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The neck contains far more moving parts than most people realize. When a person gets injured in a slip and fall accident, if one of their injuries is in the neck, they might also suffer wounds in other parts of the body.
A New Jersey personal injury attorney could help you pursue a claim for compensation from the negligent party who caused your slip and fall accident. This blog will discuss 9 common neck injuries from slip and fall accidents.
Severe Neck Injuries from Slip and Fall Accidents
Although a slip and fall accident only takes a few seconds, sometimes, the damage can last a lifetime. With severe neck injuries, a person could face an uncertain future because of paralysis, chronic pain, and a loss of function. Here are examples of some severe neck injuries a person could suffer in a slip and fall accident:
- Broken neck. The upper vertebrae are located in the neck. These vertebrae, also called cervical bones, are susceptible to fracture, just like any other bone in the body.
- Herniated disc. Also called a slipped disc, a herniated disc is when a disc ruptures and the gel-like substance inside the disc leaks out. Discs serve as cushions between cervical bones. The gel that seeps out into surrounding tissue can irritate the nerves, causing pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the neck, shoulder, and arm.
- Cervical dislocation. A cervical vertebra can slip out of alignment, causing a separation in the spinal column. These dislocations can be painful and quite dangerous if they damage the spinal cord.
- Spinal cord injury. When the spinal cord gets damaged in the neck, the result can be fatal. A person might need a respirator to help them breathe. Spinal cord injuries in the neck frequently cause paralysis below the location of the neck injury.
Immediate medical intervention could make the difference between the injured person surviving or not.
Mild to Moderate Neck Injuries from Slip and Fall Accidents
Although mild to moderate neck injuries are not as severe as the wounds we just discussed, these injuries can have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life.
- Whiplash. If the neck suddenly snaps forward and backward during the slip and fall accident, similar to the cracking of a whip, a person could suffer a whiplash injury. Whiplash can damage several types of soft tissue in the neck. Sometimes, a whiplash fall can cause one of the more severe neck injuries.
- Stingers. When the body twists in particular ways during the fall, the result could be an injury called a stinger or burner. This injury involves the brachial plexus, where the nerves to the shoulder and arm are located.
- Muscle strain. Usually, this injury is in the lower back, but sometimes, muscles in the neck can get strained, leading to physical discomfort and decreased range of motion.
- Kink or crick. A slip and fall accident can cause a person to feel discomfort in the neck. This sensation is similar to neck stiffness when waking up in the morning.
- Sprained neck. A person who has swelling, pain, and decreased range of motion in the neck after a slip and fall accident might have suffered a neck sprain.
Because of the risk of paralysis or death from a severe neck injury, every instance of neck injury following a slip and fall accident should receive a professional medical diagnosis. People do not always realize immediately how severe their injury is.
You can talk to a New Jersey personal injury attorney about the damages you could recover from the responsible party. The first consultation is free. Contact our office today for help with your case.