Jackson & New Orleans Back, Neck & Spine Injury Lawyer
A fall from a ladder or scaffold, a slip in a liquid spill, or a trip over an obstruction in the workplace can cause a debilitating back, neck or spine injury. These injuries can severely limit your ability to perform any work or even complete the most basic tasks necessary for daily living. Some workers are left with chronic pain, while others face partial to complete paralysis. With the right care and treatment, many of the most severe consequences of a back, neck or spine injury can be avoided. It’s essential that you are properly evaluated and receive the care you need, along with wage replacement while you cannot work.
Employers and their insurance companies don’t want to hear about an expensive procedure or a lengthy recovery period. They’ll look instead for cheap fixes, or worse yet, they’ll say your injury isn’t work-related and therefore not compensable at all through workers’ compensation. It can be especially difficult to receive benefits when your injury or occupational disease developed over time rather than from a single, obvious, traumatic event. At the law firm of Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC, workers’ compensation is all we do. We know how to build a case that proves a back, neck or spine injury was caused or aggravated by a workplace accident or conditions on the job, and we’ll fight to see you get all the benefits you deserve after an injury on the job has laid you low. Call our Jackson & New Orleans back, neck & spine injury lawyers, we can help.
Back injuries on the job
Back injuries are the second most common workplace injury. This is due in part to the wide range of actions and activities that can cause back pain and disability, from one-time acts like lifting heavy equipment or a fall to long-term lifting, carrying, bending, etc. that strain the back muscles until an injury presents itself. Even sitting for prolonged periods every day can lead to back injury if the right precautions are not utilized, such as proper chairs, desks and office equipment and regular times for movement and stretching throughout the day. Common back injuries include:
- Lower back strain (lumbar injuries)
- Cervical disc herniation, a.k.a. slipped discs or bulging discs
- Vertebral fractures
- Pinched nerves
- Inflammation of muscles and ligaments in the back
Minor back injuries may take several weeks to heal and require a range of therapies, including prescription medication, massage and chiropractic treatment. Surgery may be called for in more severe cases.
Workplace neck and spine injuries
Neck and spine injuries can be challenging injuries to diagnose and treat appropriately, particularly if they are the result of repetitive stress and not a single traumatic event such as a slip, trip or fall. As bad as it sounds, a broken neck or broken spine may be the least severe type of injury that can occur to this delicate area of the body. Broken bones can be stabilized and heal over time, although vertebral fractures are among some of the most difficult breaks to deal with and can cause serious complications. The worse injuries in the neck and spine are those that impinge on the nerves in the spinal cord. If spinal nerves are bruised, cut or severed, the worker is likely to suffer from some form of partial to complete paralysis, including paraplegia or quadriplegia. The higher up on the spine the injury, the more comprehensive and severe it will be. Neck injuries, in that regard, can even be fatal if not dealt with promptly and correctly.
Insurance Companies Fight Back, Neck & Spine Claims. Our Workers’ Comp Lawyers Fight Back.
Insurance carriers love to dispute the fact that neck and back injuries happened on the job. They’ll insist the damage is due to a degenerative disease or pre-existing condition, and they’ll force you to undergo exam after exam to get the medical opinion they need. You need an attorney in your corner to navigate the complicated workers’ comp system on your behalf and get you the benefits you are entitled to.
In Mississippi and Louisiana, call Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC for a free consultation regarding workers’ compensation for a back, neck or spine injury. Call our Jackson office at 601-488-3975, or reach us in New Orleans at 504-788-2994.
