Neck Injury

The primary causes of neck injuries are motor vehicle accidents and falls. Other causes of neck injury include pedestrian accidents, railroad accidents, bicycle accidents, work-related accidents, striking the bottom of a pool while diving, the use of defective products, and nursing home abuse.

Neck injuries vary widely in type and severity. Acceleration-deceleration injury, commonly referred to as whiplash, is the most common type of neck injury. Whiplash is a neck strain or sprain that most often occurs in motor vehicle accidents. Whiplash itself can range widely in severity. Other types of neck injury can involve nerve damage, ruptured ligaments, fractures of the vertebrae, disk damage, and spinal cord injuries, among others.

acceleration-deceleration injury (whiplash)
- hyperextension injury to the neck, often due to being struck from behind, as by a vehicle in a car accident. Muscles and ligaments may be stretched or torn as the head is initially rocked upward and backward, and again in a reflex action in which muscles contract to bring the head back forward to prevent excessive injury.
cervical fracture (broken neck)
- an injury to the vertebrae (spine) in the neck, usually due to high-energy trauma from a motor vehicle accident, fall, or sport injury. Injuries to the vertebrae can have serious consequences because the spinal cord runs through the center of the vertebrae.
spinal cord injury
- damage to the spinal cord resulting in loss of feeling (sensation) and muscular (motor) control. Injury to the spinal cord at the level of the cervical vertebrae can lead to temporary or permanent paralysis of the body from the neck down.
herniated disc (herniated nucleus pulposus)
- occurs when the annulus fibrosis (disk of a vertebra) cracks or breaks open, allowing release of the nucleus pulposus. Can lead to pinched nerves or cervical disc material to push on the spinal cord, which can be serious. Symptoms can resemble those of rotator cuff problems, gout, or carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Spinal cord compression symptoms may include stumbling or awkward gait, "shock" type or tingling feelings down the torso or into the legs, and difficulty with fine motor skills in the arms and hands.

It should be pointed out that if you encounter someone at the scene of an accident who you suspect may have suffered a neck injury, do not move him or her unless absolutely necessary (such as if caught in a burning or sinking vehicle). Moving someone with a neck injury could aggravate the injury or even cause death. Call for emergency help and, only if necessary, support the head and neck as you move the person as a single unit.

If you or a loved one has injured their neck as the result of someone else's negligence or wrongdoing, you may be entitled to much needed compensation.