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Back and Neck Injuries Lawyers

Back and Neck Injuries Lawyers

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Back and Neck Injuries Lawyers

Every year, over 800,000 cases of car crashes involving neck and back injuries are reported in the United States. Though back and neck injuries are the most common injuries associated with car accidents, their impact on the lives of the victims should not be understated. Neck and back injuries often cause chronic pain requiring ongoing medical treatment and sometimes lead to permanent disability. Whether these injuries stem from a motor vehicle crash, construction accident, a bad fall, or a criminal attack, our experienced and reputable back and neck injuries lawyers are more than happy and prepared to take on these complex cases to ensure you get the compensation that you deserve.

At Bobe & Snell Law Office LLC, we understand the way a neck or back injury can place major financial and emotional burdens on both the injured and their loved ones. The toll of neck and back injuries adds up quickly, forcing family members to carry the burden of arranging medical care, physical therapy appointments, and managing medical expenses all at once.

While it may be possible to settle a case for a substantial sum in the early stages, we also recognize the importance of being well prepared for trial. Some insurance companies will attempt to take advantage of a victim’s desperation to cover medical bills and other expenses, so they make a low-ball offer right away. But by accepting any money upfront, you may be forfeiting your right later to collect the total compensation you are due.

In some cases, there are going to be multiple defendants, and it is important to timely identify all potentially negligent parties and file timely action against them. Each case is going to differ, and the more extensive the injuries, the more important it is to seek top-notch legal representation.

Remember, back, neck, and spinal cord injuries can leave individuals unable to work or, in some cases, confined to a wheelchair or even a bed for the rest of their lives. Trauma to the neck, back, or spinal cord can result in a severe injury with disabling and sometimes permanent damage. Therefore, when it comes to these kinds of catastrophic injuries, victims should seek the assistance of a reputable law firm with a highly skilled and experienced legal team.

Seek Proper and Immediate Medical Attention

Any time you’re injured it’s a terrifying and concerning experience, however, when that injury involves the spine in any way, it can be life-altering. Back and neck injuries are often very serious and can require more treatment and rehabilitation than many other injuries.

A back and neck injury can cause excruciating pain and be extremely detrimental to physical and mental well-being. In addition, back and neck injuries can have a cascading effect, causing pain throughout the entire body and hampering mobility to extreme levels.

The neck and back are crucial to protecting the spinal cord, the fragile set of nerves that send signals between the brain and all other areas of the body. A back and neck injury can damage the spinal cord, leading to life-altering conditions, including chronic pain and even paralysis.

When the back or neck is injured, there is a chance that the spine and spinal cord will be damaged. Without proper and immediate treatment, a neck or back injury can cause debilitating, long-term pain and discomfort.

When a neck or back injury occurs, it is critical to understand that any damage to the spinal cord can be devastating. The long-term effects of a neck or back injury might not be readily apparent, and it’s essential to ensure that the injured person’s interests are protected.

Choosing an attorney with vast experience handling cases of back and neck injuries will ensure that your case gets the attention and expert representation it deserves.

So, if you or a loved one have suffered a back or neck injury, it’s critically important to seek legal representation from a back and neck injuries attorney who can skillfully navigate your case, as well as approach the attorney-client relationship with care and sensitivity.

Our back and neck injury lawyers are here to help you and therefore, you just need to schedule a FREE CASE REVIEW and CONSULTATION to get started.

Common Symptoms

Often, there is more to a back and neck injury than minor back and neck pain. The nerves of the spinal cord affect every part and function of your body. Therefore, back and neck injuries that affect the spinal cord often impact various bodily functions.

Sometimes, a severe back or neck injury may fail to heal fully, leaving the victim with a chronic pain condition.

Common back and neck injury symptoms include:

  • Chronic pain in the back or neck that worsens after long periods of standing, sitting, bending, walking, or lifting
  • Decreased range of movement and mobility
  • Excessive stiffness in the back and neck
  • A pulsating pain through the arms, legs, or hands
  • Dizziness and balance issues
  • Loss of bowel or bladder function
  • Headaches
  • Depression, irritability, or fatigue
  • Difficulty with concentration or remembering things
  • Difficulty sleeping

It is vital to have a back or neck injury properly diagnosed and receive proper immediate treatment as quickly as possible. When a damaged spine doesn’t receive the proper treatment, isn’t given enough time, or doesn’t heal properly chronic back and neck pain can worsen and significantly reduce an individual’s quality of life.

Data from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons show that lower back and neck pain are the most common physical conditions that impair a person’s ability to manage life’s daily activities.

Back pain is the primary cause of disability in the United States and one of the most common reasons people seek medical attention.

Thankfully, we have a team of back and neck injuries lawyers who are committed to helping victims of back and neck injuries due to someone else’s negligence get justice and compensation to help ease the emotional and financial burden on their shoulders.

You can count on us to do our best and fight for you to ensure you recover your damages and get your life back on track.

Common Types of Neck Injuries

The neck is a complex and sensitive part of the body, consisting of seven bones, or vertebrae, which form the upper portion of the spinal cord. These bones, which protect the nerves in the spinal cord, are themselves cushioned and protected by soft tissue like muscles, ligaments, and tendons.

Due to the fragility of the neck, it is important to seek immediate medical attention after sustaining even a seemingly minor neck injury. Some of the most common injuries to the neck include:

  • Whiplash Injuries – Usually caused by the sudden impact of a motor vehicle accident, whiplash occurs when an accident victim’s head is forcefully thrown backward and then forward in a snapping motion, well beyond the normal range of motion.
  • Neck Fractures – Neck fractures are diagnosed following an x-ray and can lead to difficulty or inability in moving your arms and legs.
  • Neck Sprains – Neck sprains, also called cervical spine sprains, can cause significant neck pain when moving or rotating the head or neck.

Common Types of Back Injuries

Back injuries vary widely; depending on the type of injury, the accident victim may experience sharp and cutting pain or aching and soreness. As with neck injuries, back injury victims may have difficulty walking or moving their arms and legs.

Some of the most common injuries to the back include:

  • Spinal Cord Injuries – Serious injuries to the vertebrae, discs, or ligaments in the spinal column or to the spinal cord itself (including thoracic spine fractures) can cause permanent changes in strength, mobility, and sensation.
  • Bulging Discs/Herniated Discs – A bulging or herniated disc is a condition that more commonly occurs in the lower back, in which the softer part of a spinal disc pushes through its tougher exterior, causing significant lower back pain.
  • Soft Tissue Injuries – Injuries to muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the back may occur as a result of sudden trauma, such as an auto accident.

Causes of Common Neck and Back Injuries 

Many back and neck injuries are caused by the negligence or recklessness of others. In these cases, you deserve to be compensated for your injuries by the negligent parties.

Our back and neck injuries lawyers are here to help you seek compensation for your injuries, whether by filing a claim or lawsuit and representing you in a trial. We are ready to help you build a strong and compelling case against the relevant negligent party or parties to ensure you recover the damages due to your injuries.

Some of the most common causes of these injuries include:

  • Slip & Fall Accidents
  • Car Accidents
  • Truck Accidents
  • Motorcycle Accidents
  • Pedestrian Accidents

Proving Your Back and Neck Injury Case

To seek compensation for a back or neck injury, you must be able to prove:

  • The other party or parties had a duty to you
  • The other party or parties violated that duty
  • You suffered injuries because of that violation
  • The injuries caused you to sustain measurable damages

A significant part of this is demonstrating the severity of your injuries. Getting prompt medical care is essential, as it documents the severity of your injuries immediately after the accident. You must attend all scheduled and recommended appointments. Your medical records are an important piece of evidence.

You might also want to keep a personal injury journal. Pain is subjective, but a journal allows you to outline how your injuries have impacted your life. A personal injury journal describes your pain level each day and details how your injuries limit your daily activities.

Contact Us To Get Started

If you or a loved one has suffered a back or neck injury, contact the back and neck injuries lawyers at Bobe & Snell Law Office LLC today to discuss your case. 

Keep in mind that states have a statute of limitations that specifies the timeline within which one must file personal injury claims and lawsuits. Therefore, you should act quickly to consult an experienced and reputable Back and Neck Injuries Lawyers on how to proceed with your case as you seek compensation.

Back and Neck Injuries Lawyers

Contact us now at (470) 268-5802 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a FREE, no-obligation case review/consultation.

 

Back and Neck Injuries LawyersBack and Neck Injuries Lawyers

Head and Brain Injury Attorneys

Head and Brain Injury Attorneys

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Head and Brain Injury Attorneys

If you have suffered a head injury on the job and are preparing to file a workers’ compensation claim, you probably have a lot of questions about what to expect during the process. Do all workers’ comp cases end in a settlement? How often do workers’ comp cases go to trial? Our team of head and brain injury attorneys Atlanta at Bobe & Snell Law Office LLC is ready and more than happy to answer all of your questions meticulously and comprehensively. Furthermore, we will help you navigate the Georgia workers’ compensation process while ensuring that you get everything right from the onset until you get the compensation that you deserve.

Do All Workers’ Comp Cases End in a Settlement?

Most workers’ compensation cases end in settlement, with the injured worker accepting one lump sum of money. The settlement amount is intended to cover the cost of past and future medical care relating to the injury, partial or total disability, or temporary or permanent disability.

How Often Do Workers’ Comp Cases Go to Trial?

Approximately 5% of workers’ comp cases go to trial. If you are unsatisfied with the settlement amount you were offered or your employer’s workers’ comp insurance company has denied your claim, your attorney would take your case to trial.

What Factors Affect the Odds of Winning a Workers’ Comp Case?

There are several factors that can help to increase your odds of winning a workers’ comp case, including:

  • Don’t Delay Reporting Your Claim: Following an injury on the job, you should report it to your employer as soon as possible without delay.
  • Seek Prompt Medical Treatment: Don’t delay seeing a doctor to have your head injury treated. While there, be sure to explain that the injury happened at work. Follow your doctor’s exact recommendations, be it physical therapy, resting the injured body part, etc.
  • Hire an Experienced Workers’ Comp Attorney: It is not technically a requirement to have an attorney with you at your hearing, but it is strongly recommended for success. Your hearing is the time to convince the judge that you are entitled to workers’ comp benefits, so you will want to have someone advocating for you who can make strong legal arguments and present solid evidence.

Settling a Workers’ Comp Claim Out of Court

Taking a workers’ compensation case to trial can put you through a lot of stress — on top of the stress you have already experienced as a result of your injury. Thankfully, as we noted above, most cases can be settled outside of court. Here is some more information on the process of settling a workers’ comp claim:

  • The typical way to start settlement negotiations is to have your attorney present the insurance company with a settlement demand. The insurance company will either accept the demand, reject it, or respond with a new offer. Settlement negotiations will continue until you reach an amount you feel is fair.
  • The settlement amount you are offered will depend on several factors, including but not limited to: your medical records, your job duties, and the circumstances of your injury.
  • Once you have agreed to a settlement amount from the insurance company, it needs to be sent to the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation, where an arbitrator will review the settlement contract to determine whether it is reasonable and free of error.

Should I Hire a Workers’ Comp Attorney, or Can I Handle My Own Case?

If you have suffered a work-related head injury or illness, you may be wondering whether to hire a workers’ compensation attorney. The answer depends on the severity of your head injury, the overall complexity of your case, and the actions of your employer (or its insurance company).

Learn about which work-related injuries you can probably deal with on your own—and the severe situations – such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) – when you will need help from Atlanta head and brain injury attorneys to get the benefits you deserve.

When You Can Probably Represent Yourself

Generally, you may be able to get by without an attorney if all of the following statements are true:

  • You suffered a minor workplace injury, such as a twisted ankle or a cut requiring a few stitches.
  • Your employer admits that the injury happened at work.
  • You missed little or no work due to your injury.
  • You don’t have a pre-existing condition that affects the same part of your body as the recent workplace injury (such as an old back injury from a car accident that was there before you slipped and hurt your back on the job).

Even in these relatively uncomplicated situations, it is often a good idea to consult a workers’ compensation attorney about your case. The lawyer can walk you through the process, alert you to potential pitfalls, and give you an honest appraisal of whether you can handle the case on your own.

When to Hire a Lawyer

The moment any complexity arises in your case is the moment you should hire an attorney. Here are some examples of situations that call for a lawyer’s intervention:

  • Your employer denies your claim or doesn’t pay your benefits promptly. Employers and workers’ comp insurers routinely reject bona fide workers’ comp claims, confident that many workers will fail to appeal. Unfortunately, they are usually correct. Hiring a workers’ comp attorney costs nothing upfront, and it gives you the best chance to receive a fair settlement or award for your injuries.
  • Your employer’s settlement offer doesn’t cover all your lost wages or medical bills. If you are not sure a settlement offer is good enough, don’t rely on the workers’ compensation judge to make sure that you are getting a fair deal. Although workers’ comp settlements must have judicial approval, judges will usually sign off on any agreement as long as it is not grossly unfair. If you really want someone to get you the best settlement possible, have an attorney by your side.
  • Your medical issues prevent you from returning to your prior job, limit what you can do at work, or keep you from performing any work at all. If you have suffered permanent disability—whether partial or total—you may be entitled to weekly payments (or a single lump sum) to make up for your lost wages. These cases can be very expensive for insurance companies, and they will often stop at nothing to avoid paying you what you deserve. The knowledge, experience, and expertise of Atlanta head and brain injury attorneys are indispensable in cases involving permanent injuries or illness.
  • Your boss retaliates against you for filing a workers’ comp claim. If your employer has fired you, demoted you, reduced your pay, slashed your hours, or engaged in any other form of discrimination because you filed a workers’ comp claim, you should contact a workers’ comp attorney immediately to protect your legal rights.
  • You receive or plan to apply for Social Security disability benefits. If your settlement isn’t structured properly, your workers’ comp benefits could significantly lower Social Security disability payments. An experienced attorney will understand how to draft your settlement agreement to minimize or eliminate this offset.
  • You were injured because of a third party’s actions or your employer’s serious misconduct conduct. The workers’ comp system was designed to prevent civil lawsuits for work-related injuries. However, you are permitted to sue outside workers’ comp in certain situations, including when someone other than your employer contributed to your injury (such as a negligent driver who hit you while you were driving for work), your employer doesn’t have workers’ comp insurance, or your employer intentionally caused your injury. An experienced workplace injury lawyer will be able to explain how the law applies to your situation.

What Your Attorney Will Do for You

In addition to making sure you file all the necessary forms and meet the deadlines, an experienced attorney will know how to gather the evidence needed to support your case, negotiate effectively with the insurance company, and write a settlement agreement to avoid unanticipated consequences.

If you can’t agree on a good settlement, your attorney can prepare for and represent you at the hearing or trial.

Tilting the Scales in Your Favor!

The workers’ compensation system may have been intended to provide prompt and fair compensation to injured workers. But now, it seems to work mostly for the benefit of employers and insurers.

Moreover, insurance companies have teams of highly trained workers’ comp lawyers on their side. Hiring a seasoned workers’ comp attorney will go a long way toward tilting the scales in your favor. And because of the way workers’ comp attorneys charge for their services, your lawyer will only receive a limited percentage of what you win.

If you are in any doubt about your ability to handle your claim yourself, don’t hesitate to call our workers’ comp attorney for a free consultation. Whether your workers’ comp case is brought to trial or settled through negotiation, you can count on the head and brain injury attorneys at Bobe & Snell Law Office LLC to look out for your best interests ardently.

Head and Brain Injury Attorneys

Just like the many clients we have helped get a favorable settlement or verdict over our years in practice, we want to see you get the benefits you deserve. Call us now at (470) 268-5802 or contact us online today to get started with a FREE, no-obligation consultation/case review.

Head and Brain Injury Attorneys

Head and Brain Injury Attorneys

Tips for Getting the Best Personal Injury Settlement

Tips for Getting the Best Personal Injury Settlement

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In putting together your personal injury settlement demand letter, you figured out a range of what you believe your claim is worth. You decide on a minimum settlement figure you would accept within that range before you speak to an insurance adjuster about your demand. Call us today at (470) 268-5802 we have a team of Atlanta head and brain injuries lawyers who can help you file a personal injury or workers’ comp claim.

Emphasize Emotional Points in Your Favor

Emphasize Emotional Points in Your Favor

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During negotiations, mention any emotional points supporting your claim. For instance, if you have sent the adjuster a particularly strong photo of a severe-looking injury or a smashed car, refer to it. Contact Bobe & Snell Law Office LLC, today at (470) 268-5802 we have a team of Atlanta head and brain injuries lawyers who can help you file a personal injury or workers’ comp claim, and subsequently, negotiate a settlement for you.

Get the Adjuster to Justify a Low Offer

Get the Adjuster to Justify a Low Offer

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If the adjuster makes an offer so low in your first conversation that it’s obviously just a negotiating tactic to see if you know what your claim is really worth, do not immediately lower the amount you put in your demand letter. Contact Bobe & Snell Law Office LLC today at (470) 268-5802  we have a team of Atlanta head and brain injuries lawyers who can help you file a personal injury or workers’ comp claim.