Most Common Causes of Neck and Back Injuries

Each year, over one million workers suffer back injuries. This does not even begin to account for injuries contributed to motor vehicle accidents and slip-and-falls, which in many cases can lead to devastating consequences.

If you suffer a neck or back injury, you may find yourself unable to perform your normal duties, plagued by an overgrowing stack of medical bills. You may feel that your situation is hopeless. You may even have no idea of who you can turn to for help.

At The Law Offices of L. Morgan Martin, P.A., our Conway, SC, personal injury attorneys have helped countless clients collect the compensation that is owed to them. If you have recently experienced a neck or back injury, reach out to our team of experienced lawyers.

Work-Related Accidents

On the job, neck and back injuries are not uncommon. The most common industries experiencing musculoskeletal injuries included construction workers, warehouse workers, truck drivers, factory workers, and nursing assistants.

Whether the injury is due to repetitive stress or a specific event, back injuries are amongst the most common reasons that workers must miss time from work. In a recent year, back injuries accounted for 38.5% of all musculoskeletal disorders caused by a person’s employment. 

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Motor vehicle accidents are a common cause of both neck and back injuries, especially rear-end collisions. Given the sudden change in speed in a crash, a vehicle’s occupant’s head may move rapidly forward and back, resulting in whiplash. Whiplash typically affects the nerves, muscles, discs, and tendons in the neck. Common symptoms include severe neck pain, stiffness, dizziness, numbness in a person’s arm or hand, and difficulty with turning the head.

Accident victims may also experience injuries to the spinal cord. In severe cases, a spinal cord injury can lead to paralysis, accompanied by loss of bowel or bladder control, breathing problems, and numbness or tingling. If you suspect you suffered a spinal cord injury, seek medical attention immediately.

Slip-and-Falls

Whether it be a wet surface, broken sidewalk, or loose floorboards, falls account for almost 8 million ER visits each year. Falls are the second leading cause of spinal cord injuries in senior adults. If you experienced a slip and fall, it is crucial that you report your fall to a property manager or owner.

Proving Negligence

No matter the type of accident or injury that you have sustained, you must prove another party’s negligence to recover compensation. The cornerstone of most personal injury accidents, the elements of negligence are as follows:

• Duty of care: You must establish that another person or entity has a responsibility to take precautions. In South Carolina, property owners have a duty to ensure that their property is free of hazards for visitors.
• Breach of duty: You must establish that another person or entity violated this duty, either through an act or omission. For slip-and-fall cases, this means that the property owner failed to fix a property defect.
• Causation: You must establish that this breach of duty caused your injuries.
• Damages: As a result of your injuries, you have suffered measurable losses (in the form of lost wages, medical bills, post-traumatic stress, etc.).

Recovering on a personal injury claim requires that you satisfy all these elements. To ensure that you have a successful claim, it is important that you work with a Conway, SC, personal injury attorney. Our legal team has experience in gathering the necessary evidence to establish liability. We provide aggressive representation to accident victims, never shying away from the tough cases.

Aggressive Representation from Our Conway Personal Injury Attorneys

Serious injuries call for serious representation. If you have experienced injuries due to another’s carelessness, you may be entitled to compensation. At The Law Offices of L. Morgan Martin, P.A., our Conway, SC, personal injury attorneys are committed to providing top-notch representation to injury victims. If you are interested in learning more or scheduling your consultation, contact us online or by phone today.