Compensation for Neck and Back Pain After a Car Wreck
Contact the car accident law firm Atlanta trusts
It may happen right away, or it may take days, weeks, or months to develop. But after a bad Atlanta car crash, many injured victims sustain back and neck pain. Any car accident configuration can cause this type of pain, but head-on collisions in particular are frequently associated with back and neck injuries.
Back and neck pain after a car accident comes in many forms — throbbing, stabbing, agonizing, stiff, swollen, inflamed, and limited range of motion are just a few.
Left untreated, the problem can become chronic pain and stop you from working, driving, sleeping soundly, or doing other normal activities. Even with medical treatment, how long neck and back pain lasts after a car accident is dependent on the individual, their age, and overall health before the crash.
Whether you have a bulging disc in your neck, severe lower back pain, or another type of injury, treating neck and back pain after a car accident often involves weeks or months of muscle strength training and physical therapy. A minor neck or back injury can cause terrible pain for six to eight weeks. If there is a more serious problem, surgery, epidural steroid shots, and other more intensive treatments may be necessary for you to heal. There’s no telling how long the pain could impact your life. That’s why you need to see a doctor — and why you need legal representation.
Compensation for back and neck pain after a car accident
If you are an injured car accident victim, you deserve to get your health back and receive the treatment, care, and services necessary for you to resume a comfortable life.
The insurance company knows that the average settlement for a car accident with back and neck pain can be worth tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. They’re going to do everything they can to reduce or reject your claim — possibly even blaming you for the crash. But you can push back.
Our Atlanta car accident lawyers fight on the side of injured crash victims. We understand that your health and financial stability are on the line after a bad car accident. That’s why we demand the maximum compensation you deserve and never settle for less.
Neck and back pain injuries after a car accident
Your compensation will depend on the type, severity, and treatment of your injury.
Signs and symptoms of a serious back and/or neck injury after a wreck include:
- Reduced range of motion, inability to turn your neck to the side or look up and down. If movement is possible, it may be very painful.
- Headaches.
- Fatigue.
- Dizziness, loss of balance.
- Tenderness, stiffness, or a heavy feeling in your neck or head.
- Throbbing or shooting pain.
- Sensitivity at the base of the skull.
Remember: To protect your health and build a strong claim, you should always see a doctor after a car accident. You may be suffering from a concussion, broken bones, internal bleeding, whiplash, or other delayed pain injury and not know it yet. Your doctor may use an X-ray, MRI, or CT-Scan to check for damage to your vertebrae, soft tissue, and trachea, among other things.
Tell your doctor about all your symptoms, from the top of your head to the tips of your toes, and follow their instructions. It’s the best option for your health, and it protects your legal rights.
Car accident injuries that cause neck and back pain
Here are some of the compensable crash injuries that may be causing your back and neck pain.
Whiplash - One of the most common car accident injuries is whiplash. Caused by the forceful, quick back and forth motion of the head in a car accident, whiplash can develop into a lifelong injury that limits your range of motion and ability to participate in activities and enjoy life.
Concussion - Serious head injuries and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) may be associated with neck pain since violent movement of the head can cause both. Other signs of a concussion include blurred vision, loss of balance, and “not feeling right.”
Spinal cord injury - Any injury to the spine is serious. Made up of interconnecting vertebrae bones, muscles, and tendons, your spine protects the nerves in the spinal cord that run every aspect of your body.
Herniated disc and other neck disc damage - Acute neck pain can often be attributed to a herniated or slipped disc. The misaligned disc allows the back bones (vertebrae) to pinch a nerve. This type of injury causes arm pain in addition to the hurt in your neck and back.
Bone spurs - These bony lumps develop when a bone is damaged.
Muscle strain - Pain from this type of injury can become chronic if not addressed.
Referred pain - This pain develops when uninjured parts of your body try to make up for the weakness of injured parts. The extra strain on your muscles and joints can lead to pain that is referred from the initial injury.
Justice and compensation for injured Georgia car accident victims
Treating back and neck pain, and the injuries underlying it, can require pain medication, physical therapy, surgery, and lifetime care. Your doctor may recommend epidural steroid injections or radiofrequency neurotomy (a noninvasive procedure that targets chronic pain due to soft tissue damage).
Your injury settlement or verdict should be there to cover expenses for what you need to get better. But if you settle for less than your case is worth, the money could run out before you are healed.
Gary Martin Hays & Associates is aggressive about getting you maximum compensation for your injuries. Our Atlanta car accident lawyers work on contingency. That means that, at no out-of-pocket expenses to you, we will investigate your accident, collect evidence, build a strong case, and negotiate with the insurance company while you focus on healing. We give you our “Zero Fee” guarantee – that means you only pay us if we win your case.
If you were injured in a car accident in Atlanta, Decatur, Marietta, Kennesaw, or another community in the greater Atlanta region, contact us for a free case consultation. We can help you understand the value of your claim and weigh your legal options.
We are ready to hear from you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is a statute of limitations in Georgia and a deadline to file accident claims. Do not wait: Contact us now to schedule your free case consultation.
