Neck Injuries

We give little thought to our neck until injury occurs.

But the reality is the neck is among the most complex parts of the body and includes the esophagus, voicebox, spinal column, airway, and critical arteries, tendons, muscles and ligaments.

Common neck injuries include:

• Sprains and strains
• Stiff muscles and tendons
• Pinched nerve
• Spondylosis, or neck arthritis
• Whiplash
• Herniated disc
• Neck fractures

Some debilitating conditions, particularly soft-tissue injuries, are not well understood and may be difficult to medically document. Pinched nerves and whiplash, in particular, may be debilitating even as such injuries are questioned or challenged by employers.

Consulting with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney in New Orleans, Covington or Raceland, is always best done as soon as possible when a work injury occurs. Workers’ compensation insurers aim to limit the cost of each claim. For them, it’s just business. For injured workers and their families, cost of care and rehabilitation, financial pressure, and worry and questions about quality of life can make it an overwhelming time.

Neck Injuries & Work Accidents

In many cases, a neck injury may be immediately apparent. But often an injury may occur over time, as a result of repetitive stress, or may initially present as a minor irritation, such as a stiff neck or tenderness. Because of requirements that injuries be timely reported, this may complicate a claim.

Common signs and symptoms of a neck injury include:

• Localized neck pain: May or may not be severe.
• Stiff neck: Including trouble rotating head.
• Pain: Radiating to shoulders or arm.
• Swelling: Bruising may or may not be present.
• Tenderness: Or sharp, shooting pain.
• Decreased sensation: In the arms, legs or other part of the body.
• Muscle weakness: Or paralysis in the arms or legs.
• Difficulty breathing: Swallowing may also be impacted.

An experienced workers’ compensation lawyer in New Orleans will be in the best position to protect your rights from the outset of a serious work injury, including defending against allegations that your injury was not work related or is the result of a pre-existing condition.

Neck Injury Claims & Workers’ Compensation

While slip and falls are the leading cause of neck injuries on the job, many others are the result of sudden trauma or repetitive cumulative stress, involving strained muscles, compressed nerves or worn joints. Neck injuries can result in shoulder or back pain, headaches, and other symptoms that can make proper diagnosis and treatment more challenging.

These claims are further complicated by the fact that they are typically categorized as soft-tissue injuries, or injuries that do not appear on X-rays or MRI scans, which make proving them more difficult and frequently result in such claims being challenged by workers’ compensation insurers and their defense attorneys.

Additionally, those suffering neck injuries, particularly soft-tissue injuries, may be pressured to return to work earlier than is medically possible. Failure to have an experienced New Orleans workers’ compensation attorney who has had time to become familiar with your case can make such return-to-work orders more difficult to challenge, and may ultimately result in a loss of benefits.

If you have been injured, call day or night for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. Call 985-893-6530.