WORKERS’ COMPENSATION FOR NECK INJURIES IN PA & NJ

Fighting for your Rights

Think for a moment how difficult doing simple tasks, such as tying a shoe or putting on a watch, would be if you had a neck injury. A neck injury does happen on the job and can cause issues with walking and swallowing as well as cause permanent paralysis. The neck spans from the base of the skull and into the shoulders and is made up of bones and joints, discs, muscles and ligaments. Each has a part to play in providing movement as well as holds the cervical spine together. Neck injuries can be caused by:

• Poor neck posture (i.e. computer work or using the phone)
• Lack of motion throughout the work day (i.e. bus driver)
• Car accidents
• Slip & falls
• Falling objects
• Stress
• A pinched nerve
• Fracture or dislocation of spine
• Torn or ruptured disc

Symptoms of a Neck Injury

• Stiffness
• Headaches
• Referred pain (e.g. pain in arms, legs and shoulders)
• Muscle spasms
• Slowed reflexes

Neck (and back) injuries from car accidents will not appear right away, which makes them hard to prove in court. However, that does not make them any less painful or debilitating. The most common neck injuries are whiplash, pinched nerves and herniated discs.

1. Whiplash: when the neck is jerked forward or backward as from a car accident, causing the neck muscles and tendons to stretch and tear. The symptoms of whiplash include pain, decreased motion, stiffness and headaches (start at base of skull). Often, these symptoms show up after the accident.
2. Pinched Nerves (nerve root compression): when the nerves in the neck are pinched causing pain, numbness and weakness. The compression is caused by a herniated disk, narrowing of spinal space, degeneration of disks and bony growths.
3. Herniated Disks: when the material in the disk between vertebrae pushes out through a tear affecting nerves. They can occur in the neck and the back.

Tests ordered for neck injuries include an x-ray, CT scan and an MRI. The treatment for a neck injury ranges from over-the-counter medication to surgery. It can also require physical therapy and hydrotherapy. If you have suffered a neck injury, you should immediately report the accident to your employer and seek medical treatment. Remember, the insurance company does not want to pay more than what they deem necessary, so you should consult a neck-injury lawyer for legal guidance. Our legal team is ready to get you the benefits you need to pay your medical bills, recoup lost wages as well as pay for out-of-pocket expenses. We want to get you back on your feet and to fully recover without hardship.