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Many times people who suffer from a slip and fall accident sustain a herniated disc. However, other injuries—such as neck injuries—can occur in combination with a herniated disc injury. Some other types of neck injuries that slip and fall victims may suffer from include:
- Ligament injuries
- Muscle strains
- Neck sprains
- Neck fractures
- Cervical dislocations
- Spinal cord injuries
If you are feeling neck pain or are having trouble rotating your neck or head after a slip and fall accident, you need to seek medical care immediately. Even if your neck only slightly hurts, it is still in your best interest to get a medical evaluation. You may need to have an x-ray, CT scan, MRI scan, or EMG test to determine the exact cause of your neck pain.
When ligament and muscle strains and sprains in the neck occur, they are typically resolved within months after undergoing proper medical care; however, when a cervical dislocation, fracture of the neck, or spinal cord injury occurs, the injury can be more troubling. Whether minor or severe neck injuries occur as a result of a slip and fall accident, victims will often have to miss out on work, life events, and have to undergo medical procedures and physical therapy.
Serious Neck Injuries Explained
In a cervical dislocation, a neck bone is moved out of place, whereas the bone actually breaks in a cervical fracture. However, a victim of a slip and fall might have both a cervical dislocation and neck fracture as a result of the fall. Unfortunately, these types of neck injuries can be serious and debilitating. Especially devastating are neck injuries that affect the spinal cord. When the spinal cord is impacted, a victim may suffer paralysis or other permanent disabilities.
Not only are these types of neck injuries serious, but they can result in expensive medical bills, costly rehabilitation, caretaking expenses, lost wages, and a lifetime of pain and suffering. Victims of slip and fall accidents who have suffered serious neck injuries should be compensated fully for their injuries. However, insurance companies often feel differently.
How Insurers Look at Neck Injuries
Because so many people in Sarasota suffer neck injuries in falls and car accidents, insurance companies often consider neck injuries minor injuries. Even with serious neck injuries and spinal cord injuries, insurance adjusters often make lowball offers or challenge these types of claims. This is why it is critical that every slip and fall victim see a doctor as soon as possible and call a lawyer after an accident involving neck pain.
Before you speak with an insurance adjuster, you should request a copy of our book that will help you know what you should and shouldn’t say to an insurer and how to protect your rights. You might just need to file a slip and fall lawsuit in order to make the insurance company take you seriously and collect the compensation you deserve.
