New York Spinal Cord and Whiplash Accidents

Serious back and neck injuries often take months or even years to heal. They often involve disability and the need for extensive physical therapy. If the spinal cord is severed or extensively damaged, paraplegia or quadriplegia can result in a lifetime of in-home care, a need for different kinds of medical equipment, and the risk of medical complications due to pressure sores and a loss of muscle. For these reasons, it’s important to understand what the long-term consequences of a back or neck injury are and the financial needs they create in the short term and for the future.

Whiplash and Neck Injuries

Whiplash occurs when the head is suddenly snapped forward or backward. When this happens, the muscles in the neck don’t have time to react and, as a result, are unable to restrain or hold the neck within a normal range of motion, extending the neck beyond what it is used to. When the neck is hyperextended in this way, ligaments and muscles that support the neck can be overstretched and torn.

In particularly severe forms of whiplash spinal joints, nerve roots and discs can be injured or dislocations and fractures can occur. When the injured tissue begins to swell, further compression on nerve roots can aggravate what may have at first seemed like a mild whiplash injury.

If severe, a whiplash injury can take months to heal and still result in long-term health issues. In these cases, it’s not uncommon for a person to experience chronic back or shoulder pain, numbness or tingling in the arms, ringing in the ears, dizziness, vision problems, disorientation, problems with memory or concentration, difficulty sleeping, and depression.

Back and Spinal Cord Injuries

Back injuries, especially those sustained in car , truck, motorcycle, bike or construction accidents, often involve herniated discs, spinal fractures and damage to the spinal column. As a result, it’s not uncommon for back injury victims to experience chronic pain, loss in mobility or even paralysis. In cases where an injured disc requires spinal fusion surgery, the costs and recovery associated with the procedure involved are substantial.

For these reasons, it’s important to understand your prognosis, the likelihood of future complications and how your injury may prevent you from performing certain kinds of work. All of these factors play an important role in determining the financial consequences of a back injury.

Contact Long Island Neck and Back Injury Attorneys at Rosenberg & Gluck

Even if you were involved in a low-impact car accident, the full extent of your neck or back injury may not be immediately obvious. However, insurance companies realize if they can get you to agree to a settlement as soon as possible, you won’t be able to sue them later. That’s why it’s not uncommon for an insurance claims adjuster to call victims of head or neck injuries soon after a car, bicycle, truck or pedestrian knockdown accident.

If you’ve suffered a neck or back injury after a motor vehicle or construction accident, contact Long Island personal injury lawyers today to schedule a free consultation. Our lawyers can evaluate your case and explain the legal options available to you while helping you take steps to assert your rights under the law.