Chicago Neck Injury Attorney

a woman holding her neck, injured in a vehicle in chicago

Neck injuries can be debilitating and painful, ranging from spinal cord injuries in the neck area to whiplash caused by car accidents. We don’t notice how frequently we use our necks when they aren’t injured. However, after experiencing a neck injury, everyday functions and movements can become painful and difficult. Victims of neck injuries may find it challenging to engage in their daily activities or return to work. 

If you’ve been diagnosed with a neck injury after a personal injury accident, you may be entitled to compensation. When the pain and suffering caused by your neck injury won’t go away and your medical bills are piling up, you need an experienced lawyer on your side. The experienced personal injury lawyers at Stein & Shulman, LLC will advocate for you to receive all of the compensation you deserve for your neck injury. Contact us today to schedule your free initial consultation. 

Common Causes of Neck Injuries in Illinois

When another person or company’s negligence causes the accident that results in your neck injury, you have a right to seek compensation. Not all neck injuries are caused by negligence or recklessness. However, neck accidents are a typical result of many different types of personal injury accident, such as:

Common Types of Neck Injuries Caused By Accidents

When a person’s neck becomes injured, turning the head and balancing can become difficult. Injury to the neck region can cause a victim to experience a loss of motor function. Neck injuries are serious because they can potentially paralyze someone or require intense medical treatment and ongoing rehabilitation. At Stein & Shulman, LLC, we have successfully represented clients who’ve sustained the following types of neck injuries in accidents:

  • Spinal cord injuries resulting in complete or partial paralysis
  • Neck sprains or strains, including whiplash
  • Lumbar or cervical fusions
  • Disc-related injuries, such as ruptured discs, bulging discs, and herniated discs
  • Aggravation of a pre-existing neck injury 
  • Stiff neck muscles and tendons
  • Pinched nerves in the neck
  • Fractured cervical spine (broken neck)
  • Cervical dislocation 

Neck injuries cause a wide variety of painful symptoms. The symptoms endured by neck injury victims depend on the location and type of neck injury involved. Many neck injury victims have difficulty turning their heads and experience neck pain that won’t go away. They can also experience stiffness in the neck, headaches, and muscle spasms in their neck and shoulders. Pinched nerves and whiplash can also cause weakness in the arms, legs, hands, or fingers. These symptoms make it difficult, if not impossible, for neck injury victims to return to work.

Whiplash Injuries Caused By Car Accidents 

At Stein & Shulman, LLC, our legal team has represented many clients who suffered whiplash injuries in car accidents over the years. Whiplash is one of the most common types of neck injuries caused by personal injury accidents. Whiplash can occur in any kind of car, truck, or motorcycle accident. Drivers and passengers typically wear a seatbelt that secures their body while the head and neck are free to move. 

When a car suddenly comes to a stop in a collision, a person’s body will be restrained by the seatbelt, but the head will fly forward. The collision causes the head and neck to snap forward and backward quickly and forcefully in rear-end car accidents. In some cases, victims of whiplash don’t realize how severe their neck injury is until hours or days after the car accident. Being involved in a car accident can release cortisol and adrenaline to hide the neck injury’s pain.

If you’ve been in a car accident, it’s important to undergo a full medical examination. If you’re experiencing any neck or shoulder pain, jaw pain, soreness, impaired vision, ear ringing, vomiting, or dizziness, you may have whiplash or another serious injury. Unfortunately, whiplash symptoms can last for months or even years after a car accident, decreasing the victim’s quality of life. 

We recommend following all of your doctor’s orders. Your lawyer will be able to use your medical record to prove that the car accident caused your whiplash injury so you can recover the compensation you deserve.

Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Neck Injuries

As with many other types of injuries, neck injuries can occur at the workplace. When a worker becomes injured on the job, he or she can file for workers’ compensation benefits. Under Illinois law, nearly all employers must carry workers’ compensation that will pay for injured workers’ medical treatment and a percentage of their lost income. Obtaining workers’ compensation benefits for your neck injury can help you and your family financially while recovering. Unfortunately, some employers do not take workers’ compensation claims seriously. They may deny your claim outright or procrastinate and fail to pay you benefits quickly after your injury. The neck injury lawyers at Stein & Shulman, LLC can help you protect your right to workers’ compensation benefits.

Obtaining Compensation After a Chicago Neck Injury

The medical treatment for severe neck injuries can be extensive and expensive. Successful personal injury plaintiffs are entitled to economic and non-economic damages for their neck injuries. Economic damages include compensation for all of your past and future medical expenses and your past and future lost income. Successful plaintiffs are also entitled to non-economic damages for the pain and suffering and dirt resulting from their neck injury.

Contact a Chicago Neck Injury Lawyer Today

At Stein & Shulman, LLC, we understand how devastating it can be to experience a severe neck injury. If your loved one has experienced a neck injury resulting from a personal injury accident, our legal team can help. We will investigate your case and advise you of your best legal option. Our lawyers will advocate strongly for you to obtain the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to schedule your initial consultation.