Neck Injuries in a Crash? Call Our Staten Island Car Accident Lawyer if You Needed a Cervical Fusion After a Car Accident in Staten Island

Motor vehicle accidents are one of the most common causes of accidental and unintentional injuries in the United States. Although most people do not believe that it could happen to them, statistics from this year up through April reveal over 7,500 motor vehicle accidents in New York City resulting in 4,180 injuries or fatalities to individuals. This includes Staten Island, where over 250 people have been injured or killed in crashes. There are many different injuries that can occur as a result of car accidents, with spinal injuries being particularly prevalent. Injuries to the neck and spine often require surgery for repair, with spinal fusions being common. This includes a cervical fusion after a car accident in Staten Island.

If you or your loved one has been seriously injured due to a negligent driver, especially if a cervical fusion was needed, you should call our experienced Staten Island car accident lawyer today to learn more about your rights to compensation. At the O’Connor Law Firm, our skilled and compassionate team can work with you and your family to establish liability and build your damages claim. We have a proven track record of success against some of the largest defense law firms and regional insurance carriers, ensuring that dangerous drivers are held accountable for their negligence. To learn more about your rights under New York law, contact us today by scheduling a FREE consultation to learn more about your rights to compensation.

Signs and Symptoms of a Cervical Spine Injury

Spinal injuries are quite serious, and may lead to paralysis or death. Some of the most common signs and symptoms of an injury to the cervical spine includes the following:

• Loss or impairment of sensation in the upper extremities
• Weakness in the upper extremities
• Severe back pain
• Headaches and migraines
• Vision issues or discomfort
• Arm or neck pain
• Impaired coordination
• Impaired balance
• Muscle spasms, which may be in the arms or legs
• Heavy pressure sensation in the neck
• Impaired hand dexterity
• Nerve pain, including extreme and sharp pain, tingling, numbness, pins and needles, or aches, and
• Other injuries and pain resulting in the upper extremities that relate to a neck injury

Victims with these symptoms or any other signs or symptoms of injury after a car accident should seek immediate medical attention.

Common Types of Injuries to the Cervical Spine Caused by Staten Island Car Accidents

While there are many different cervical spine injuries that can occur as a result of a car accident in Staten Island, some of the most common injuries seen include the following:

• Disc Herniation – A herniated disc occurs when the discs that sit between the spinal bones slip out of place. A herniated disc can cause a wide variety of symptoms, including severe pain, immobility, numbness, tingling, weakness, and many other debilitating effects.
• Whiplash – While people often think of whiplash as a mild and self-limiting condition, whiplash can be severe and may require surgery to repair the injury. Whiplash occurs as a result of car accidents often when there is a sudden braking of the car or in a rear end car accident. Whiplash occurs when the head and neck are jerked suddenly back and forth, resulting in strain and injury to the cervical spine as well as its muscles and ligaments.
• Other cervical spinal injuries caused by car accidents include degenerative disc disease, chronic pain, impaired mobility, as well as many other injuries that may require surgical repair.

Some of these conditions may require a cervical fusion after a car accident in Staten Island. This can be a very limiting and restrictive surgery that impacts an individual for the rest of his or her life.

Cervical Spine Injuries Resulting in a Cervical Fusion After a Car Accident in Staten Island

When a cervical spinal injury is severe, your doctor may recommend a surgical fusion surgery for repair. Although this is a major surgery, it is often necessary to improve pain and function for the injured victim. This type of surgery brings the vertebrae in the neck together. To achieve this, the injured disc or the area of the injured disc must be removed, and a spacer is placed between the two vertebrae. Screws and then drilled into the vertebrae above and below the spacer, and rods are then placed into holes on the screws which are then tightened.

By doing this, the vertebrae lose this flexibility that a disc normally creates, and instead the space is rigid. This prevents rubbing, contact, or damage to nearby nerves which can result in pain, weakness, and loss of sensation. Thus, inflammation will decrease and the hope is that the victim will be able to return to a more-normal life, although it can never return to that prior life before the accident because there are always weight carrying, push/pull, activity, mobility, and other restrictions on victims who have underwent a cervical fusion.

A cervical fusion surgery typically requires the injured victim to remain in the hospital for at least a few days, but possibly longer. It can take victims anywhere from six months to a year to heal, and some victims may deal with lasting effects of this necessary procedure. Common long-term effects of cervical fusion surgery include loss of mobility in the area of the fusion, chronic pain, and possibly prolonged healing.

Damages for Victims Injured in a Car Accident That Require a Cervical Fusion Surgery

Victims who were wrongly injured in a car accident and suffered a neck or spine injury requiring cervical fusion may be eligible for damages. Damages are often awarded in the form of compensation. Common damages that may be recovered for these victims include the following:

• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional pain and suffering
• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Lost future earnings
• Punitive damages
• Damages for permanent injuries
• Loss of consortium
• Property damage
• Punitive damages, in rare and exceptional cases, and
• Other damages for victims requiring a cervical fusion after a car accident in Staten Island.

Did You Need a Cervical Fusion After a Car Accident in Staten Island? Call Our Car Accident Lawyer for Help

The O’Connor Law Firm offers clients free case evaluations to learn more about their rights after a motor vehicle accident in New York. If you choose to hire their car accident lawyer in Staten Island, and if they accept your case, they pay the upfront costs, filing fees, and disbursements of litigation which are only reimbursed if they make a recovery for you. The same is true of the legal fees, which are only paid after a recovery is made and the fees are only a percentage of what is recovered. To learn more about the O’Connor Law Firm and how they can help you after a serious motor vehicle accident, contact them today.