As the second-largest city in Mississippi, Gulfport offers something for everyone. Unfortunately, between frequently congested roadways, older buildings with loose or worn flooring, medical negligence on the part of a health care provider, and other hazards result in Gulfport residents and visitors receiving much more than they bargained for in the form of a neck or back injury.
If you have suffered a neck or back injury as the result of an accident or incident caused by someone else’s carelessness or recklessness, an experienced Gulfport MS back and neck injury attorney can assist you in seeking compensation for the expenses and impacts your injury has caused.
What Types of Back and Neck Injuries Can Give Rise to a Personal Injury Claim?
The back and neck are among the most important parts of the body, not only providing the stability that the body needs to move, but also because these areas house the spinal cord, which is part of the body’s central nervous system and is tasked with delivering messages from the brain to other parts of the body. As important as the neck and back are to the body’s ability to function, not all injuries are eligible for compensation.
In order to obtain compensation for a neck or back injury through Mississippi’s personal injury claims process, you must be able to show that someone else was liable for the accident or incident that caused your injuries. What this means is that if you were texting and driving and these actions caused you to wreck your vehicle, you cannot seek compensation through the personal injury process. However, if another driver was distracted by texting and caused an accident with you in which you sustained neck and back injuries, you would be eligible.
Causes of Neck and Back Pain You Can Sue for
In addition to motor vehicle accidents, other sources of Gulfport neck and back injuries that can give rise to a personal injury claim include:
- Injuries resulting from a fall that occurred due to a private, commercial, or even public property owner or possessor failing to regularly inspect their property to discover and mitigate hazards that could cause injuries to guests
- Neck and back injuries resulting from other types of premises liability complaints, such as an elevator or escalator accident, swimming pool accidents, or negligent security
- Injuries resulting from an error made during a medical procedure in which a health care provider failed to provide the standard of care owed to patients
- Injuries sustained by a child in a sports or recreation-related activity in which adults responsible for supervising the activity failed to provide supervision that was adequate to prevent injury
For a free legal consultation with a Back and Neck Injury lawyer serving Gulfport, call (228) 357-9621
Are Back and Neck Injuries Considered Catastrophic?
Catastrophic injuries are defined as those that carry a high likelihood of resulting in permanent disabilities that render the individual unable to earn an income or to accomplish personal daily living tasks independently. One of the injuries most commonly associated with the term is a spinal cord injury that can result in partial or complete paralysis below the site of the injury.
Other types of neck and back injuries can also be considered catastrophic if they substantially impair the individual’s ability to earn an income, including severe damage to the spinal vertebrae or discs that results in a loss of stability and chronic pain to the extent that it interferes with the ability for the individual to work.
Don’t Hesitate to Include Whiplash in Your Claim
Whether considered catastrophic or not, all back and neck injuries are serious for the simple reason that the neck and the back are heavily relied on for basic functions such as walking, bending, or reaching. Consider, for example, whiplash. Whiplash is typically considered to be a relatively minor soft tissue injury occurring in the neck, most frequently as the result of a rear-end car accident.
However, as noted by the Mayo Clinic, for some people, whiplash can result in lingering pain and other symptoms that can last for months or even years after the injury.
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Types of Compensation You Could Obtain via a Gulfport Back and Neck Injury Claim
There are several types of compensation you can seek with the help of a Gulfport back or neck injury attorney. Here is a look at the most common types of compensation provided for back and neck injury claimants.
Medical Expenses
This includes the cost of ambulance transport, emergency treatment, the services of physicians and surgeons, prescription medication, surgical supplies, hospitalization, physical therapy, and rehabilitation. You can also seek compensation for assistive devices such as a wheelchair or crutches, or long-term care in a skilled nursing facility.
Lost Wages
Whether your back or neck injury resulted in the need to miss work to attend injury-related medical appointments, or it caused you to be out of work for weeks or even longer, you can seek compensation for the wages you lost.
Loss of Future Earning Capacity
If your injury results in a permanent disability that impairs your ability to earn an income, you can seek the value of the earnings you likely would have made during the course of your career if you had not become injured.
Property Damage
If you sustained property damage in the accident, you can also seek compensation for that. The most common type of property damage associated with accidents that resulted in neck and back injuries is the damage to a victim’s vehicle in a car accident.
Physical Pain and Suffering
Many types of neck and back injuries result in severe and long-lasting pain, particularly those that result in damage to the vertebrae or discs. While spinal cord injuries generally result in paralysis that prevents an individual from feeling pain, the injury is frequently accompanied by a cascade of complications that will require treatment throughout the rest of the sufferer’s life.
Emotional Distress
Having a neck or back injury can entirely change your life, resulting in the inability to participate in activities you formerly enjoyed or even to enjoy physical intimacy with your spouse.
A Back and Neck Injury Lawyer in Gulfport Can Help You
If you have suffered a neck or back injury, let our Gulfport neck and back injury lawyer explain in greater detail the process of obtaining compensation through a personal injury claim. For your free case evaluation, contact us online or give us a call.
Questions?Call (228) 357-9621
to find a Morris Bart office near you.
