Car crashes cause painful neck and back injuries when an accident survivor’s head and neck abruptly move forward and backward. When this happens, a driver or passenger may suffer a soft tissue whiplash injury, causing severe pain and inconvenience.
The total settlement compensation that an accident victim may recover for a neck and back injury will depend on the severity of their injury, the insurance company and adjuster with whom they are dealing, and the total cost of their medical treatment.
Since every accident differs, not all accident victims will recover the same amounts and types of monetary damages for their neck and back injuries. Therefore, there is no such thing as an average settlement in a neck and back injury case.
If you suffered a soft tissue neck and back injury in a car crash that resulted from someone else’s negligence, retain skilled legal counsel as quickly as possible to assist with your case.
Your lawyer can investigate your accident circumstances and determine your eligibility for filing a personal injury claim or lawsuit. Your lawyer can assist you with every step of the process and secure the fair and reasonable settlement compensation you deserve for your injuries. If the insurance company does not compensate you fairly, your lawyer can file a lawsuit in court on your behalf.
At every stage of the legal proceedings, your attorney will aggressively advocate for you and fight for your legal rights. Your lawyer can also help you during all litigation proceedings, including your civil jury trial or binding arbitration hearing. Your car accident attorney will do everything possible to maximize your compensation for your neck and back injuries.
Frequent Causes of Car Accidents
Car accidents that lead to neck and back injuries frequently result from driver negligence, which can take various forms. For example, a driver might disobey a traffic law by speeding, failing to use their turn signal, or neglecting to yield the right-of-way to another driver at the proper time.
Car accidents may also occur when drivers exhibit road rage. An enraged driver might speed, tailgate, aggressively weave in and out of traffic, and fail to use turn signals at the proper times. They might distract other drivers and cause them to crash, or even threaten others with weapons or verbal warnings. In the process, an angry driver might negligently hit another car – or a pedestrian – resulting in serious injuries.
Car accidents may also happen when drivers neglect to appropriately use their vehicle technology, including backup cameras, mirrors, and other electronic warning devices. Drivers who fail to use these devices when necessary may cause serious accidents and debilitating injuries.
A distracted driver may cause a car accident. For example, a driver may look away from the road to send a text message or even dial a number to call someone. They might also program a GPS, listen to loud music or a captivating podcast, or tend to children in the back seat. As a direct result of their inattentiveness, a driver might miss seeing an approaching vehicle or pedestrian, bringing about a serious accident and injuries.
Finally, some car accidents result from drunk and intoxicated driving. Drivers must refrain from drug and alcohol intoxication. Drunk drivers may experience nausea and blurred vision, which prevents them from seeing pedestrians and other vehicles.
Additionally, a drunk or intoxicated driver may experience mental symptoms, including delayed concentration and limited reaction time, both of which may prevent a driver from focusing all of their attention on the road. Intoxicated drivers are also prone to weaving in and out of traffic, speeding, and other reckless driving maneuvers. Due to their intoxication, they may suffer from delayed reflexes and reaction time that cause them to strike another vehicle or pedestrian.
If you suffered a neck or back injury in a car crash resulting from someone else’s negligence, you should seek and retain the legal help you need immediately. A knowledgeable car accident attorney in your area can go over your legal options with you, help you file a personal injury claim, and work to maximize the total settlement or litigation compensation you receive for your accident-related injuries.
Types of Neck and Back Injuries that Result from Car Crashes
Car crashes can lead to severe neck and back injuries that leave a driver or passenger out of commission for a significant amount of time.
Some of the most common neck and back injuries that result from traffic accidents include:
- Soft tissue whiplash injuries from when a driver’s head, neck, and back move forward and backward in an abrupt manner, often causing intense pain
- Vertebrae fractures and other neck/back fractures that may require one or more back surgeries, including a spinal cord fusion, to correct
- Spinal cord injuries, including one or more severed nerves that may lead to full or partial paralysis
- A full or partial paralysis injury that may prevent an accident victim from moving one or more body parts or lead to limited sensation in the affected areas
If you or a person you love suffered one or more of these injuries in a recent car crash, you should seek out experienced legal counsel to represent you right away.
Your attorney can begin handling the legal components of your claim or lawsuit while you focus your attention on getting better. Specifically, you may need to undergo various types of medical treatment, including surgery or physical therapy. You may also need to consult with a medical specialist – such as an orthopedic doctor or chiropractor – or follow up with your primary care doctor.
Seeking the ongoing medical assistance that you need helps to increase your chances of making a full recovery from your neck and back injuries. It also shows the at-fault driver’s insurance company that your injuries deserve significant monetary compensation and damages.
Common Car Crashes that Lead to Neck and Back Injuries
When people drive negligently or recklessly, they are significantly more likely to cause a serious traffic accident. Any of those accidents may lead to a severe neck and back injury that results in ongoing pain, inconvenience, and suffering.
Some of the most common crashes that lead to neck and back injuries include:
- Tailgate accidents, where the front of one vehicle hits the rear of another vehicle
- Head-on collisions, where the fronts of two cars collide with one another
- T-bone or broadside accidents, where one car hits the side of another vehicle
- Sideswipe accidents, where the sides of two vehicles strike one another while traveling in the same direction
If you sustained a neck or back injury in one of these traffic accidents, consult an experienced personal injury attorney in your area right away. Your lawyer can secure the favorable monetary damages you deserve by filing a prompt claim or lawsuit on your behalf.
Proving a Car Accident Claim or Lawsuit
The injured accident victim must satisfy their legal burden of proof to recover monetary damages for a neck and back injury in a car accident. Specifically, the accident victim has to show that their accident directly resulted from another driver’s negligence. For example, the other driver might have violated a traffic regulation or otherwise drove negligently.
Next, the accident victim must legally establish that their accident directly resulted from the other driver’s negligence. Finally, the accident victim must show that their neck and back injuries directly resulted from the subject accident.
Your attorney can retain one or more experts who can testify in your case and establish your legal burden. For example, your attorney can retain an accident reconstructionist who can formulate an opinion about how the accident happened and who caused it. Next, your lawyer can retain one or more medical experts who can causally relate your car accident to the neck and back injuries that you suffered.
A medical provider can also demonstrate, to a reasonable degree of medical probability, the permanence of your neck or back injury.
Recovering Monetary Damages for a Car Accident Claim
Car accident victims who suffer neck and back injuries due to another driver’s negligence can recover compensation for various injury-related damages.
The total financial award that a car crash victim recovers via a personal injury settlement or jury verdict may depend on the type of car accident that happens, the force of the collision, the number of vehicles involved in the crash, and how the accident victim’s body moves inside their car.
Other potential factors may include:
- The nature and extent of the accident victim’s neck and back injuries.
- The types of medical treatment that they underwent.
- The cost of their treatment.
- The likelihood they may need to undergo additional medical procedures or therapy in the future.
Injured accident victims can recover:
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- Related past and anticipated medical expenses
- Lost earnings
- Loss of earning capacity
- Loss of life enjoyment
- Mental and emotional distress
- Loss of the ability to use one or more body parts, such as from a spinal cord injury or paralysis injury
- Loss of spousal companionship
- Lifetime care costs
- Permanent disfigurement or disability
Your attorney can maximize your total compensation by aggressively advocating for you during settlement negotiations or litigation. Your lawyer can also explore all of your legal options and help you make intelligent and informed decisions about how best to proceed with your case.
Talk to a Knowledgeable Car Crash Attorney Right Away
Robert Bohn, Car Accident Attorney
If you or a person you love suffered a neck or back injury in a car accident that resulted from someone else’s negligence, act quickly to recover the monetary damages you deserve and retain skilled legal counsel.
According to the statute of limitation, car crash victims only have two years from their accident date to file a personal injury lawsuit for monetary recovery. Absent a few limited circumstances, accident victims who file their lawsuits after the statute expires in their case cannot recover monetary damages for their accident-related losses. Therefore, act right away to secure the favorable economic recovery you deserve.
Your lawyer can file an auto insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit on your behalf right away, especially if the statute of limitations is running short. Your lawyer can also assist you throughout the settlement negotiation and litigation processes and work to recover the maximum monetary damages you need for your accident-related neck and back injuries.
During a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer, you can expect to discuss the details of your accident and injuries. The lawyer will assess your case, including liability and potential damages. They will explain the legal process, your rights, and the options available to pursue compensation.
You can ask questions about the lawyer’s experience, fees, and how they handle cases. The lawyer will provide an initial evaluation of your claim’s strength and may suggest the best course of action. The consultation allows you to determine if the lawyer is a good fit for your case and provides insight into your potential legal options.