Your neck is essential for the ongoing functioning of your body. Not only does your neck support your head, but it also houses your spinal cord, which is an integral component of your neurological system. Given its smaller size and great significance, an injury to your neck can disrupt your life in far-reaching ways.

Your neck is the nexus between your body and your brain, and damage to your neck can impact your brain’s ability to communicate with your body, which can, in turn, affect your ability to move, work, or even care for yourself. You can also incur significant financial losses due to a serious neck injury, which can only add to an already stressful situation.

When you suffer a neck injury in an accident that someone else caused, the law entitles you to compensation from the liable parties. This compensation does not happen automatically, however, as you need to file the necessary insurance claims and negotiate for the amount you deserve. While you are dealing with your neck injury, the last thing you need are these added concerns, but a personal injury lawyer can handle this for you.

In this article, we will explore a variety of sources of neck injuries, what their implications are, and how you can seek the legal relief you need. To discuss a specific injury, seek help from an injury attorney.

Traffic Accidents Lead to Many Neck Injuries

Traffic accidents involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, pedestrians, or cyclists can have a traumatic impact on the human body, including the neck.

In a collision, your head might jolt in different directions with serious force, and it can cause serious injuries, including:

• Whiplash – Whiplash refers to soft tissue damage in the neck, including sprains, strains, or tears. While many people minimize this injury, it can be painful and require significant physical therapy to heal. Some people experience movement restrictions that keep them from engaging in their usual activities.
• Cervical fractures – Also known as a broken neck, this happens when one or more of your spinal bones in the cervical (neck) region fracture due to trauma. This type of injury requires immediate medical attention to ensure that the spinal cord did not suffer damage, and it can take a long time for this fracture to heal.
• Spinal cord damage – When neck trauma damages your delicate spinal cord, it can be life-changing. A complete cervical spinal cord injury can paralyze a victim throughout their entire body below the neck, including hindering respiratory functioning. This is a catastrophic and permanently disabling injury.

People who have experienced neck injuries in traffic accidents are at significant risk of disability and even mortality, and they often require specific pre-hospital supportive interventions to minimize the injury. Traumatic spinal injuries can be permanently disabling and cost you a substantial amount of money after the accident to provide for the cost of treatment, medication, and related rehabilitation. This is not to mention the effects on your quality of life.

Who Can You Hold Liable Your Neck Injury?

When another driver causes a crash that injures your neck, that driver should be liable due to their negligence. Negligence might involve speeding, distracted or drunk driving, and many other careless decisions on the road. Such drivers might not only face citations for their illegal conduct, but they also should face civil liability for the harm they cause. This usually happens when you file a claim with their insurance.

Keep in mind that other parties might also be liable for your neck injury. Employers of drivers can be vicariously liable for the injuries that result from employee negligence on the job. A skilled injury lawyer can assess what happened and determine all liable parties for your injuries and losses.

Compensation for Your Neck Injury

When you suffer a neck injury in an accident, and someone else was to blame, you are entitled to compensation from their insurance company. Knowing what damages are available to you for your specific injury is essential to a successful claim, but it is also much harder than it might seem.

Many people consider their short-term costs, including emergency medical care, the income you already lost from missing work, and any repairs necessary from the accident. While you may deserve compensation for these losses, your claim may often cover much more.

Many neck injuries can have longer-term expenses and implications. Medical bills can continue for months, including for follow-up medical care, rehabilitation, treatment, and medication associated with your injury. Your neck injury may also make it so that you cannot return to work for a significant amount of time – or at all. If you cannot return to work or can only return to a position that pays less than you were earning before your injury, you should seek compensation to cover the difference in your earnings from the time of your injury through your working life.

In addition to these past and future financial losses, you should also consider the non-economic losses you suffered from your neck injury. These can include pain and suffering, permanent disability, and more.

An experienced personal injury attorney in your area will know how to calculate your full losses, as well as the settlement norms in similar neck injury cases. This allows them to negotiate the best possible settlement in your case that covers all of your damages.

Connect With a Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Rights After a Neck Injury Today

Working with an attorney after your neck injury will help you seek the damages you need and ensure that you are not left footing the bill for the costs associated with your injury. A local injury attorney who handles cases involving your type of accident can guide you through the process and handle your case every step of the way. This can relieve significant mental and financial stress from you while you focus on reaching the maximum possible recovery from your neck injury.