The impact of an auto collision (or any other type of accident) can alter a person's life, especially when injuries are significant, complicated, or extensive. Neck and Back injuries are very common in various types of accidents. The extent of the neck and back injuries depends on many factors, unique to the injured person.
At McGraw Legal Group P.C., we are experienced personally and professionally with the many ways that neck and back injuries affect individuals and their families. Working with an attorney who has personally experienced neck and back injuries provides advantages. Our legal team assists clients to receive quality medical care leading to quicker and more complete medical recoveries, and to navigate the complex and frustrating claims and litigation processes, which provide clients with more complete financial recoveries for their injuries and resulting damages. McGraw Legal Group P.C. provides clients with referrals to quality medical providers, keeps clients up to date on changes in treatments offered for neck and back injuries, and has a unique and personal perspective as to how these injuries should be documented in legal and insurance cases. Our law firm will represent your interests and rights when presenting claims to at-fault drivers and their insurance companies, or in the courtroom to juries if a fair offer of settlement is not made to you. Contact us today at (303) 999-2378 to schedule a Free Consultation and make sure you recover what you are rightfully owed.
Neck and Back Injuries
Soft tissue neck and back injuries are commonly caused by car accidents, falls, sports, and other recreational activities. Injuries to the neck muscles, ligaments, and tendons are caused by the head jolting or bending backward and forward or in a side-to-side direction.
Soft tissue neck injury symptoms range from temporary minor discomforts to more serious, long-term symptoms that can be debilitating.
Neck injuries can cause symptoms including:
- Pain through the neck, back, shoulders, arms, or hands, ranging from a dull ache to a sharp pain
- Neck stiffness
- Muscle spasms
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
More severe neck injuries can affect neurological functioning, resulting in symptoms such as memory loss, loss of feeling in the extremities, insomnia, brain fog, and irritability.
Back injuries can cause symptoms including:
- Pain through the upper, mid and low back, hips, front and back of legs, calves and ankles, and feet and toes ranging from a dull ache to a sharp pain
- Back stiffness
- Muscle spasms
- Fatigue
- Loss of balance
- Secondary pain in supporting joints of the hips, in the knees and ankles
- Changes in gait, limp
- Weakness
Injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes, or other impact injuries, can include neck and back sprains and strains, herniated discs, pinched nerves, and fractures. Many neck and back injuries from auto and motorcycle crashes result in pain, reduction in loss of range of motion, loss of strength and tingling or burning symptoms in body parts other than just the neck and back. When symptoms travel to other areas of the body, such as down your arms or legs, into your hands and fingers or feet and toes, these symptoms signal more significant damage may have been caused. It is important to work with attorneys and medical providers who are familiar with these symptoms, and the importance of proper and timely diagnosis and treatment. McGraw Legal Group P.C. is experienced in these areas and works with clients to receive timely and accurate diagnoses of injuries and pain generators, leading to more complete medical and financial recoveries.
Challenges of Personal Injury Claims in Colorado Involving Soft Tissue Neck and Back Injuries
Studies published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that personal injury cases involving soft tissue neck and back injuries can be complex. These types of injuries are typically not visible to the naked eye and symptoms can take days, weeks, or even months to develop, often referred to as delayed injuries.
When symptoms do appear, they can last for a long time. This can lead to other ongoing health issues including vision problems, difficulties with memory or concentration, and insomnia.
The severity of the automobile crash is not always proportionate to the injuries experienced by occupants of motor vehicles. This is especially true when it comes to car crashes – even a minor fender bender can result in severe neck and back injuries. This fact is accepted by medical providers and supported by studies and literature, but often not accepted by insurance companies and juries who are not exposed to the data or educated about the forces required to cause injuries to people (versus forces required to significantly damage a motor vehicle). Having an attorney who understands the medical literature and the insurance industry's resistance to offering fair compensation for soft tissue neck and back injuries is important to your legal recovery from a motor vehicle crash.
Soft tissue injuries can also be challenging to diagnose, and even more challenging to prove objectively in a legal case. As it's a soft tissue injury, it can't be detected with X-ray or MRI. Instead, a diagnosis is usually based on the crash (mechanism of injury) and the timing, location, severity, and type of symptoms as described by the patient.
When it comes to a personal injury case involving soft tissue spine injuries, insurers may try to seize on these issues to distance their liability for the injury and reduce the amount of compensation they owe. It is important to a complete medical recovery and fair legal compensation to have assistance from a legal team with experience in both claim resolution and in the courtroom with trials and obtaining successful verdicts. McGraw Legal Group P.C. has more than two decades of experience navigating the claim and litigation systems, and a proven reputation for successful courtroom results. Our reputation and case results speak volumes and help clients obtain fair results often without being required to proceed through trial.
What to do if you experience Soft Tissue Neck and Back Injuries
With these issues in mind, there are a few things you can do to help your attorney prove the type of injuries and damages that you suffered in an auto or motorcycle crash:
- Document the incident, your injuries, and the treatment you receive in as much detail as possible.
- Keep all relevant medical documents like medical records, doctor letters, prescriptions, bills, and receipts.
- Keep a record of any other expenses from your injury, for example, timesheets, or an affidavit from your employer to demonstrate your lost wages.
- Collect witness testimonies from people who witnessed the crash, or who can speak to the impact of your injury on your day-to-day life.
How are Damages for Injuries Calculated in Colorado?
Compensation for injuries in personal injury cases is divided into categories that include: economic damages, non-economic damages, and permanent and physical impairment damages.
Economic damages are monetary losses that can be verified using receipts, billing statements, formulas to calculate predicted future losses, and other damages that can be documented with evidence of financial losses from costs incurred and/or paid by injured parties, and loss of income or ability to earn income in the future. Economic damages include medical expenses, like doctor visits, physical therapy, rehabilitation, medications, and lost wages.
Non-economic damages include things like pain and suffering, humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life, and emotional distress. Non-economic damages include the impacts of insomnia and mental trauma that result from crashes and other traumatic events.
Physical impairment damages include things like the inability to perform daily household tasks/chores, inability or limitations in performance of recreational activities, and other impairments that result from the physical injuries clients have suffered.
How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer in Colorado Help
Proving the extent and effect of neck and back injuries and securing the compensation you're entitled to can be challenging. Insurance companies generally try to minimize their liability which can lead to a protracted and frustrating process.
If you're considering filing a claim for neck or back injuries resulting from an auto or motorcycle crash, speak to a personal injury lawyer. They can help you collect the necessary medical and other evidence to prove your claim and provide you guidance as to the value of your claim based upon the amount Colorado juries are presently awarding for the same or similar injuries that you have experienced.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer in Colorado Today
At McGraw Legal Group P.C., our personal injury lawyer understands how difficult neck and back injuries can be to manage and the complicated insurance and legal matters that exist when neck and back injuries are caused by motor vehicle crashes. We are here to get you the compensation you are owed, contact our office either by filling out the online form or calling us at (303) 999-2378. We will set up a Free Consultation to review your case and outline your legal options.