What to Do After a Back, Neck, or Spine Injury in St. Louis, Missouri, and Illinois. Back, neck, and spine injuries can have a profound impact on one’s quality of life and can often lead to temporary or permanent disabilities. If someone else’s negligence or recklessness caused your back, neck or spine injury and you live in St. Louis, Missouri or Illinois, Burger Law will get you the full compensation that you deserve. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT to find out more.
There are immediate steps that are important to take if you have suffered or think you have suffered a back, neck, or spine injury.
1. Make Sure You Are Safe. Back, neck, and spine injuries often occur in traumatic incidents like motor vehicle accidents, muggings, or being shot by a stray bullet. Make sure you and the people you are with are safe where you are. If so, and you feel that you have suffered a back, neck, or spine injury, it is often best not to move as movement can often exacerbate the injury. This is especially true if you feel your movement is limited or are having trouble breathing.
2. Call 911 (if Necessary). After being in a motor vehicle accident, falling from a great height, being attacked, suffering a gunshot wound, or suffering another type of potentially catastrophic injury, it is important to seek emergency medical attention right away. If you have been in a car, truck, or motorcycle accident or someone attacked you, it is important to wait for the police to arrive so they can make a proper report. If you are injured by someone’s negligent or reckless behavior, having a police report of the incident is an important step in holding them responsible and getting you fully compensated. If you know of or suspect nursing home abuse or neglect, you should call the police and proper authorities.
With some more minor injuries or incidents, calling the police is not always necessary. If you are injured in a slip and fall and do not need emergency medical services, it is best to file a report with the property owner or manager. Just because you escaped with minor injuries does not mean someone is not liable for any damages you suffer.
3. Seek Medical Attention. If you find moving difficult, it is best to wait for emergency medical services. Even if you can move well and do not believe your injuries are serious, you should still seek medical treatment quickly, especially when dealing with back, neck and spine injuries. These types of injuries can have long-lasting effects that can jeopardize your quality of life or future earning potential. Adrenaline and post-accident endorphins might limit the pain you feel in the immediate aftermath of an incident. If you make an appointment with your regular doctor instead of going to urgent care, make sure you limit your movement and the amount of stress you put on your body. Avoid bending, lifting, or twisting. A cold compress can help reduce inflammation.
4. Begin Treatment and Recovery. Your doctor will recommend a treatment plan, and it is important to follow it so you can get back to living your normal life as quickly as possible. Treatment may include medication, physical therapy or surgery, and recovery could take anywhere from a few days to 6 months or more. In worst-case scenarios, a back, neck, or spine injury could lead to life-long, chronic pain. It could also be permanently debilitating, necessitating occupational therapy and adaptive devices such as wheelchairs or walkers. It is important to keep records of your medical bills, as you may be entitled to compensation for them.
5. Call Burger Law. If you suffered a back, neck, or spine injury because of someone’s negligent or reckless behavior, you are entitled to compensation. Burger Law’s back, neck and spine lawyers have over 70 years of combined experience standing up to insurance companies and big corporations. We will help you get compensated for medical bills, lost wages, lost future earning capacity, pain and suffering, mental anguish, or loss of enjoyment of life. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online to get full compensation.