What are some of the common causes of neck injuries?

Neck injuries can be caused by car accidents (especially rear-end collisions), falls, repetitive activities (sitting at computers), lifting heavy objects, falling objects and sports. When someone else’s negligence causes a neck injury, you may have a legal basis to recover damages to pay for medical treatment, loss of income along with pain and suffering and other expenses.

What types of neck injuries do people experience?

The following are some common types of neck injuries:

• Whiplash. Whiplash is a common neck injury, which is frequently sustained in rear end car accident collisions. Injury victims experience neck pain and stiffness that often leads to increased pain with neck movement, loss of motion range in the neck, headaches that begin at the base of the skull, tenderness in shoulders and upper back or arms, fatigue, dizziness and tingling or numbness in the arms.
• Bulging disk. A bulging disk is a disk that has sustained an injury that makes it protrude into the spinal cord.
• Herniated disk. A herniated or ruptured disk is cracked or torn, and some of the jelly-like fluid in the disk has leaked out and irritates the nerve.
• Neck spinal cord injury. A neck spinal cord injury is the most serious type of neck injury and can result in paralysis.

Neck Spinal Cord Injury

According to the Mayo Clinic  you should be alerted to see a doctor immediately if you experience any of the following emergency signs:

• Extreme back pain or pressure in your neck
• Weakness, lack of coordination or paralysis in your neck, head or back
• Numbness, tingling or loss of sensation in your hands, fingers, feet or toes
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Difficulty with balance and walking
• Impaired breathing after the injury
• A strangely positioned or twisted neck or back

Long-term symptoms of a neck spinal cord injury often include most of the above emergency symptoms but also lost of movement, changes in sexual function and possibly exaggerated reflex activities or spasms.

If you suffer from a painful neck injury and believe someone else is responsible for your injury, find out whether you have the right to take legal action. Sackstein Sackstein & Lee, LLP, offers a free initial consultation to discuss your accident and evaluate your potential case.