The Law Offices Of Gerald L. Marcus regularly works with Los Angeles clients who have suffered back and neck injuries. Whether caused by an auto accident, truck accident, bike accident, slip & fall, or lifting a heavy object at work, a back or neck injury can seriously disrupt a person’s everyday life.

Are Back and Neck Injuries Very Common in Accidents?

One of the most common injuries after an accident is back or neck pain. Sometimes the back and neck pain can be sudden and severe, but some people do not feel pain until several hours after trauma.

Most back and neck injuries are ligament or muscle injuries such as sprains or strains. This type of injury hopefully will resolve within a couple months with proper medical care. However, sometimes trauma can cause a herniated disc.

What is a herniated disc? The vertebrae in your spine are padded by small discs that act like shock absorbers. If the disc is damaged it could bulge or break open, and that is called a herniated disc. Sometimes it is also referred to as a ruptured or slipped disc.

A disc herniation is most common in the lumbar spine (lower back). However, some happen in the cervical spine (neck) and more rarely in the thoracic spine (upper back). The herniated disc can press against your spinal nerves and cause severe pain and numbness in parts of the body where the nerve travels. Often disc herniations require surgical repair. A doctor can detect this injury by asking questions about your symptoms, and they can then confirm it by taking an MRI or CT scan.

What Are Common Issues from Back & Neck Injuries?

Here are several common issues due to a back or neck injury:

Back and neck pain can be long term

A big problem with a disc herniation, a protruding or bulging disc is that the pain and limitations from the injury can last a lifetime. Even with proper treatment, a victim of a disc herniation may never fully recover. A victim may have to adapt his or her lifestyle to accommodate new limitations.

Many who suffer from back or neck injuries are prone to aggravations of the condition over time. This can occur from a new trauma or as they engage in routine activities of daily life. Tasks once simple may no longer be possible with a disc injury. For example, lifting groceries, bending to tie shoes, or even picking up small children, etc.

While it is a serious and painful injury, a herniated disc is not the only problem that can emerge from an accident. Sprains and strains may sound minor but they can be very painful when they occur in the neck, upper back, or lower back. These injuries may heal on their own but often they require significant medical treatment for a victim to recover.

When an injury to the back or neck occurs, there is always a concern that the spinal column or spinal cord may be involved. The spinal column is made up of a series of vertebrae, or bones that surround the spinal cord. These bones not only provide support for the entire body to stand upright, but they are also crucial to the protection of the spinal cord itself.

When a vertebra breaks or fractures, there is a significant risk of damage to the spinal cord as well. This can lead to a loss of sensation, nerve damage, or even paralysis.

Is future treatment necessary?

In some instances, victims who sustain a back or neck injury may require additional treatment in the future. The treatment may target a flare up of pain from the original accident or may be to treat a worsening condition. Sometimes, people who sustain an injury in an accident need surgeries later in life to repair or replace part of the back or neck in an effort to keep a patient functioning as much as possible.

This means that some accident victims have future medical expenses that can be large and can leave them with the need for surgical treatment but without the means to pay for the procedures. A civil claim for your damages can seek compensation for future medical bills if there is a reasonable expectation that future treatment will be necessary.

Injuries to the back and neck can be severe, permanent, and disabling. Despite this, insurance companies often try to downplay the severity of these injuries. An adjuster may try to claim the injuries are minor or that the accident was not the cause.

This is not the position we take at The Law Offices Of Gerald L. Marcus. Further, we only represent victims who have injuries from accidents, and never an insurance carrier. We understand that a back or neck injury can be debilitating and we know that it can affect not only you but also your family members.

What Are Common Causes of Neck and Back Injuries?

The back and neck injury lawyers at our Los Angeles office often handle these types of claims due to accidents. For example:

• Auto accidents.  Whether you were in a car, truck, or bus, motor vehicle accident victims often experience back and neck pain. This from a violent jolt from the rear or the side, or otherwise getting tossed around a vehicle.
• Motorcycle and bicycle accidents.  Here, like an auto accident, you can be jerked one direction or another. However, oftentimes in these accidents a victim can be thrown from a bike and either hit the ground or a fixed object. They can also have direct contact with the other vehicle.
• Pedestrian accidents. Similar to a motorcycle or bike crash, a pedestrian can sustain back and neck injuries. This can happen from direct contact with a vehicle, or landing on the ground or hitting an object.
• Slip & fall injury. Our lawyers often work on premises liability claims.  Here, for example, a plaintiff may slip on a condition in a store, landing in a way that can cause a back or neck injury.
• Work injuries. We commonly see workers sustaining neck and back injuries on the job.  It might be from lifting a heavy object, a fall, or any other form of accident.

Should You Contact a Los Angeles Back And Neck Injury Lawyer Today?

At The Law Offices Of Gerald L. Marcus, we offer a free case consultation to all victims of accidents. This includes those who have suffered a back and/or neck injury. We feel that you deserve to speak to a personal injury attorney and to learn about your legal options without any obligation on your part, and we feel so strongly about your rights that we make a lawyer available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week at (818) 784-8544. If you prefer to meet with us in person but your injuries are too serious to travel, we also offer free in-home and in-hospital consultations at your request. After an accident, you deserve to have your legal questions answered and we are standing by to do just that. Call us today and let us help you obtain a financial recovery you deserve.

If you have suffered a back or neck injury, request a Free Case Consultation or call 818-784-8544 to speak with a lawyer now.