Posted On October 4, 2017 Personal Injury

Herniated Disc Injury

If an accident left you with a herniated disc, years of shooting pain and incapacitating weakness could be in your future. Your physical wellbeing and your lifestyle may never be the same. It’s essential that you get the right medical care at the right time to make the best recovery possible, and it’s just as essential that you have legal help to protect your family from the financial fallout of a serious injury like this. The experienced herniated disc injury lawyers at Console & Associates P.C. have helped thousands of victims with injuries like yours get the money they deserve after an accident. Call (856) 778-5500. Together, we’ll get your life back on track.

What Is a Herniated Disc?

In between the bones that make up your spine are soft gel-filled discs that cushion the spine and act as shock absorbers. Normally, these discs help your spine remain flexible and healthy. When these discs are damaged, though, they can develop cracks and tears. The damage causes the discs to bulge, break open, or disintegrate, and the gel substance can leak out and irritate your nerves. A ruptured disc is referred to as a “herniated disc,” and it’s a serious, potentially permanent injury.

How do you know if you have a herniated disc? At first, you might not. Often, accident victims assume the initial pain they experience in their back is no big deal. They expect a little soreness after the impact of a car accident, fall, or other injury. When you have a herniated disc, though, the pain and other symptoms can get worse instead of better in the days and weeks that follow the accident.

Symptoms of a herniated disc include:

• Pain
• Numbness or tingling
• Weakness

These symptoms don’t have to be limited to your back. Depending on where in your spine your herniated disc is located, you might feel pain, numbness or weakness in your back, arm, leg, and/or shoulder, according to Mayo Clinic. Some patients are fortunate enough that they experience no symptoms, but for many, the pain is debilitating.

Accidents that Can Cause Herniated Discs

Herniated discs are common injuries among victims of accidents.  Check out this article to see more of our herniated disc car accident settlements in NJ.  Here are a few examples:

• Motor vehicle crashes, like the one our truck driver client suffered at the hands of another commercial driver in this $750,000 claim.
• Slip and falls, like the one that harmed a phlebotomist in this $475,000 case.
• Being struck by a heavy object, which happened to a mother in this $859,000 case.
• Workplace injuries, like the one a construction worker suffered in this $825,000 case.

Treating Herniated Discs

If you see your doctor with symptoms such as shooting pain and numbness, you will likely have to undergo medical imaging tests to find out if a herniated disc could be the cause.

Once your doctor confirms that a herniated disc is the problem, he or she can begin treating your injuries. Some treatments your doctor might prescribe include:

• Rest
• Pain medication
• Physical therapy
• Epidural and cortisone injections

The good news is that most herniated disc patients recover, once they receive the right treatment, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. However, not all victims will ever attain the pain-free health they had before the accident. About one in ten people will have long-term issues associated with the herniated disc. Often, these victims are the ones who will ultimately require surgery. Even after the procedure, the health of these patients’ spines may never reach 100 percent.

Getting Full Compensation for Your Herniated Disc Injury

When your herniated disc interferes with your daily life and you’re forced to face the possibility that the pain will never go away completely, it’s clear that you deserve money for the damages you have suffered. After all, treatment and pain management for a herniated disc can drag on for months or even years, and can be incredibly expensive. On top of the medical costs, you may have lost income from not being able to work, and if your injury is severe enough, you may never be able to do your pre-accident job again. On top of the financial hardship your family is going through are the costs you can’t easily put a price on. Your quality of life may never be the same.

If someone else’s negligent actions caused your accident, the New Jersey personal injury lawyers at Console & Associates P.C. can get maximum compensation for all of your damages, including the extensive pain and suffering you continue to go through every day. We have recovered more than $30,000,000 for accident victims since our firm opened in 1994, and we’ll put our first-rate skills to work getting you every dollar you deserve. Call (856) 778-5500 today for your free, private consultation.