The average settlement for a herniated disc car accident is difficult to calculate, given the many factors that play a role in a personal injury case. Even when injuries are similar, the cause, treatment, and outcome may be very different.
To understand the potential value of your traffic collision claim, you can work with a car accident attorney who manages these cases regularly. Our firm will investigate what happened, identify your damages, and put a fair settlement value on your case before handling your claim.
Understanding Herniated Disc Injuries
Injuries to the discs in your spinal column can be disabling, as they can cause severe pain, nerve damage, and more. They may interfere with your ability to walk or even stand without pain.
Your doctor can discuss the car accident with you and perform a physical exam to diagnose a herniated disc. In some cases, they may use medical imaging or nerve function tests to determine the severity or rule out more serious injuries.
Treatment for a Herniated Disc
Conservative treatment may help many with this condition, which includes:
- Taking over-the-counter painkillers, with opioids if necessary
- Getting cortisone injections
- Prescription muscle relaxers
- Modifying activities that cause pain
- Physical therapy, in some cases
Conservative treatment generally leads to improvements within a few weeks. However, if your symptoms are not better in four to six weeks, your doctor may consider surgery. They may also schedule you for a procedure sooner if you have certain symptoms, including:
- Severe pain
- Numbness
- Weakness
- Mobility concerns
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
Surgery usually focuses on removing the herniated part of the disk, although sometimes they remove the entire disk. When this occurs, they typically perform a spinal fusion. This requires a bone graft and metal hardware that provides stability in the spine until the bones fuse. Recovery from fusion surgery could take months.
Lasting Effects of a Herniated Disc Injury
In some cases, a car accident victim who suffers a herniated disc continues to live with symptoms for years. In fact, this type of injury is a common cause of chronic back pain. It can also lead to nerve damage, causing weakness, numbness, pain, trouble walking and standing, and more.
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Recoverable Damages in a Herniated Disc Car Accident
The expenses and losses a victim experiences because of a traffic collision and a herniated disc injury determine the value of their claim. These damages could vary widely depending on the severity of their injuries, their missed paychecks, and more.
Examples of types of recoverable damages in these cases include:
- Medical treatment and follow-up care
- Future needs related to their injuries
- Missed income from time away from work
- Diminished earning capacity if they live with lasting injuries
- Car repair or replacement
- Miscellaneous associated expenses
- Pain and suffering damages
- Disability and disfigurement
- Reduced quality of life
Recovering Compensation for Back Injuries After a Crash
There are two ways to seek justice and recover compensation in a traffic accident case:
- File a claim based on the at-fault driver’s insurance policy
- Sue the driver and hold them responsible for your injuries in civil court
Most cases settle without needing to sue, and even fewer go to trial. It is usually possible, with strong evidence, to prove negligence and liability and negotiate a fair settlement. However, doing so requires having evidence to demonstrate several things:
- Who caused the crash
- Who acted negligently
- If anyone else contributed or is legally liable
- The damages the victims suffered
- The fair settlement value of the case
Gathering this proof requires an investigation, often with help from accident reconstruction specialists, medical experts, and others. Working with our personal injury law firm will ensure you have the resources, knowledge, and experience to handle this process.
How an Attorney Helps with a Car Accident Claim
Building a case and navigating the insurance claims process is often difficult, especially while dealing with excruciating pain, new impairments, and other concerns. If you work with an attorney from our firm, you will be able to focus your attention on healing your back, rehabilitating, and returning to your previous activities.
Our law firm will manage all aspects of the claims process. We can also determine if you need to sue the at-fault driver or another liable party. In some cases, you may need to sue because there are disagreements about liability, they will not offer a fair settlement, or you are running out of time to file.
Deadlines for suing can vary. For example, you may only have up to one year under La. Civ. Code Art. 3492 in Louisiana, while some states offer up to three years. Some circumstances can further shorten this deadline. In addition, there are other reasons to get started as soon as possible – namely, you want to begin collecting evidence before it disappears.
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Speak with the Morris Bart, LLC Traffic Collision Team for Free Today
At the Morris Bart law office near you, our car accident team provides free consultations for accident victims. We have 15 locations, and the communities we serve include all of Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Arkansas. We are a contingency fee personal injury firm, so you pay nothing unless we deliver compensation from the liable party.
Call (800) 537-8185 now to get started with your free case evaluation.
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