Personal injury advice from
Thompsons Solicitors
Neck Injury Claims
If you have suffered a neck injury in an accident caused by the negligence of someone else, you may be entitled to make a compensation claim. Our expert personal injury lawyers can provide you with cost free injury claim advice.
Contact The Legal Line on 0800 0328511, or by completing a claim enquiry form online. You keep 100% of your compensation. We will not charge you a penny in legal fees.
Neck Injuries
Symptoms of a Neck Injury
Whiplash Neck Injuries
Neck Injury Prevention and Treatment
Making a Neck Injury Claim
Neck Injury Compensation
Previous Neck Injury Claims
Neck Injuries
Because the neck is an area that has a lot of mobility, it is not especially stable or well protected and can therefore be vulnerable to injury. Neck injuries can occur in a number of ways. Perhaps the most common cause is road accidents, however sports accidents, accidents at work and slips, trips and falls are also often to blame.
At The Legal Line we regularly help people who have sustained a neck injury as the result of a car accident, lifting accident or fall from a height, but these injuries can result from almost any type of accident. The main types of neck injury are:
• Neck Fractures
• Neck Dislocation
• Nerve Damage
• Muscle Injuries
• Ligament Injuries
• Neck Wounds
• Penetrating Neck Injuries
• Herniated / Slipped Discs
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Bruising to the Neck
A minor neck injury may only give rise to mild discomfort for a few days. At the other end of the scale however, very serious neck injuries involving fractures or spinal cord damage can result in permanent disability, paralysis or even death.
The neck contains vital structures such as the spinal cord and major blood vessels, so it is important to take any neck injury seriously and treat it with caution and care. If you are involved in an accident and you believe you have sustained a neck injury, you should always seek medical attention as a matter of urgency.
Neck injury claims can be complicated and it is important that they are thoroughly investigated and dealt with by a specialist injury lawyer. Our lawyers have extensive experience in all areas of personal injury and we also have a dedicated Serious Injury Unit that has assisted the victims of catastrophic injuries for many years.
Symptoms of a Neck Injury
If you have suffered a neck injury, you may experience some of the following symptoms:
• Pain
• Stiffness
• Swelling/inflammation
• Pins and needles/tingling
• Burning sensation
• Restricted movement
• Loss of feeling
• Paralysis
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Nausea
• Numbness or weakness
The symptoms of a neck injury are not always immediate, as shock and trauma after an accident can mask the pain and also some injuries are such that pain and discomfort develops slowly over the hours or even days following an accident.
If there is severe pain, heavy bleeding, breathing difficulty, vomiting, loss of sensation or movement, immediate medical attention is necessary and the injured person should not be moved unless absolutely necessary.
Whiplash Neck Injuries
Whiplash injuries are caused by sudden forced movement of the neck, when the head is forced suddenly backwards, forwards or sideways. It is a common neck injury sustained in road accidents, particularly those where one vehicle is hit in the rear by another, but can occur in other circumstances, for example when there is a violent blow to the head.
It is a common misconception that whiplash injuries are always minor. Although this is true in many cases and sufferers will recover fully within weeks or months, severe whiplash can be a long term or even permanent problem.
Neck Injury Prevention and Treatment
It is important to recognise activities that carry a higher risk of neck injury and try to prevent accidents wherever possible.
An example is that employers need to ensure that they carry out risk assessments for all tasks and implement health and safety measures to protect their employees from harm. This may include the use of personal protective equipment or the provision of manual handling training. Drivers, cyclists, motorcyclists, passengers and pedestrians should also take care when using the road and use protective equipment and restraints where possible.
The treatment for a neck injury depends upon the nature of the damage sustained. For mild strains and bruising, the usual advice would be to avoid strenuous activity, gently move the affected area, apply warm and/or cold compresses and use painkillers or anti-inflammatory medication as necessary.
Moderate injuries may require a period of rest, medication and some physiotherapy or other treatments such as cortisone injections to aid recovery or manage symptoms.
When the damage is greater, say, in the case of spinal fractures, it may be necessary to completely immobilise the injury or carry out an operation. This would usually be followed by a period of rehabilitation and physical therapy.
Making a Neck Injury Claim
In every neck injury claim medical evidence will be required and, it is necessary to show that the person you are making a claim against owed you a duty of care, that they breached that duty of care (were negligent), and that the injury you sustained was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of that negligence.
It is important to seek the advice and assistance of a specialist personal injury lawyer with extensive experience in recovering compensation for victims of neck injuries. They can collate and prepare all of the necessary evidence to put forward the claim and deal with the matter on your behalf to achieve the best possible outcome.
You should try to record as much information as possible about the accident and your injuries, including details of any medical treatment that you have received. Remember to keep receipts for any injury related costs and expenses, as these may be useful in your claim.
Neck Injury Compensation
There are two elements to a neck injury compensation award. The first, called general damages, is for the pain and suffering you may have gone through and any loss of amenity (perhaps an inability to wash your car, look after your garden, go shopping). The award for loss of amenity can be for a short period after an accident or for ever if that is what the medical evidence supports.
The second element of a compensation award, for your losses and expenses, (known as special damages) aims to put you back in a position financially as if the accident had never occurred. It is important to keep receipts for any expenditure you have related to your neck injury so that these can be reclaimed.
In serious cases, where a person is no longer able to continue their employment, this can be taken into account. Costs for care, equipment, wheelchairs, pain management treatment and physiotherapy, medications and painkillers, transport and housing modifications can also affect the calculations. If the person is still able to work but not in the same role as before, particularly if they held a public service role such as a doctor or police officer, an extra amount may be awarded for loss of ‘congenial employment’. A court can also make a financial award to recognise that an injured worker's prospects on the open labour market may be limited.
Previous Neck Injury Claims
Follow the links below to read details of some of the many neck injury compensation claims handled by our lawyers on behalf of accident victims:
Council Worker Receives Damages for Neck Injury
Low Speed Road Accident Causes Personal Injury
Compensation for Exacerbation of Neck Condition Caused by Office Chair
Compensation for Nurse Assaulted by Mentally Ill Patient
Compensation Awarded to Victim of Car Accident on Dual Carriageway
Compensation for Road Accident Victim Suffering from Whiplash
Office Worker Awarded Damages for Tripping Accident
Bus Passenger Suffers Personal Injury Due to Driver Error
Baggage Handler Injured in Accident at Work Receives Damages
Back Injury at Work Caused by Faulty Tail Lift
Paramedic Awarded Compensation for Injury at Work
Our Lawyers Recover Compensation for Road Accident Victim
Employee Injured at Work by Falling Object
Compensation for Employee Injured by Electric Shock at Work
Compensation for Whiplash Injury in Road Accident Claim
Cycling Accident Caused by Defect in the Road
Compensation Claim for Man Injured in Motorway Accident
Personal Injury Claim for Motorway Accident Victim
£135,000 Compensation for Paramedic Injured at Work
Increased Compensation for Road Accident Victim
Compensation Claim for Head Injury Caused by Falling Pallet
Damages Recovered for Employee’s Neck Injury at Work
Personal Injury Claim for Fall Down Manhole
Further articles can be found in our personal injury news and success stories sections.
Contact us
Testimonials
"It wasn't realistic for me to work any more and the loss of my income placed an additional strain on us."
Jane Evans
Mother of Rebecca
Personal Injury News
