Broken bones are always painful and take time to heal. One of the most dangerous and severe types of fractures you can sustain involves any of the vertebrae that make up the cervical spine. A broken neck is a serious injury that requires immediate medical attention because of the risk of spinal cord damage and long-term complications.
It’s possible to suffer a broken neck in a car accident or slip and fall, or after being assaulted or injured during a sporting competition. If another party caused your injury, you may be entitled to seek compensation as part of a personal injury claim.
What Is a Broken Neck?
A broken neck or cervical fracture occurs when one of the seven bones that make up the neck portion of the spine becomes damaged. It’s typically considered to be a medical emergency because of the risk of the break impacting the spinal cord.
Cervical fractures can be stable or unstable. A stable fracture involves a bone that’s cracked but still aligned, while the bones are displaced in an unstable fracture. The latter type of injury is the most severe.
If you sustain a broken neck and it impacts your spinal cord or surrounding nerves, you might experience a number of warning signs that you should get immediate medical attention.
These include:
- Swelling at the site of the injury
- Immediate and severe pain in the neck area
- Numbness, weakness, or tingling that radiates to your shoulders, arms, or legs
- Difficulty breathing
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Partial or total loss of sensation
The most serious injuries to the cervical vertebrae are those that cause spinal cord damage. In the worst cases, this can lead to partial or total paralysis.
What Causes a Broken Neck?
The most common sources of cervical fractures are high-force accidents, with motor vehicle collisions being a leading cause. Falls from heights can also produce these injuries, as can hard impacts on the playing field. Similarly, diving into shallow water or slipping and hitting your head could result in catastrophic harm to the bones in your neck.
Treating a Cervical Fracture
Stable fractures may heal on their own, without the need for surgery. Using a rigid cervical collar to immobilize the area can be helpful in such cases.
If the injury is unstable, however, it may require traction. With the most severe fractures, surgery may be necessary to reconnect bone fragments and relieve pressure on the spinal cord. Surgeons may also rely on metal plates and screws to fuse vertebrae.
Anytime the spinal cord becomes damaged, the consequences can be disastrous and permanent. Treatment options are limited for those who develop any type of paralysis.
Filing a Personal Injury Claim After Suffering a Broken Neck
If another party’s negligence or misconduct caused you to suffer a cervical fracture, you may be entitled to file a personal injury claim. This type of claim requires demonstrating that another party owed you a duty of care that they failed to uphold, directly resulting in your injuries and causing you to suffer damages.
Car accident claims can present unique complications because of Florida’s no-fault laws. If you’re in a collision and suffer an injury, you must first file a claim against your own personal injury protection coverage. The only way to pursue a personal injury claim is to show that your injuries are serious and your own insurance won’t address all of your losses.
Some neck fractures are obviously serious. For instance, if you’ve lost the use of your legs or are facing complete paralysis from the neck down, you’ll be able to step outside of the state’s no-fault system.
How an Experienced Attorney Can Help With Your Claim
You can expect the at-fault party’s insurance company to downplay your condition in order to justify paying you less. That’s one of the many reasons you should consider hiring an attorney if you’re interested in filing a claim.
An experienced attorney can conduct an investigation and gather evidence to demonstrate that you deserve comprehensive compensation from the negligent party. They’ll then negotiate with insurers to seek the economic and non-economic damages you need to recover. A skilled personal injury attorney can also represent you at trial if a fair settlement agreement cannot be reached.
Contact the Clermont Personal Injury Lawyers at Workman Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
After suffering a life-altering injury like a broken neck, you need reliable legal counsel to assist you as you seek compensation for your injuries and losses.
At Workman Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers, we offer fierce legal support to address catastrophic injuries and the losses they produce. We can make it easier for you to start recovering physically, emotionally, and financially by handling every aspect of your case. Contact us at (352) 773-3866 to schedule a free consultation today with a Clermont personal injury lawyer.