Workers' Compensation for Neck and Back Injuries in Pennsylvania
Injuries to your neck and spine can be serious, and if they happened during an accident at work, the workers' comp lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys can help you get what you deserve.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, neck and back injuries made up 14% of workplace injuries in the state in 2019. That's 24,057 incidents of neck or back injuries while on the job. Even more than the numbers, injuries to the neck and back can involve the spinal cord, making the consequences severe. Serious injuries can happen in a variety of workforces. However, statistics show the construction industry is particularly hard hit when it comes to neck and back injuries.
Workers' comp cases can be difficult to navigate, particularly for serious occurrences that cause neck and back injuries. Large insurance companies will try to avoid paying you anything. They might try and say your injuries aren't as serious as you claim, or that the circumstances you reported are inaccurate or inconclusive. It's important to have an experienced Pennsylvania workers' comp lawyer by your side.
Common Types of Neck & Back Injuries
Neck and back injuries can range from minor to severe. And they can happen to anyone in a variety of different work environments. Most importantly, these injuries can often show up after an accident occurs. It's always important to receive medical attention immediately after an injury to your neck or back or even head injuries. Your neck connects to your spinal cord, without a lot of protection, so a small injury can get worse over time.
Neck and back/spinal injuries can happen for a variety of reasons, including collisions, falls, repetitive motions, stress, and more. The main types of injuries generally fall into the following categories:
- Whiplash: These are common, and usually happen as the result of a car accident or collision. It's important to know that severity of the injury does not always correlate to severity of the impact. Even lower-impact collisions can cause a more serious injury to your spine or neck.
- Thoracic or Lumbar Spine injuries: Whether you've collided with something, impacting your chest/mid-back, or strained your lower lumbar area, back pain can cause a great deal of pain and suffering. Thoracic injuries can often be severe and result in long-term nerve damage.
- Pinched nerve: These often occur from repetitive motion at work that is aggravating a nerve. This type of neck injury can be hard to prove, but if your injury is from work, an experienced lawyer can help you get justice for your pain and suffering.
- Herniated disk. This is a common type of back injury, which can result in anything from acute to debilitating pain.
- Cervical spine: These injuries are often the most severe, many resulting in paralysis. If you've experienced damage to this part of your body, you may require expensive and major surgery like spinal fusion.
When to Seek Workers' Compensation for Neck & Back Injuries in Pennsylvania
No matter how you feel after being injured, you should go to an emergency room or doctor to seek help for neck or back injuries. Often, especially if you are in a lower-impact accident, you may not feel anything right away. But both neck and back injuries can greatly impact your spinal cord, which should not be ignored.
It's important when seeking medical attention for workers' comp neck and back injuries that you are thorough in keeping records. To file your claim, or appeal a denied claim, it's incredibly important you have as much documentation as possible. This does not just include medical records. Keep track of any journals or recordings you have kept of your symptoms or pain on the days after the accident.
Workers in specialities that are susceptible for neck and back injuries should know the signs an injury could be serious. Here are the major signs your neck or back injury needs further medical attention.
- Shooting pain
- Numb, weak, or tingling arms or legs
- Pain that gets worse when you move
- Muscle Spasms
- Stiff neck
What Am I Owed For My Workers' Comp Injury?
If you have suffered from a neck or back injury while on the job, you may be able to recover more than just lost wages. You may be entitled to seek full compensation for all of your economic and non-economic losses. This includes current and future losses such as:
- Medical expenses and prescriptions
- Loss of income
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Emotional anguish
- Loss of society, support, companionship, and consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Hire an Experienced Workers' Comp Lawyer in Pennsylvania
If you suffer an injury to your neck or back while performing your job duties, you need a lawyer who will fight for you. An accident impacts your livelihood, including lost wages, time and any medical attention you'll require.
The workman's compensation attorneys at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys will fight to ensure you have everything you need to file or appeal your workers' comp claim. At Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, we believe that cost should not stand in the way of justice for the injured. Therefore, we do not collect a fee for our services unless we recover benefits for you. As our client, you will not have to pay anything up front or out of your own pocket.
Chat, email, or call us today to arrange a free consultation with a workers' compensation lawyer.
