We fight the insurance company and do whatever it takes to get you justice. Rezai, M., Ct, P., Cassidy, J. D., & Carroll, L. (2009). Let's look at some of the health problems related to the . Bear in mind, the average settlement amount for minor neck and back injuries are generally much smaller, such as $10,000 to $100,000. You need to relay these symptoms to your doctors so they record it in your medical records, and to your injury attorney so its included in any settlement discussions. While no amount of money can erase the accident, it can help a victim resume a normal lifestyle as best as possible. The long-term effects of whiplash can include: Chronic pain and stiffness in the neck and shoulders. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The trauma from an auto accident can damage both the atlas and the axis, resulting in severe injuries. Consider it this way:The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Centerreports that the average lifetime cost of a spinal cord injury is $5 million for a 25-year-old victim. Compression fractures can cause chronic pain that worsens with movement over time. For this reason, the typical neck injury in an accident is a combination flexion-extension injury. C3, C4, and C5 spinal cord injuries can be life-threatening and permanently alter ones lifestyle. Car accident settlement with cervical disc injury, $100,000 Tournier, C., Hours, M., Charnay, P., Chossegros, L., & Tardy, H. (2016). The victim sustained serious injuries to his neck and lower back, including herniated discs. The average neck injury settlement where a surgery is involved, such as an ACDF or anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, is around $225,000. Along the way, spinal cord injury victims may have several complications, including infection, bleeding blood clots, and pneumonia. Your neck is left virtually unprotected during a car accident. Attorney. [Google Scholar] Get tips on finding the right personal injury lawyer for you and your case. They are inundated with average injury attorneys who will settle your case fast while leaving money on the table. When the curve of the spine points toward the front, it's called a lordosis and toward the back, it's called a kyphosis. If it is that simple (which, by the way, it is), how come all lawyers do not do this for every case? snoopy happy dance emoji 8959 norma pl west hollywood ca 90069 8959 norma pl west hollywood ca 90069 While the settlement amounts above may seem promising, thats not to say theres a fixed settlement sum for neck injuries sustained during a car accident. Having a surgery also means you endure the risk of infection and complications. A bulging disc injury can be caused by age-related wear and tear or pre-existing spinal conditions. Call (727) 733-0433 for a cervical lordosis evaluation! If you want an above average settlement payout for a whiplash injury, you will need a lawyer who will treat your whiplash case like a 100k+ payout case. It can also lead to referred pain in hand, vertigo and many other symptoms which we will discuss later on. Would you rather have $30,000 today or $55,000 in 2 years? It is best for an attorney to help you navigate this and help you make a decision versus taking the first offer that you are given. IS 3.Permanent Injury From Whiplash - X-ray Proof - Dr. Martin Schmaltz; 4.Your Neck Curvature Will Help You or HURT YOU if You're Involved 5.Correcting Your Cervical Lordosis Can Prevent Whiplash and Neck Non-economic damages typically include the hardships your accident caused, including: Average neck injury settlements can be hard to estimate. A minor sprain can heal within a few weeks. Damage to soft tissue goes by two names: sprains and strains. There are those people who report numerous whiplash injuries and cannot even remember if they had neck issues before the first of the whiplash injuries or not. There are instances in which a direct injury to the cervical spine or injury due to persistent muscle spasms may change the degree of the neck curvature. Testimonials and endorsements do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter. In this image, we see the reversal of the cervical lordosis and the characteristic disc narrowing of disc thinning at the C3-C4, C4-C5, and C5-C6. Keep in mind that the average whiplash neck injury settlement amounts will include $2,000 whiplash car accident settlements and $200,000 whiplash auto accident settlements. The bones that make up your spine are called vertebrae, and these bones are separated by jelly-like cushions called intervertebral discs. Helping to stabilize and mobilize the head and neck, the facet joints in the cervical spine can become inflamed and irritated during a car accident. Craning the neck at a 60-degree angle to look down a phone you just pulled out of your pocket increases the pressure on the neck by 5-6 times, and it can also lead to a straightening of the vertebrae. A cervical spinal cord injury may also lead to bleeding, blood clots, and infections, such as pneumonia. $537,000 settlement for a man who required cervical fusion surgery following a car accident. A man in New York received a $5,160,916 verdict after being in a hit-and-run car accident case. The timeline for healing, as well as the amount of medical treatment required during the healing process, directly impacts your potential settlement amount. In comparison, a minor injury that requires weekly chiropractic treatment may only cost $10,000 a year, depending on insurance. In this article, we will present our clinical findings and observations on how the treatment of cervical ligament damage may be the answer that has eluded them. They are also one of the most commonly undervalued injuries in car accident settlements. If you experience any of the following, be sure to seek medical assistance as quickly as possible: Radiating pain that penetrates the shoulders, arms and hands, Any tingling, numbness or weakness in the arms, hands and fingers. Anyone suspected of having such an injury should remain as immobile as possible until medical assistance arrives. Throughout the insurance claim or lawsuit process, you must provide a plethora of evidence, give a detailed breakdown of all damages (special and general), and establish liability. 38 CFR 4.16 a ( "Schedular") - To be eligible for this form of TDIU, the veteran will need to have one condition rated at minimum 60 percent or two conditions that can be combined to reach at least 70 percent, with one condition being a minimum of 40 percent. $1,200,000 settlement for aggravation of pre-existing neck injury, requiring surgery, after plaintiff rear-ended in an, what the person being sued (the defendant) would be willing to pay, and. C2-3 or C3-4 pseudosubluxation < 4mm. Turn your neck to each position as far as possible without . Your spine is one of the most delicate components of your body. But, true structural permanent loss of lordosis is usually secondary to advanced degeneration , or structural changes to the bones . European spine journal,18(3), 371-381. Spondylolisthesis is caused by spondylosis, or when a fracture in the vertebra forces the bone to move forward, backward, or over another bone. Not only does the impact of a collision affect the neck, but the anticipation of impact often causes the individual to tense their neck muscles, meaning that theyll have more potential for injury than if their muscles were relaxed. If yes, contact a lawyer referral service. This occurs when the head receives an impact when bent forwards, and produces vertebrae wedge and burst fractures, along with spine dislocations. The resulting damage caused the victim to be unable to return to work and created intense feelings of stress, depression, and chronic anxiety. There is some controversy as to whether a straight spine or military neck cervical spinal alignment is the cause of a patients whiplash-associated problems following the injury. These are hard fought damages insurance companies are notorious for refusing to pay full lost wage claims. Please reference the Terms of Use and the Supplemental Terms for specific information related to your state. Do you want to be average? degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine is from $55,000.00 to $300,000.00 or more if spinal fusion is needed and results in complications. Secondly, you have a complete reversal of the lordotic curve (x-ray on the right). No matter where you are, the Injury Advocates Group lawyers can help you maximize your neck injury settlement and recovery. $250,000 settlement for aggravation of a pre-existing neck injury in a car accident. 2 Teo AQ, Thomas AC, Hey HW. In stories, we hear from people, those diagnosed with craniocervical instability following a car accident that caused the whiplash-associated reversal of cervical lordosis, are the stories that suggest something was already going on in their neck and the car accident was the final straw. The person will tell us about a head-on car accident that initially did not cause them any problems at all. Cervical lordosis meaning is that it refers to the normal curve of the spinal cord. $250,000 settlement for aggravation of a pre-existing neck injury in a car accident. In the illustration below we see the various measurements and landmarks that help doctors and patients understand their cervical spine instability. Our auto accident practice includes service in the follow areas: Serving all of Los Angeles, including Arcadia, Beverly Hills, Claremont, Canoga Park, Chino, Chino Hills, Covina, Diamond Bar, Downey, East Pasadena, El Monte, Encino, Highland Park, Inglewood, La Verne, Long Beach, Malibu, Montebello, Monterey Park, North Hollywood, Northridge, Pasadena, Pomona, Rancho Cucamonga, Reseda, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Dimas, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, South Bay, South LA, South Pasadena, Sunland, Tarzana, Thousand Oaks, Torrance, Van Nuys, Venice, West Covina, West Hollywood, and Westlake Village. Doing that requires a lot of time. Mr. Benyamin received his Juris Doctor degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and his license to practice law from theState Bar of California. Best loss of cervical lordosis settlement lawyer. Reduced curvatures in the neck are called hypolordotic conditions. Much like any type of personal injury claim, neck injury settlements vary wildly depending on the individual factors of each case. Arizona has a two-year statute of limitations for a car accident personal injury claim. Fair or not, many insurance companies will gauge the seriousness of an injury based on the nature and cost of the medical treatment required. This is the "Military Neck" you see in the x-ray on the left. Whiplash can heal and pain symptoms go away as short as a few weeks, but in some cases, it has been shown that whiplash can last up to a decade. As mentioned above, close to 50% of all soft tissue and whiplash neck injuries are permanent. Two reasons why. walmart stabbing victim; google financial analyst salary london. If negotiating with the insurance company doesnt work, you might need to file a lawsuit to recoup your damages. To find out what you might be able to claim for your neck injury, schedule a free consultation with one of our lawyers via email or the contact form below. Lordotic curvatures are open towards the posterior of . Loss of cervical lordosis from a car accident - Caring . This occurs when there is an impact to the face while the head is in a neutral or bent position, and can produce fractures of the spinal processes, damage to the load bearing surfaces, and spine dislocations. A loss of cervical lordosis can absolutely cause neck and shoulder . The party that pays your neck injury settlement depends on which avenue you and your attorney chose to take: an insurance claim or a lawsuit. The significance of changes to the normal cervical lordosis following an automobile trauma has been the subject of a number of studies. Rear-end vehicle accident settlement with cervical disc injury, $535,000 According to clinical research and empirical evidence. Copyright 2023 attorney advertisement by Injury Advocates Group and licensed, practicing attorney Ray Benyamin, Esquire. Generally, the diagnosis is based upon your history (being involved in a car accident would be a strong clue) and symptoms. However, an auto accident can worsen existing damage and create a disc herniation. 1 Linsenmaier U, Deak Z, Krtakovska A, Ruschi F, Kammer N, Wirth S, Reiser M, Geyer L. Emergency radiology: straightening of the cervical spine in MDCT after traumaa sign of injury or normal variant?. However, thats not to say general damages dont increase the value of your case. Continued. With the ability to cause chronic, systemic issues later in life, untreated or misdiagnosed neck injuries resulting from car accidents can be serious and debilitating. His law license number is 277263. How healthy discs herniate: a biomechanical and microstructural study investigating the combined effects of compression rate and flexion. Such displayed above, they had a military or straight spine shape before the accident, and many of those people had no previous neck-related symptoms. Do you want to learn more about whiplash car accident settlements, strategy, and information? Six months later, the symptoms have not gone away, and you are wondering what happened. Immediately after an accident, the symptoms of whiplash may not be apparent. Jaw pain. A statute of limitations is a time limit placed by courts that determines how long a victim has to filea civil lawsuitor take action against the individual who harmed them. Approximate Synonyms. A 15 lbs (6.8kg) 6-month-old boy should ride in a forward-facing car seat in the rear center seat. He has been practicing law for 10 years. As many as 50% of injury victims go on to develop persistent symptoms that can have a detrimental effect upon their mental and physical well being. Paralysis is forever. To counter aggressive insurance companies and defense attorneys, you need a strong case and a skilled personal injury attorney. $9,500 trial verdict for neck injuries resulting from a minor rear-end accident. Lumbar spinal injuries from car accidents can be serious, and the lifetime costs of any spinal cord injury can be extensive for victims. The outcome of every neck injury claim is different and depends upon a unique set of variables, so determining the average cost of a settlement is very difficult. When you get an offer, especially a quick offer, it is a red flag that the insurance company wants to settle with you before you lawyer up. That means, you or your lawyer lawyer cant just write and shout that your case is worth more, or demand more. bodily trauma. Pain. -ABNORMAL CERVICAL CURVE; CAR WRECKS AND LOSS OF THE One of the most common ways to really foul up a cervical curve is to be involved in a MVA (MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT).). The victim suffered disc bulges in two spots in his lower back and disc protrusions at three spots in his neck. Weak spinal muscles lose their efficiency in maintaining the alignment of the spine which can lead to a forward shift of the vertebrae. There are two types of damages in mostcar accident cases: special and general. Yes, whiplash can be a serious injury that can cause you to have lifelong chronic pain that will require medical treatment and possibly physical therapy. Cervical vertebrae are especially important, as they contain the atlas (C1) and the axis (C2). If three drivers rear-end each other, a percentage of the fault goes to the last two drivers, for example. Loss of normal cervical curve. Every state has astatute of limitationson filing personal injury claims. Whiplash symptoms can appear days or weeks after the accident occurred. If pain resulting from a whiplash injury continues for more than ten weeks, it may also be an indication that there are other accompanying injuries, such as: Some researchers also believe that some persistent or worsening pain and headaches following a neck injury may be associated with a form of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and that a car accident can cause psychological stress that manifests itself in physicals symptoms. Because every case and every jury is different, even the best analysis will still only predict pain and suffering damages within a broad range. In many cases, however, the insurance company doesnt make a satisfactory offer. However, if you received delayed injuries and were not aware of their extent for several months, you should confirm your case still falls under the statute of limitations in your state. Find loss of cervical lordosis settlement accident amount information. Rear end auto accident settlement with cervical soft tissue injury, $91,000 For example, a victim with serious injuries may experience a significantly decreased quality of life. This is not always the case but it is a reality that many will have to deal with. $900K Rear-End Car Accident Settlement for a New York photographer hit by a truck at a stop sign. Upon impact, your head may jerk backwards and forwards, to the side or even be struck by flying debris. You later learn you have ligament laxity or other damaged tendons or ligaments which have healed over with scar tissue, and will cause lifelong permanent symptoms. The only way to know if youre receiving fair compensation is to ask the opinion of a trained personal injury lawyer. Earlier this week, lead trial counsel for Scottsdale Injury Lawyers, Tony Piccuta, obtained a $380,000 settlement for his client. Many cervical spine injury victims question whether they need an attorney from a reputable law firm to guide them through the settlement process. Consider this if a law firm has 30 cases and each case has over a million dollar potential, whose case will that law firm spend extra time on, your $10,000 case, or someone elses $1,000,000 case? Upper or lower back pain. If youve experienced a neck injury from a car, truck, ormotorcycle accident, err on the side of caution and contact a reputable car accident lawyer in your area. But for subjective damages like "pain and suffering," predictions are at best an educated guess based on awards in similar neck injury cases. Car accident settlement with cervical soft tissue injury, $23,500 Management and Treatment How is cervical kyphosis treated? Theyre tied to a precise number, which can usually be found on a receipt, bill, or statement. You may have been told that your problems stem from the stretching of the cervical ligaments that is now allowing hypermobile or neck instability to occur. For instance, a no-fault state like Florida may handle a case differently than a fault state, like Arizona or Texas. 1.Loss of cervical lordosis from a car accident - Caring Medical; 2.LOSS OF CERVICAL LORDOSIS FOLLOWING TRAUMA. He suffered C4-5 and C5-6 protrusions and spondylosis. The following three major injury types can occur to the neck and cervical spine following a car accident: Fracturing of the cervical vertebrae and damage/rupturing of the ligaments and soft tissue that link the vertebrae together. The lawyer has to fight for your case, file a lawsuit, go through depositions, and treat your case like a big case. Your personal injury settlement will be directly impacted by your injury type and the medical treatment necessary. Mechanism of injury is the medical explanation of what happens structurally to your body during a traumatic event which caused your injury. A cervical vertebrae injury is the most severe of all spinal cord injuries because the higher up in the spine an injury occurs, the more damage that . Learn more about determining fault in a personal injury case. If you are 100% better, or think you are, wait another 30-60 days and see how you feel. absence of cervical lordosis . Mr. Benyamin is a registered member of the following legal organizations: Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles(CAALA), theLos Angeles County Bar Association(LACBA), theState Bar of California, theAmerican Bar Association (ABA), and the American Association for Justice (AAJ). The average settlement for car accident neck injuries is somewhere in the $10,000-$30,000 range, but baked into that number there are some neck injury settlements that are 7 figures, and others that are 3. First, the insurance company will demand full documentation of all the medical care and emergency room records, including visits to primary care physicians, doctors and chiropractors, and past medical records. Did you know more than800,000 car accidentsinvolving neck injuries are reported annually in the U.S. alone? Depending on the literature you rely on, some doctors will call it a permanent injury after 6 months or 12 months. This occurs when the body accelerates quickly forward, causing the head to accelerate via the neck. BMC public health,16, 13. Moral of the story the Best Law Firm may not be the Best Law Firm for YOU.. Rear end truck accident settlement with cervical disc injury, $2,500,000 For example, if the liable drivers insurance policy limit is not adequate, your lawyer may consider tapping your own policys Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or uninsured/underinsured coverage before filing a lawsuit. Neck injuries range from minor whiplash-like strains and sprains to spinal disk damage and cervical fractures. Damage to the spinal cord is one of the more serious injuries you could sustain in a car accident. Five years after the accident, whiplash casualties still have poorer quality of life in the physical domain than other mildly injured casualties: analysis of the ESPARR cohort. Also, if you do not go to the hospital, the insurance company will use that as an excuse to say you were not really hurt. In comparison, another client of ours sustained a cervical strain that resulted in only 8 weeks of physical therapy. The following cases detail some pretty devastating damages as well as the sizable compensation the victims received. A 34-year-old man was rear-ended by a police officer. Medical bills and future medical expenses, including home care, Surgeries, such as discectomies, fusions, and laminectomies, Steroid and/or pain injections to reduce pain and swelling. Do NOT use this as the average value of YOUR case. VA disability ratings for back pain go from 10% to 100% depending on how severe your symptoms are, including your range of motion and pain frequency and level. Building a strong attorney-client relationship with a knowledgeable attorney is essential to your case. The association between prevalent neck pain and health-related quality of life: a cross-sectional analysis. Ringing in the ears that is constant or comes and goes. Most of the people have neck pain at one point or the other, especially people who spend long hours sitting in front of the computer at work and have a job which requires them to lift things overhead. (800) 400-5050 Free Consultation 247. The C3, C4, and C5 vertebrae form the midsection of the cervical spine, near the base of the neck. It is also possible to separate the injuries and prove that car accident caused a different type of neck injury. Car accident settlement with cervical soft tissue injury, $20,000 The insurance company will scrutinize your past medical records to try and bring forth the argument that you had a pre-existing condition. However, a Martindale . The more identifiable symptoms are in your medical records, the more ammunition your lawyer will have to argue for a larger settlement. In many cases, you may require ongoing medical treatment to regain range of motion, decrease pain, and improve strength. To correct a loss of cervical lordosis, the underlying cause must be addressed. This is why its crucial to receive medical attention immediately after the incident, even if youre not experiencing significant pain. To continue on with this discussion, please see my article Treatment of Whiplash associated disorders. Symptoms may not appear for weeks or months after the crash. Soft tissue neck injury claims are worth between $5,000 and $20,000 on average. In another car accident case, a 60-year old retiree received a $2.76 million cervical spine neck injury settlement after he was hit by a United Parcel Service (UPS) truck operator. This website, and any viewing, reading, or receipt of the information herein, does not create an attorney-client relationship. Both your past and future medical care costs are recoverable in your neck injury settlement. For this reason, theyre referred to as non-economic damages, since theyre not tied to a number. Sagittal alignment of the cervical spine: do we know enough for successful surgery?. Even if you dont feel as if the level of pain that youre suffering warrants a trip to a doctor or emergency room, you should still seek an opinion from a medical professional.