Several types of injuries can happen as a result of an auto accident. Commonly, those injuries are in the neck and back. They range from mild neck pain to herniated discs to serious head trauma. These violent collisions can be debilitating and are too often life-threatening.
Today we’ll go over some of the most common injuries after an auto accident and the steps to take to ensure your rights are met.
When an auto collision takes place, the neck and back usually bear the brunt of the encounter. This is based on how we’re sitting, airbags, seatbelts, and whether we tense up. If you are in a collision, you may not know the damage that’s been done immediately. Often, adrenaline kicks in, and the pain goes undetected for hours or even days. Seek medical attention as soon as you can after a vehicle accident.
You may experience any of the following:
The part of the spine that starts in the neck is called your cervical spine, and it consists of vertebrae that protect the spinal cord. These vertebrae are essential to the spine’s structure, supporting its integrity and the neck’s important range of motion. For a relatively small area of the body, it’s pretty powerful.
However, the forceful impact of a collision can harm the area significantly, breaking vulnerable neck bones (vertebrae), called a cervical fracture. The break can lead to surgery, rehabilitation, neck brace, hospital care, traction, physical therapy, permanent injury, and more.
The spine is made up of several discs with a soft cushioning inside them; when the back or neck is jerked or sustains a violent blow or impact, excessive pressure on the discs can push the soft cushioning outside it’s intended enclosure, known as disc herniation.
While that alone does not cause pain, when the cushioning hits the nerves around the spine, pain is the result; it can be sharp and shooting or dull and chronic. Sometimes a chiropractor can non-invasively get the spine back into its proper balance; other times, surgery is necessary. Both can lead to rehabilitation, several doctor’s visits, and prescription medication for the pain.
Quick, sudden impacts from behind can cause the neck to thrust forward and back abruptly; the movement stretches ligaments and muscles in the neck to an unnatural state and can cause neck sprain or whiplash. The result is often:
Sometimes, the pain spreads to the shoulders and down the back, which may be due to the over-compensation of other muscles, joints, and ligaments unintended to support the body in its injured state. Treatments come in the form of pain medication, neck brace, rehabilitation, and physical therapy in most cases.
As you can imagine, this is a severe, life-altering, excruciating injury. A broken back requires immediate attention, and the patient may be in the hospital for weeks or months. Rehabilitation will be needed, and depending on how significant the spine is injured, damage can be permanent.
After your collision, it’s imperative to see a medical doctor as soon as possible. Even if you aren’t in pain, or in “much” pain, these types of accidents often see a rise in pain as time goes on.
Not only will a visit with a doctor tell you the true severity of your injuries, but should you need to pursue legal action, having your injury documented will help your case dramatically. If insurance needs to be involved, it’s important that they also know how the event took place and how you were impacted.
Seeking the advice of a North Denver car accident attorney should be the next step after your medical needs are met. Here’s why:
Your injury has probably kept you from work, whether for a couple of days or months or the foreseeable future. A personal injury lawyer can help get you the financial income you lost and will lose while recovering from your injuries, even if you can never work again.
Your insurance may cover it, but if the accident wasn’t your fault, they shouldn’t have to. A skilled attorney will submit your medical bills, insurance increases, and all financial documents pertaining to your injury to the court to get them paid or reimbursed.
You may have lost your car, items in your car, or even items on your body due to the auto collision. It is not your responsibility to pay for those things to be fixed or pay for new items. Let a personal injury attorney get you the compensation you’re entitled to.
While the accident’s monetary portion is more easily accounted for, the pain and suffering portion takes some experience and legal knowledge to prove. Our team knows how to fight for all you lost in your accident and hold all parties accountable for their negligence.
If you’re wondering whether a caring, experienced personal injury lawyer is going to truly help with the backlash of your auto accident, the answer is yes. The attorneys at Hull and Zimmerman want to support you on your road to recovery. Let us take over the legalities so you can focus on your rehabilitation.
Proudly serving North Denver, Northglenn, Westminster, Thornton, Commerce City, Arvada, and Broomfield.
At Hull & Zimmerman, P.C., we are honored to help accident victims in their time of need, and take our responsibility as personal injury lawyers incredibly seriously. We know how important it is for victims to secure the full and fair compensation they need following a serious accident, and that is why we take a hands-on, personalized approach to every case we handle.
awarded to a woman who was a victim of a car crash. The woman was driving the highway when the other driver approaching from the opposite direction lost control of his vehicle, crossed the center line and hit her head on. She suffered multiple broken bones, including her hip, pelvis, leg, and right arm. She missed several years of work as a result of her injuries. Read More
awarded to a woman who was the victim of a t-bone car crash. The client suffered multiple injuries. The most significant of which was a head injury. While she was ultimately able to return to work on a part-time basis, Plaintiff was never able to return to work on a full-time basis. Read More
settlement awarded to a lady who suffered a head injury. She slipped and fell in a slanted parking lot at her place of employment. Evidence demonstrated that the owner of the building had constructed a fence shading the parking lot such that ice was allowed to continuously accumulate during the winter months. Multiple people had fallen on the ice prior to the client’s fall. As a result of her injuries, Plaintiff was forced to take early retirement. Read More
awarded to a man whose vehicle was hit from behind by a semi. The injured party suffered back pain and rotator cuff tears in each shoulder and was forced to retire from his job doing road repair four years earlier. Read More
settlement (policy limits) awarded to a young man who lost his eye when another child shot an arrow into the air. Read More
settlement obtained for a man who was injured in a rear end automobile accident. He suffered a herniated disc in his low back which was not well resolved by surgery forcing him to leave his employment as an apartment maintenance manager. Read More
awarded to a gentleman in association with a workman’s compensation case. He initially sustained a head injury at work when attacked by a patient. Several years later, his condition worsened resulting in his inability to return to work in his usual job. Read More
settlement achieved in a legal malpractice case. The client initially suffered a herniated disc in her neck in association with an automobile accident. The attorney failed to file the lawsuit in a timely manner and the Plaintiff was initially denied her ability to achieve any monies from the original lawsuit. Read More
settlement awarded to a man who was a victim of an automobile accident. Plaintiff was a passenger who was rear-ended by another driver. Following the accident, he suffered a long term back injury. Read More
settlement awarded to a lady who aggravated a pre-existing back condition when she slipped and fell at the entrance to a casino. Read More
awarded to a woman who suffered a rotator cuff tear from an automobile accident. Read More
$1,250,000.00 –awarded to a woman who was a victim of a car crash. The woman was driving the highway when the other driver approaching from the opposite direction lost control of his vehicle, crossed the center line and hit her head on. She suffered multiple broken bones, including her hip, pelvis, leg, and right arm. She missed several years of work as a result of her injuries.
$1,200.000.00 –awarded to a woman who was the victim of a t-bone car crash. The client suffered multiple injuries. The most significant of which was a head injury. While she was ultimately able to return to work on a part-time basis, Plaintiff was never able to return to work on a full-time basis.
$450,000.00 –settlement awarded to a lady who suffered a head injury. She slipped and fell in a slanted parking lot at her place of employment. Evidence demonstrated that the owner of the building had constructed a fence shading the parking lot such that ice was allowed to continuously accumulate during the winter months. Multiple people had fallen on the ice prior to the client’s fall. As a result of her injuries, Plaintiff was forced to take early retirement.
$425,000 –awarded to a man whose vehicle was hit from behind by a semi. The injured party suffered back pain and rotator cuff tears in each shoulder and was forced to retire from his job doing road repair four years earlier.
$300,000.00 –settlement (policy limits) awarded to a young man who lost his eye when another child shot an arrow into the air.
$300,000.00 –settlement obtained for a man who was injured in a rear end automobile accident. He suffered a herniated disc in his low back which was not well resolved by surgery forcing him to leave his employment as an apartment maintenance manager.
$250,000.00 –awarded to a gentleman in association with a workman’s compensation case. He initially sustained a head injury at work when attacked by a patient. Several years later, his condition worsened resulting in his inability to return to work in his usual job.
$250,000.00 –settlement achieved in a legal malpractice case. The client initially suffered a herniated disc in her neck in association with an automobile accident. The attorney failed to file the lawsuit in a timely manner and the Plaintiff was initially denied her ability to achieve any monies from the original lawsuit.
$150,000.00 –settlement awarded to a man who was a victim of an automobile accident. Plaintiff was a passenger who was rear-ended by another driver. Following the accident, he suffered a long term back injury.
$125,000.00 –settlement awarded to a lady who aggravated a pre-existing back condition when she slipped and fell at the entrance to a casino.
$75,000.00 –awarded to a woman who suffered a rotator cuff tear from an automobile accident.
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to talk to. They made my experience very comfortable through my whole journey.
My heartfelt gratitude goes out to the whole staff at Hull & Zimmerman. Thank
you
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– R. Hamilton
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would just like to send a “thank you” to you and your staff. You have been the
most professional and efficient law office if have ever dealt with. I will
continue to tell people about the wonderful job you have done for me and my
family. Mr. Zimmerman you are the most professional lawyer and I truly
appreciate all you have done. Again Thank you
– D. Hassoun
would
just like to send a “thank you” to you and your staff. You have been the most
professional and efficient law office if have ever dealt with. I will continue
to tell people about the wonderful job you have done for me and my family. Mr.
Zimmerman you are the most professional lawyer and I truly appreciate all you
have done. Again Thank you.
– Jason B.
I was
injured in a fall and the nightmare began. I found Mike Zimmerman on the
internet, read his background history and contacted his office. The Office Staff
was wonderful, patient, and helpful, even though I was probably a pain to them.
Mike is a no nonsense kind of guy. He will tell you exactly what he feels about
your case and will not sugar coat it. You will know exactly what to expect and I
appreciated the honesty! I would recommend Mike to anyone who has their life
spinning out of control because of an accident. He help me get my life back.
– Mary T.
Working through divorce and custody issues is an extremely difficult and
emotionally trying experience. Mike Zimmerman represented my interest in a
highly professional manner and protected my rights as a parent at a level that
exceeded my highest expectations. This firm’s expertise, ability and
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issues I encounter in the future.
– Michael D.
We
came across mike Zimmerman when we were involved in an accident awhile back, we
had been negotiating with the insurance company for some time and getting
nowhere with a settlement. Never knowing Mike Zimmerman when we had gone and
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lawyer, and advised us every step of the way. His associates were very
professional and office personnel was very friendly also. Mike got almost double
the settlement we were expecting and we just were very satisfied and would
highly recommend him to anyone that needs a good honest lawyer.
– Clarencec & Joy W.
We
were hit by an uninsured driver in 2006 and my husband was unable to work for
some time. Initially our own insurance really didn’t want to help us. On the
recommendation of a friend, we contacted Mr. Z and with his advice, suggestions
and hard work, we were able to get the what we needed from our insurance to help
us with our bills and medical costs. His staff was very patient with us as well
and was always available to reassure us and to answer our questions. We hope
nothing like this ever happens again, but if it was to happen, we would contact
Mr Zimmerman in a heart beat.
– G. & B O.
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thought we made a bad choice. Also, the first time I called, I talked to
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– D. & S. Bratrovsky
Exceeded expectations!
– T. Thiel
I
liked the fact that I was kept up to date throughout the process. When the
accident first happened, Rick went to bat for me right away to make sure that I
was compensated for my loss of transportation. The end result in my case
exceeded my expectations and I was very pleased.
– D. Hughley
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appreciated the effort Rick Hull presented during the difficulties that occurred
throughout the settlement and following. I felt completely at ease during the
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– Michele Wolf
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appreciated the fact that Rick Hull always explained everything to me. No matter
how insignificant I thought the question was, he encouraged me to ask and was
very patient when I didn’t understand some aspect of the legal procedures. I
also appreciated the fact that Rick was a real person, he wasn’t stiff or
unapproachable. He was easy to talk to, to understand, and get along with. In
addition, he explained certain aspects of Colorado law thoroughly to me so that
I could make an informed decision that best suited my needs.
8:00 am
November 16th, 2020