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New York Back and Neck Injury Attorneys

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Last Updated: 06-17-2022

Helping Victims of Serious Neck and Back Injuries

Many types of accidents, even if they seem mild, can cause serious back and neck injuries. Those accidents can include truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, construction site accidents, and slips, trips, falls, and more. Many car crashes can cause whiplash, fractures, herniated discs, and life-changing spinal cord injuries.

If you have sustained an injury to your neck or back in an accident that was caused by someone’s negligence or recklessness, you are entitled to seek financial compensation against the at-fault party. The severity of your back and neck injuries and the length of time it takes to recover – if you fully recover – will influence the amount of compensation you are able to receive. Back and neck injuries are often chronic, meaning they cause long-term pain and suffering.

Because these injuries are often catastrophic and involve large settlements, it’s important that you consult with a knowledgeable New York personal injury attorney who has extensive experience in helping clients who suffered back and neck injuries. At Hach & Rose, LLP, we understand how back and neck injuries can negatively impact your life, your family, and your future. When you work with our skilled and compassionate attorneys, you will receive legal representation tailored to address the unique issues you face due to your back and neck injuries.

If you have suffered a back or neck injury in an accident in New York, it is imperative that you hire a lawyer you can trust to handle your claim. The New York neck and back injury attorneys at Hach & Rose, LLP have earned the trust of thousands of clients over the last 20 years by consistently helping injury victims get results.

If you have been seriously injured due to the negligence or recklessness of another party, our dedicated attorneys are ready to help. Call us now at (212) 779-0057 to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.

Why Is It Important to Have the Right Lawyer for a Back and Neck Personal Injury Case?

An experienced back and neck injury attorney will thoroughly review the facts and circumstances of your accident, listen to your concerns, answer all your questions, and discuss your legal options. After reviewing the details of your back or neck injury, the New York personal injury attorneys at Hach & Rose, LLP can provide you with a better understanding of the value of your injury claim.

The aim of insurance companies is to pay you as little as possible to compensate you for your back or neck injury. They will try to lowball your settlement by pressuring you into taking an amount that may seem impressive, but that is far lower than what you deserve. There are many pitfalls that can be avoided by working with an experienced New York personal injury attorney.

Trying to handle your back or neck injury settlement on your own, without taking the time to understand the full consequences of the injury and getting the required medical treatment, could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. Nobody who has been seriously injured in an accident should try to take on an insurance company by themselves, nor should they accept an insurer’s offer without having a full understanding of their legal options. The attorneys at Hach & Rose, LLP will take the necessary time and care to prove the full extent of your back or neck injury.

Most accident victims do not have the knowledge and experience needed to navigate their injury claims. When you are reviewing your medical records, you will see medical terminology and abbreviations that are difficult to understand. The insurance companies may disagree about your need for more medical treatment and whether the accident caused your back or neck injuries. Furthermore, it’s easy to miss important deadlines when you are trying to recover and manage countless doctors’ appointments.

When you work with the personal injury attorneys at Hach & Rose, LLP, you won’t have to worry about medical terminology and legal technicalities. Our skilled and compassionate legal team has the experience and knowledge needed to manage all of these issues for you, allowing you to focus and on your physical and mental health.

The New York personal injury lawyers at Hach & Rose, LLP can help:

  • Identify all liable parties and the insurance policies to provide compensation;
  • Calculate your losses and estimate future losses related to the injury including medical expenses, lost wages, loss of future earnings, and other losses;
  • Negotiate a full and fair settlement with the insurers, and;
  • File a lawsuit and seek justice in the New York court system if a fair settlement is not reached.
  • Try your case in front of a jury if your case cannot be settled out of court.

Common Types of Back and Neck Injuries

Three of the most common types of back and neck injuries are:

  • Herniated, Ruptured, or Slipped Disc: The round, flat discs between the vertebrae in the spine, which are designed to absorb pressure and maintain the spine’s flexibility, can herniate, rupture or slip out of place when the body experiences force or trauma.
  • Whiplash or Connective Tissue Injury: Whiplash happens when joints located between the vertebrae, or the discs, ligaments, muscles, and nerve roots in the neck become hyperextended and damaged.
  • Compression Fractures: Compression fractures occur when the vertebrae in the spine become broken due to trauma.

What Are the Symptoms of Back and Neck Injuries?

After a back or neck injury, you may suffer from any of the following symptoms:

  • Sharp shooting pains down your legs or arms
  • Muscle spasms
  • Stiffness or achiness along your spine
  • Persistent ache in the lower or middle part of your back
  • Dull aches in your neck
  • Strain and pain when moving body parts
  • Incapacitating back pain upon lifting
  • Tingling or numbness in legs, feet, hands, and/or fingers
  • Headaches
  • Shoulder pain

Hach & Rose, LLP Working for You

Serious neck and back injuries can cost personal injury victims hundreds of thousands of dollars. The medical bills for treatment, prescription drugs, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and more can pile up quickly. At Hach & Rose, LLP, our team of highly skilled New York personal injury attorneys will put their knowledge and experience to use on your back or neck injury case. We will fight tirelessly to make sure that you receive the maximum compensation you deserve.

Accidents involving back or neck injuries are usually among the most complex personal injury cases. The last thing you want to do is try to handle your case alone. Allow an attorney who is well-versed in back and neck injuries to take care of every aspect of your case so you can focus on your recovery.

Back and neck

$12,800,000

Jury verdict for a worker who suffered severe neck injury, as a result of a negligently installed door-closer by construction companies that had been hired to build a new wing of a hospital.

$5,500,000

Settlement for porter of apartment building repairing a light fixture from a defective ladder.

$3,525,000

Settlement for a construction supervisor who fell from a makeshift ladder injuring his back.

$2,500,000

Settlement for a worker who was killed while being driven in a car from a company parking lot.

$2,200,000

Jury verdict obtained for a man who suffered a back injury following an automobile accident.

$1,500,000

Settlement for a man who suffered a back injury when he was struck by a motor vehicle.

$750,000

Settlement obtained for a woman who injured her back following a slip and fall accident at work.

$670,000

Jury Verdict for a back injury as a result of a train crash.

Aggravation of a Preexisting Injury or Condition

A common occurrence in personal injury cases is when someone suffers an injury to their back or neck, which already had issues. Whether you’re involved in a car accident, construction accident, pedestrian accident, slip and fall accident, or any other type of personal injury accident, a previously injured back or neck will be more susceptible to reinjury or aggravation. Sometimes the most challenging part of a case is determining what is a previous injury and what is a new injury or aggravation.

According to the New York Pattern Jury Instructions, to the extent that an injury is aggravated, defendants are responsible to the extent that your preexisting condition is made worse. In other words, if someone is liable, they do not get a discount because you had a preexisting injury.

At Hach & Rose, LLP, some of our best results have been for people who aggravated preexisting conditions as a result of a defendant’s negligence.

Just because you injured your neck or back previously, it does not mean the aggravated injury you sustained in the accident is your fault. In fact, when people were previously injured, their cases are typically worth more because the prior injury or condition makes them more susceptible to a more significant injury the second time around.

If you have a preexisting condition that was aggravated after your accident, the insurance company might make you a lowball offer and try to convince you that you are fortunate to get that much. The insurance adjuster may tell you that you cannot recover more compensation for your injuries because they were related to a preexisting condition.

When Hach & Rose, LLP handles your back or neck injury case, we won’t let the insurer get away with being unreasonable concerning your preexisting condition. Our New York personal injury lawyers won’t hesitate to file a lawsuit seeking the full compensation you deserve.

Understanding Your Medical Treatments and Options

Your healthcare providers will be able to advise you on the range of treatments that may benefit your back and neck injury. You may benefit from specific medications, epidural steroid injections, surgery or multiple surgeries, and less invasive options, such as spinal manipulations under anesthesia. No matter what your treatment involves, you should be able to benefit from all the treatments your physicians recommend for you today, as well as the treatments they will likely recommend for you in the future, such as rehabilitation and physical therapy.

That’s why it’s crucial that you hire an attorney who’s not only well-versed in the laws related to your back and neck injury, but who also thoroughly understands your back and neck pain and related medical needs. A skilled back and neck lawyer will grasp the importance of the treatment you need, and will work skillfully to ensure that your present and future medical expenses are accounted for.

Epidural Steroid Injections

Epidural steroid injections are commonly used, minimally invasive procedures to help people deal with pain in many locations of the body, including the back and neck. The injections provide temporary relief for pain but do not fix the cause of the pain.

A cervical epidural steroid injection treats pain in the neck and the upper region of the back. Numerous conditions may cause neck and upper back pain, such as a herniated disc, pinched nerves, and strained muscles.

People with the following conditions are typically strong candidates for epidural steroid injections:

  • Spinal stenosis
  • Herniated disc
  • Degenerative disc
  • Spondylolisthesis
  • Sciatica

Types of Back Surgeries

In addition to reducing pain, back surgery can have a wide range of benefits. After back surgery, you may be able to move around better, your mood may improve, and you may no longer need to take as much medicine for pain. Back surgery may also allow you to return to work and be productive again.

Common types of back surgeries include:

  • Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty – These are similar procedures used to treat vertebral compression fractures. When a vertebral compression fracture is left untreated, you may experience debilitating pain and a hunched back. Compression fractures can be caused by an injury. In the vertebroplasty procedure, bone cement is inserted into the fracture through a long needle. The cement is inserted into each affected vertebrae. In more severe spinal compression cases, a kyphoplasty is performed, in which a balloon is inserted and inflated to lift the compressed vertebrae back to a normal height. After the vertebrae are lifted, bone cement is inserted into the heightened space. The bone cement strengthens the vertebrae, prevents further collapse, and reduces pain.
  • Discectomy – This procedure is used to remove a herniated disk, which can occur in any part of the spine and irritate a nearby nerve.
  • Facetectomy – A degenerating facet joint may become enlarged or develop bone spurs, leading to compression of a nearby nerve. A small portion of a facet joint may need to be removed to gain access to a problematic disc. In either situation, a facetectomy is performed.
  • Foraminotomy – This procedure is used to reduce pain associated with a compressed spinal nerve. The surgeon cuts away bone at the sides of the vertebrae to widen the space where the nerves exit. The extra room can relieve pressure on the nerves and ease the pain. This procedure can also make the spine less stable, so the surgeon may perform a spinal fusion at the same time, which will increase your recovery time.
  • Nucleoplasty – This minimally invasive laser surgery uses radiofrequency energy to treat patients with lower back pain caused by a herniated disk. The surgeon inserts a needle into the disk, and then a plasma laser device is inserted into the needle, and the tip is heated. This creates a field that vaporizes the tissue in the disk, reducing its size and relieving nerve pressure.
  • Spinal fusion – This involves removing the spinal disk between two or more vertebrae, then fusing the adjacent vertebrae with bone grafts or metal devices and screws. Spinal fusion may result in loss of flexibility in the spine and requires a long recovery to allow the bone grafts to grow and fuse the vertebrae together.
  • Laminectomy – With this procedure, the surgeon removes parts of the bone, bone spurs, or ligaments in the back. While this relieves pressure on spinal nerves and can reduce pain, the procedure can make your spine less stable. If that occurs, you will likely need a spinal fusion as well. Doctors sometimes do the two procedures together.
  • Artificial disk replacement – An alternative to spinal fusion for those with seriously damaged disks, this involves removal of the disk and its replacement by a synthetic disk that helps restore height and movement between the vertebrae.
  • Interlaminar implant – In this surgery, the surgeon places a U-shaped device between two vertebrae in the lower back, which helps keep the space between them open and eases pressure on the spinal nerves. Unlike spinal fusion, the implant provides stability. However, you may not be able to bend backward as easily.

Chiropractic Manipulations Under Anesthesia

Spinal manipulation under anesthesia, also known as MUA, is a non-invasive procedure performed by a chiropractor intended to offer pain relief for those who have been helped by other forms of non-surgical care. MUA involves sedating the patient then breaking up internal scar tissue that is remaining from an injury or surgery. The goal is to restore movement while also reducing pain. MUA can be used to treat back and neck injuries, as well as the shoulders, joints, and muscle spasms.

The benefits of MUA include:

  • Breaks up scar tissue surrounding spinal joints that have been caused by injuries or prior surgeries.
  • Decreases or eliminates muscle spasms
  • Stretches shortened muscles, tendons, and ligaments to aid healing
  • Reduces pain from damaged intervertebral discs
  • Safer than surgery
  • Cost-effective
  • Covered by most insurance plans
  • Covered by most workers’ compensation

ICD-9-CM Codes for Back and Neck Injuries and Conditions

The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) is the official system of assigning codes to diagnoses and procedures in hospitals in the United States.

  • Disc herniation – 722.0
  • Disc degeneration – 722.4
  • Cervicalgia (Neck Pain) – 723.1
  • Closed fracture of vertebra without mention of spinal cord injury – 805.20-805.80
  • Closed fracture of vertebra with spinal cord injury – 806.20-806.90
  • Dislocation of cervical vertebra, unspecified, closed – 839.00 Dislocation of first cervical vertebra, closed – 839.01
  • Dislocation of second cervical vertebra, closed – 839.02 Dislocation of third cervical vertebra, closed – 839.03
  • Dislocation of fourth cervical vertebra, closed – 839.04
  • Dislocation of fifth cervical vertebra, closed – 839.05
  • Dislocation of sixth cervical vertebra, closed – 839.06 Dislocation of seventh cervical vertebra, closed – 839.07
  • Dislocation of multiple cervical vertebrae, closed – 839.08
  • Sprains and strains of neck – 847.0
  • Open wound of neck – 874.0
  • Injury of face and neck – 959.09

Back and Neck Injury Articles

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Gates, NY – Injuries Reported After Car Accident on Highway 31
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November 19, 2015
Reducing chronic back and leg pain with spinal cord stimulators
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September 29, 2014
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February 12, 2013
Back Injuries and What You and Your Attorney Should Know
By far, the most common injuries suffered by our clients are back injuries. In fact,…
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Contact a New York Back and Neck Injury Lawyer Today

If you have seriously injured your back, neck, or both in New York, Hach & Rose, LLP is ready to help you. Our skilled and compassionate lawyers will thoroughly investigate whatever accident caused your back or neck injury and determine whether you are entitled to compensation. Call us today at (212) 779-0057 or contact us online to schedule a free and confidential consultation.

Our Office:

Hach & Rose, LLP, 112 Madison Ave,

10th Floor, New York, NY 10016