The answer to the ultimate value of an Atlanta neck and back injury settlement will depend on the nature of the neck and back injury. All neck and back injuries are not the same. They are not even the same in two different people. Even if a set of twins was injured in a car accident and had the same or similar neck and back injury, it will still depend on many variables as to the nature of the settlement package given for this type of loss.
Neck and back injuries can be serious, debilitating, paralyzing, or minor. It all depends on the injury and how the person will be able to heal from it. That healing process will be different for each person and can take days, weeks, or months, sometimes even take years to fully recover from a neck or back injury related to an accident.
Interventions and Treatments for Neck and Back Injuries
Neck and back injuries are usually related, as the bones in the neck go into the spinal column and are responsible for helping you move in your daily activities. Most people think of the neck and back as two different body sections, but they are more interrelated than anything else. If you have had an accident and injured your neck, it may follow quite logically that you have also hurt your back as well. There will be a variety of interventions that can help reduce the immense pain that a person can experience from a neck and or a back injury. These interventions can include the following:
- NSAIDs
- Opioids
- Topical medications
- Manual therapies
- Electrotherapies
- Acupuncture
- Remaining active
- Behavioral and CBT therapies
- MBR programs
- Antidepressants
- Anticonvulsants
The types of neck injuries and associated lower back pain can include:
- Whiplash
- Neck injuries
- Lower back pain
- Chronic back pain
- Stiffness in neck and back
- Lumbar spine abnormalities
Accidents Can Cause Serious Neck and Back Injuries
There are several reasons that an accident can cause serious neck and back injuries. A car accident or a fall can make it difficult for someone to recover from a neck or back injury because of the limited range of motion for movement that you can get after an accident. If you are injured in your spine, back or neck, it is much more than a “stiff neck” or general “whiplash.” You can be debilitated to the point that it is difficult or impossible for you to continue to care for yourself and perform the tasks necessary to complete for daily living.
People who have seriously injured their neck and back often have a continued weakness in those areas. This may prevent a person from being able to care for themselves, drive a car, or sit comfortably upright. The damage to the spine and back may require fusion surgeries, which can fail as often as not, and may not bring real relief. If a person has pain, swelling, and limited motion, then there is the issue of continued and constant pain that the individual will feel on a daily and sometimes hourly basis.
These factors will help determine the “value” of a neck and back injury. It is nearly impossible to guess what this type of injury will settle for in one person’s case over another person. Each person is different and has a different injury. But these types of cases can settle for $300,000 to $3 million or more, depending on the circumstances.
Document and Proof of a Neck and Back Injury
If you have had an accident and experienced a neck and back injury, you will want to document the extent of your injury completely. This starts with the scene of the accident. You will want to have been seen at the accident scene or go to the hospital to be checked on the same day as the accident. If you are at the scene of the accident and you are offered to be seen by the EMTs, you should be seen if you are experiencing pain. If you are not in pain, then that is a different story. If you tell the EMTs who respond to the scene of an accident that you are “not hurt,” “feel fine,” or are “all set,” then that is fine too. But understand that it will be difficult later to prove that you had an injury to your neck or back due to the accident if at the scene you refused any care or to be checked out by the first responders.
In the case that you really do feel fine after an accident, and the neck and back pain snuck up on you and only happened later, such as several days later, you need to document that by going to your healthcare provider to be seen. If you have a pre-existing injury exacerbated by the accident, that needs to be documented. This can happen and is quite common. For example, you may have had a biking accident several years ago and are living with it quite comfortably.
Once you have the accident, you may be back to square one in the management of your back injury. The original accident on your bike that gave you the back injury is not the fault of the careless and reckless person who caused the recent injury. But the negligent person today who caused your accident is responsible for making your back injury worse, and for that, the person will need to be accountable and pay you for the personal injury that you are suffering now.
Starting the Healing Process Will Be Slow
Depending on many factors, the healing process for a neck or back injury will be slow-going at best. As this is happening, you need to be patient and continue to do what the doctors tell you to do to promote healing on all fronts. It won’t be easy to get back to a new normal, but you need to continue with your former life as much as possible. As you are healing, you can count on us to help you get the settlement package you deserve from the parties responsible for your losses.
CEO Lawyer—Winning Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyer
We are here for you and know what to do to get you the money you deserve related to neck and back injury settlements, as determined in this situation. Neck and back settlements can be complex because these are often complex injuries sustained due to an accident. If you have any questions about your neck and back accident, call the experienced injury and accident attorneys at the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm at (470) 323-8779. We are ready to help you get back the money you deserve when you are personally injured in these cases. Call us today for a free consultation.
