Atlanta Back And Neck Injury Lawyer

Neck, back, and spinal cord injuries happen commonly in traffic accidents, slip and fall accidents, sports and exercise accidents, and a number of other possible accident scenarios. If you sustain a neck, back, or spinal injury due to another person’s negligence in the state of Georgia, speak as quickly as possible with an experienced Atlanta personal injury attorney at Spaulding Injury Law. You could be compensated for all of your medical expenses, lost wages, and more.

What Do the Victims of Back and Neck Injuries Require?

After an accident, what may at first seem like a trivial back or neck injury may, over time, make it quite difficult even to perform simple everyday tasks. An Atlanta personal injury attorney at Spaulding Injury Law can review the facts about your accident and injury, consult with experts, protect your legal rights, and fight for the justice – and for the compensation – that the injured victims of negligence deserve. Surgeries and a long recovery period are often what back and neck injuries require, and sometimes, such injuries can lead to permanent disability. The attorneys at Spaulding Injury Law are prepared to advocate on behalf of the victims of negligence in cases involving:

• herniated, bulging, or damaged discs
• strained or sprained back or neck muscles
• broken bones or contusions
• any injury to the neck, back, or spinal cord

Spinal cord injuries are usually caused when a blow fractures or dislocates the spinal discs. Injuries to the spinal discs – the bone discs that make up your spine – are perhaps the most common injuries sustained in traffic collisions. Spinal disc injuries can include herniated, ruptured, collapsed, split, bulging, or fractured discs, pinched nerves, radiculopathy, and sciatica. Some people will not immediately feel any neck, back, or spinal pain after an accident. However, neck, back, and spinal injuries – and the pain that comes with them – can emerge slowly over weeks and months, so it’s imperative to seek medical attention immediately after any accident.

What Kinds of Health Problems Are Linked to Spinal Injuries?

Spinal cord injuries can leave victims paralyzed below the waist (paraplegic) or paralyze all four limbs (quadriplegic). The spinal cord regulates or controls a number of bodily functions – such as respiration, the bladder, body temperature, and sexual functioning – so accident victims may suffer a range of serious and long-term or permanent health problems. That means they will need the maximum possible amount of compensation. When you work with an experienced Atlanta personal injury attorney at Spaulding Injury Law, your attorney will fight aggressively and tirelessly for the compensation you need – even if you require treatment and therapy for the rest of your life.

With a personal injury claim based strictly on the facts, an Atlanta personal injury attorney at Spaulding Injury Law can often help the victim of a back, neck, or spinal cord injury recover damages. You can speak with an Atlanta personal injury lawyer by calling Spaulding Injury Law at 770-744-0890. You may also reach our attorneys by completing the contact form here on this website. Nothing is more important than your health and your future. If you have sustained a back, neck, or spinal cord injury in Georgia because of someone else’s negligence, the attorneys at Spaulding Injury Law can help.

Risk Factors for Back & Neck Injuries

Various pre-existing conditions make individuals more prone to back and neck injuries under any circumstances. Among these risk factors are:

• Age – the older spine has compressed discs, and bones tend to be more brittle among the elderly
• Lack of exercise – Weak, underused muscles do not support the back and neck as well in injury conditions
• Excess weight – back is under constant stress and pressure
• Improper lifting – Using the back instead of the legs to lift heavy weights can cause injury to back muscles and ligaments
• Smoking – coughing from smoking can cause herniated discs. It also decreases blood flow to the spine and increases the risk of osteoporosis.
• Participation in extreme sports – as sports have become more dangerous and people have become more adventurous, participation in this kind of activity creates a high risk of neck or back injury and damage to the spinal cord. 

Prevention of Back & Neck Injuries

Obviously, avoiding car accidents, falls, and sports injuries can help you avoid neck and back injuries. But there are other steps you can take to keep your back and neck strong and avoid injury. Some of the things you can do are:

• Exercise – Regular low-impact exercises, those that won’t strain, twist, or jolt your back, can increase the strength of your back and let your muscles and ligaments function better. Walking and swimming are excellent choices but be sure to speak with your physician before starting an exercise program.
• Build strength and flexibility – Exercises that strengthen your core help build a natural protective corset around your back. Increased flexibility reduces the likelihood that a sudden movement will tear a muscle or ligament.
• Weight reduction – Losing weight reduces the ongoing strain and stress on your back muscles.
• Quit smoking – Quitting smoking reduces the risk of osteoporosis and resulting brittle bones. 
• Don’t drive under the influence  Alcohol and drugs are a factor in more than a quarter of all car accidents.
• Always wear your seat belt – Front seat belt usage reduces the risk of death by 45 percent and the risk of serious injury by 50 percent.  
• Wear a helmet when riding a bike or motorcycle – Well more than half of bike accident deaths involve victims who weren’t wearing a helmet; in a motorcycle accident, wearing a helmet reduces the risk of severe injury by nearly 70 percent.  
• Remove fall hazards in the home – Millions of older adults fall each year, and more than 30,000 of them die; one in five suffers a serious injury.  

 

Common Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injuries

Acute spinal cord injuries need immediate medical attention. Your spinal cord injury symptoms may look like other conditions or injuries, so it is critical to seek medical attention for serious back or neck pain following an accident or injury. Some of the common symptoms include:

• Muscle weakness
• Repeated waves of back pain
• Loss of voluntary movement in the torso, arms, or legs
• Twitching muscles
• Spinal spasms
• Breathing problems
• Stinging sensation in nerves, muscles, or spine
• Loss of feeling in the torso, arms, or legs
• Loss of bowel or bladder function
• Shortness of breath

 

Diagnosis of Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries can occur in the neck or the back, and any such injury is a medical emergency needing immediate medical attention. 

The full impact of your spinal cord injury may not be apparent at first. Further, movement following the injury may make it worse. You should seek a full medical evaluation and any necessary tests. The procedure begins with a physical exam and diagnostic tests, during which your medical professional will inquire about your medical history and how the injury happened. Spinal cord injuries can cause various neurological injuries, including loss of motor function, and may require further medical follow-up. You may also need surgery to stabilize the spinal cord after the injury. 

Some of the tests prescribed for spinal cord injuries are:

• Blood tests – to determine whether the body is receiving adequate oxygen and ventilation; also to detect or monitor blood loss.
• X-rays – using electromagnetic energy to produce images of tissues, bones, and organs.
• Computed tomography scan (CT or CAT scan) – a computerized x-ray imaging technology to produce detailed x-ray slices of the body. CT scans can visualize bones, muscles, fats, and organs. They are much more detailed than standard x-rays.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – using large magnets, radio waves, and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures inside the body.
• Urinalysis – to detect any kidney or genitourinary injury.

 

Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries

Many, many different things, as briefly mentioned above, cause spinal cord injuries to the neck and back. But there are some more typical causes of these injuries in Georgia.

Traffic Accidents

Car accidents are the primary cause of spinal cord injuries to young people in the United States. Often resulting from head-on or T-bone collisions, the injury is most often the fault of the driver hitting the other driver. 

Slip and Fall Injuries

Slip and fall injuries are the most common cause of spinal cord injuries in workplaces such as factories or construction sites. They also occur frequently in bad weather conditions. The property owner or employer who has failed to maintain safe conditions is most often liable for the injury.

Medical Malpractice

Medical negligence during childbirth often leads to spinal cord injuries, as do operations by inexperienced surgeons. Misapplication of anesthesia, failure to monitor spinal cord function, failure to maintain patient position, and simple distraction are also causes of spinal cord injuries. 

Criminal Assault

In many cases, a criminal assault and battery can result in a spinal cord injury, particularly when the assailant uses a gun, heavy blunt object, or sharp weapon. These attacks often occur during burglaries, break-ins, and auto theft. 

Sports & Athletics Injuries

As sports and leisure activities become more extreme, injuries increase. Nearly half of high school and college athletes, for example, are injured each year, with a very large percentage of those injuries occurring during practices. As sports like cheerleading, football, and gymnastics become increasingly dangerous and challenging, these statistics are unlikely to lessen. 

 

Contact an Atlanta Back and Neck Injury Attorney

With a personal injury claim based strictly on the facts, an Atlanta personal injury attorney at Spaulding Injury Law can often help the victim of a back, neck, or spinal cord injury recover damages. You can speak with an Atlanta personal injury lawyer by calling Spaulding Injury Law at 770-744-0890. You may also reach our attorneys by completing the contact form here on this website. Nothing is more important than your health and your future. If you have sustained a back, neck, or spinal cord injury in Georgia because of someone else’s negligence, the attorneys at Spaulding Injury Law can help. Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyers is located at 50 Hurt Plaza SE #1536, Atlanta, GA 30303, United.