New Jersey Neck Injury Attorney

A man suffering from a neck injury

A neck injury is painful and often disabling, and while “stiff necks” are common occurrences, severe neck injuries often result from accidents in which negligence has played a strong part. At Nagel Rice LLP, we are all too familiar with neck injuries our clients have suffered due to someone else’s refusal to take precautions or assume responsibility. 

Our New Jersey personal injury attorneys have the knowledge and skill to fight for meaningful damages if you or someone you love has these same challenges and losses to contend with. If you have suffered a neck injury due to someone else’s negligence, contact our office today to discuss your legal options.

How Another Party’s Negligence Can Cause Your New Jersey Neck Injury

The neck is critical to our well-being, in terms of mobility, sensation, and even cognition. Its proximity to the brain and spinal cord makes it invaluable, but its exposure and extreme flexibility make it vulnerable. The following accidents frequently cause serious neck injuries and are also frequently the result of another’s thoughtless actions or inactions:

Whether your neck injury was the result of a fall on a slippery floor, a poorly supervised sporting event, or a car accident, our neck injury attorneys will do everything in our power to bring you the compensation you deserve.

Types of Neck Injuries Are Varied and Often Difficult to Treat

Neck injuries may include:

Let’s take a closer look at some neck injuries to understand their complexities, long healing times, and potential for permanent disability.

Cervical Facet Joint Damage

Many neck injuries involve trauma to a cervical facet joint. Facet joints are the small joints between the vertebrae. Facet joint damage or fracture results in pain in the neck and shoulders and intensifies when the patient looks upward or turns their head. Facet joint damage is difficult to diagnose and, though the bone may mend in a few weeks, full recovery is likely to take several months. 

Whiplash 

Vehicular accidents are a common cause of whiplash. Because the injury is so common, patients may underestimate the pain it will cause. The muscular strain put on the neck by the sudden back and forth or side-to-side jerk of the head that occurs during an abrupt stop may not be detectable on X-ray but may be extremely painful due to tears in soft tissues. In some patients, whiplash complications can result in chronic neck pain or pain that radiates down the arm and into the hand.

Cervical Disc Damage

A slipped or ruptured disc causes terrible pain wherever it occurs. Spinal discs in the neck, like spinal discs elsewhere in the spine, are made of a gelatinous material that forms a cushion between the vertebrae. The sudden snap forward and back of the spinal column in whiplash sometimes causes the disc to bulge or even rupture, putting pressure on nearby nerves. Damage to a cervical disc can result in radiating pain, weakness, tingling, or numbness that shoots down the arm and into the hand and fingers. 

Spinal Cord Injuries at the Neck

Spinal cord injuries are very serious wherever they occur, and the higher up they occur, the more of the body they affect. The complex nerves bundled in the spinal cord control sensation and mobility throughout the body; if severed, paralysis can result. A severed spinal nerve in the neck region usually paralyzes the patient from the neck down (quadriplegia), beginning at the point of impact. The expenses involved in caring for a quadriplegic are nearly unimaginable (many millions over a lifetime), involving as they do round-the-clock care and high-tech medical equipment.

Cervical Fractures of Vertebrae

Because a vertebra is a larger bone than a facet joint, the former fracture is typically more serious. In some cases, a fractured vertebra can compromise the integrity of the spinal cord, causing paralysis. Even when this does not occur, a fracture of a cervical vertebra is acutely painful. Older patients may also suffer compression fractures of cervical vertebrae. Though these are hairline fractures, they may require surgical treatment and can result in a great deal of pain, restricted mobility, and even respiratory problems.

Why Clients Throughout New Jersey Come to Nagel Rice

Whether you are dealing with an injury of the neck or some other body part, you will find our attorneys caring as well as capable. In addition to our history of successful outcomes, we have a well-earned reputation for:

  • Exceptional legal research and communication skills
  • Meticulous accident investigations of police records, medical reports, and forensic evidence at the site
  • Getting informative/supportive witness statements 
  • Our network of reliable medical and technical experts to testify on your behalf

Damages Nagel Rice Will Fight to Recover for Your Neck Injury

As you can see, neck injuries can be devastating and life-altering. That’s why our attorneys will fight tirelessly to win the compensatory damages you need for:

  • Medical and rehabilitation costs
  • Lost income, present and future
  • Property damage or loss
  • Replacement services (e.g. childcare)
  • Alterations to make your home accessible
  • Extended nursing care
  • Pain and suffering
  • Permanent disability
  • Loss of enjoyment of life

If you and your family have suffered the wrongful death of a loved one due to neck injury, we will fight aggressively to recover damages for final medical costs and funeral/cremation/burial costs, as well as for your loss of financial and emotional support. If the defendant’s behavior was especially egregious, our sharp attorneys may be able to bring you punitive damages as well.

Contact Our Experienced Neck Injury Attorneys Today

Whatever led to your serious neck injury, our lawyers will provide you with powerful legal representation right now when you need it most. Contact us to discuss your case and the steps we will take to help you restart your life.