Palm Springs Neck and Back Injury Lawyer
While neck and back injuries are common, they can still be very serious. These injuries affect the spine, as well as the surrounding soft tissue and nearby nerves. Vehicular accidents cause most traumatic neck and back injuries; other causes include blunt force trauma and slip and fall incidents. Neck and back injuries range in severity from bothersome to debilitating, but even relatively minor injuries can be painful and decrease your quality of life.
Regardless of severity, when you are injured due to another’s negligence, you deserve compensation. After speaking with a Palm Springs neck and back injury lawyer, you might be surprised at the potential value of your claim. Call today for a free consultation with one of the skilled catastrophic injury attorneys at our firm.
Types of Neck and Back Injuries
Neck and back injuries can be acute or chronic. An acute injury comes on quickly and should resolve within a few weeks. Chronic injuries tend to come on more slowly and may last weeks, months, or even years. Types of neck and back injuries include:
- Sprains – damaged ligaments
- Strains – damaged muscles or tendons
- Herniated disk – rupture of the spinal disc
- Pinched nerves
- Spinal fractures
- Spinal cord injury
Symptoms of neck and back injuries vary based on the type and severity of the injury. Common symptoms include:
- Headache
- Stiff or aching spine
- Numbness or tingling in the legs or arms
- Sharp pains shooting or radiating from the site of the injury
In the most serious cases, loss of mobility or paralysis may occur. A person experiencing any of these symptoms should see a doctor immediately and keep careful records to share with a Palm Springs neck and back injury attorney.
Collecting Damages for Neck and Back Injuries
A person who has sustained a neck or back injury due to the negligence of another is generally entitled to compensatory damages, that is, damages that seek to compensate for the loss suffered. The two types of compensatory damages are special damages and general damages.
Special damages cover expenses with definite amounts, such as medical bills and lost wages. General damages seek to compensate the injured person for the pain, suffering, and mental anguish caused by the injury. General damages might also include loss of consortium, that is, damages awarded to the injured person’s spouse or domestic partner to compensate for the harm the injury has caused to the relationship.
Punitive Damages
Another type of damages are punitive damages, awarded not to compensate the injured party but to punish the wrongdoer and deter bad behavior. Under California Civil Code § 3294, these may be awarded when the defendant intended to cause harm or carried on with a conscious disregard for the rights and safety of others. While punitive damages are not commonly awarded, neck and back injury lawyers in Palm Springs keep an eye out for factual scenarios that meet the criteria.
What to Do (And What Not to Do) After a Neck or Back Injury
A person who has sustained a neck or back injury in an auto accident should contact their insurer as soon as possible, as failure to do so could affect coverage. The injured person should also see a doctor right away; this is important for diagnosis and treatment and to preempt later questions regarding why medical care was not sought. Careful records should be kept of all doctor visits and treatments. An injured person might also consider keeping a pain journal, which can help identify triggers and provide evidence for general damages. However, one should not write anything down they would not want the other side to read.
Following an auto accident, the other driver’s insurance company will likely contact the injured person with a settlement offer. Because neck and back injuries are so common, insurers might not find the injuries alarming, which may be reflected in a low-ball offer. Remember, the insurer’s sole endeavor is to limit their own liability. One should never accept an offer before speaking with an attorney in Palm Springs with experience litigating civil claims based on neck and back injuries.
Call a Palm Springs Neck and Back Injury Attorney Today
Neck and back injuries can be severely painful and significantly decrease a person’s enjoyment in life. Following such an injury, you may feel helpless and overwhelmed, but by contacting a Palm Springs neck and back injury lawyer, you can begin to take back control of your life. A qualified attorney could explain the process, provide a range of possible settlement amounts, and clarify your next steps. Call Walter Clark Legal Group today for an initial consultation.
