Charleston Back and Neck Injury Attorneys

Neck, Back, and Spine Injuries: Compensation for Damages in Charleston

The neck, back and spine are at the core of your skeletal system, housing your spinal cord, supporting your skull, and protecting your vital organs. Few areas of the body have more potential to impact your day-to-day function, ability to work, and enjoyment of life. If you have been injured you need to contact a Charleston orthopedic injury attorney who can guide you through the process of documenting your symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. Call Allen Law at (843) 882-5005 if a back or neck injury is keeping you from getting back to your life.

As a smaller client-focused firm, we treat clients as real people — not file numbers”
- Julian Allen

Back Pain

Back pain is the most common cause of disability in adults. Traumatic injuries to the back, neck, or spine are caused by sudden impacts such as car accidents and falls, or repetitive motions that damage the back over time. You might want to dismiss back pain at first, assuming it will resolve. In a study by the Insurance Research Council, 58% of adults report low back pain and 66% report neck pain after a motor vehicle collision. Recovery is often slow or incomplete with 31% continuing to report pain after twelve months. It is essential for an injured person to be correctly diagnosed and treated, as quickly as possible after an accident.

Traumatic Injury to the Back, Neck, and Spine

Whiplash

Whiplash is caused by the rapid and forceful back and forth movement of the head and neck. Rear end car accidents are a major cause of whiplash. Whiplash can damage the muscles, disks, ligaments, and bones of the neck. Symptoms can take several days to develop and include:

• Pain and stiffness in the neck
• Headaches at the base of the skull
• Tenderness in the neck and shoulder muscles
• Blurred vision
• Numbness or tingling in the arms
• Fatigue
• Dizziness

Herniated Disks

The backbone is a column of vertebrae separated by spongy disks. In an accident the disk can become misshapen and start to squeeze the nerves that extend from the spine. Herniated disks can cause sharp pain on one side of the body, numbness, tingling, and weakness. It can affect the legs, feet, shoulders, arms, and neck.

Spinal Cord Injuries

If the spinal cord, the core of nerves and tissue that run inside the vertebrae, is torn the patient can experience full or partial paralysis, loss of movement and sensation, to any area below the tear. The higher up the injury the more serious the symptoms. An Acute Spinal Cord Injury in the neck can affect the ability to breathe or swallow, a tear lower in the back can affect bladder and/or bowel function and legs.

Strains and Sprains

A strain is pulling or twisting the muscles or tendons in the back. It can happen after a single incident, like lifting a heavy object, or from repetitive motions that put stress on the back. A sprain is a tear or stretching of the ligaments that hold the bones of a joint together. Sprains are usually the result of a sudden blow or fall that forces the joint out of its usual range of motion. After the initial inflammation has healed strains and sprains may require physical therapy to ensure they do not reoccur.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Neck, Spine, and Back Injuries

If you have been injured in a collision in Charleston, fall or other accident seek treatment from a physician immediately. Symptoms that start as mild can worsen as the days pass. You need the right testing and care to achieve the best possible recovery. Documentation of your symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment by a physician will also be extremely important when an injury case goes to civil court. The physicians may collect images of your back including X-rays, MRI, CT scans, and photos of the affected area. They may test your extremities, nerve signals, and cognition to determine if you have any nerve damage. Treatment can range from immobilization for fractures, surgery to repair disks, medication, physical therapy, massage, and strength training. It is vital you receive the right treatment to ensure the best recovery.

Compensation for Neck, Back, and Spine Injuries

If your injury was caused by an accident or occurred on the job, you might be able to seek compensation for several types of damages:

Just like finding the right doctor to look after your injury, you must find the right Charleston personal injury lawyer to look after your interests in court. Allen Law provides one on one attention, expertise, and a deep knowledge of the tactics the opposition will use against you. Protect your future and health and call Allen Law at (843) 882-5005.