasive surgery, and the treatment you receive will be based on the severity of your injuries and your symptoms. Some people who sustain Neck & Back Injury develop long-term complications, which may include the following:
- Memory problems
- Decreased concentration
- Sleep disturbances
- Chronic pain
Pinched nerves. Individuals suffer a pinched nerve injury when nerves get stretched, compressed, or constricted. Sometimes, a herniated disc in your neck puts pressure on the nerves in your neck, causing pain that way. If you suffer from a pinched nerve, you might experience pain in your neck that radiates to your arms and hands. Mane people who sustain pinched nerves report feeling prickling, numbness, or burning sensations as a result of the nerve injury, and frequently are too weak to hold objects or pick things up.
Cervical fractures. Multiple vertebrae in the neck surround the spinal cord as it exits the base of your skull and travels down the rest of your body. Any violent force can fracture one of these bones, causing extreme pain and potentially causing additional complications. If you have a “broken neck,” then you are suffering from a cervical fracture.
Depending on the specific of the fracture, you might also suffer injury to your spinal cord. An injury to the spinal cord can potentially compromise your ability to move or feel sensation in the rest of your body below the point of injury. In extreme cases, a cervical fracture can lead to paralysis or death.
Causes of Neck Injuries
Neck injuries can occur in a wide variety of ways. Some of the most common include:
- Auto accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Drunk driving accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Construction accidents
What You Need to Prove
In most cases, you will need to show that someone else’s negligence caused your injuries. A negligence claim has four parts:
- Duty. You need to show someone owed you a duty of reasonable care. Often, this is easy. For example, a driver owes the other people on the road a duty to operate their vehicle in a careful manner.
- Breach. You must show that the defendant’s actions fell below the required standard of care. In the traffic accident situation, you can show that the driver broke a traffic safety law or was driving aggressively.
- Injury. You must suffer a physical injury, like those listed above.
- Causation. The defendant’s conduct must have caused the injury directly.
These elements are required for a successful case. If you are missing one, then you have not made out a legal claim for negligence. The defendant can ask the judge to dismiss your case from court, meaning you will not receive compensation from the defendant.
To build the strongest case possible, our team investigates accidents thoroughly. We look for proof that the defendant’s carelessness caused the accident so that we can establish the fact that you are legally entitled to compensation.
How Much Is Your Neck Injury Case Worth?
Many people that have sustained neck injuries in an accident are anxious to find out how much compensation they will be able to receive. While it is impossible to determine the exact value of a case until it settles or a judgment is awarded, there are certain factors that may play a role in determining how much you will ultimately receive. These include:
- The severity of your neck injury
- Whether your neck injury is preventing you from working
- Your income
- Whether you were partially at fault for the accident in which you sustained your neck injury
- Your medical expenses
As a victim, you should keep in mind that insurance companies routinely make unreasonable low settlement offers hoping that injured people will simply accept them to get the process over with. For this reason, discuss your case with a lawyer before entering into any settlement agreement.
Speak With a Neck Injury Lawyer in Indianapolis
If you have suffered a neck injury, you might be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Contact us today to start the process. The Law Office of Hurst Limontes LLC has the medical and legal skills necessary to maximize the financial recovery our clients receive for injuries sustained through no fault of their own. Call us for a free consultation at (317) 636-0808 or complete this contact sheet.