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Have you sustained a herniated disc injury in Fort Myers? If so, you’re likely dealing with the substantial impacts on your day-to-day life and looking for answers as you try to get on the path to recovery.
A herniated disc injury can be incredibly painful, and it can also be very disruptive to daily activities such as working in a physically demanding way, completing household chores, and even sitting for extended periods of time.
Learn more about herniated disc injuries and find out how to locate a qualified, experienced personal injury lawyer in Fort Myers who can provide you with the help you need as you get back on your feet.
Types of Herniated Disc Injuries
A herniated disc refers to an injury to the spine. In between each of the bones of the vertebrae, there are round discs that function like pillows to cushion and serve as shock absorbers for the bones in the spinal cord.
These discs consist of a tough outer layer called the annulus. When this outer layer is injured, a fragment of the disc nucleus can be pushed into the spinal canal. Since the spinal canal is a small space, the presence of this nucleus fragment displaces nerves and causes pain — sometimes, severe pain.
Herniated discs may also be called slipped discs, bulging discs, or ruptured discs. A herniated disc can occur in the upper part of the spinal cord, including in the neck, but they are most common in the lumbar region of the spine, which is in the lower back.
Symptoms of a Herniated Disc
Pain from a herniated disc in the cervical spine (neck region) can result in a set of symptoms referred to as cervical radiculopathy. This “pinched nerve,” as it is commonly called, can result in a dull or sharp pain in the neck or between the shoulder blades. It may also radiate down into the arms or hands.
When the pain is in the lower back, it is sometimes referred to as sciatica — in reference to the sciatic nerve. Burning, numbness, and tingling may radiate from the buttocks into the legs and all the way down to the foot.
These conditions tend to be concentrated on one specific side of the body, and those suffering from the condition often describe the pain as an electrical shock. Movement — especially motions that straighten the leg — can make the symptoms worsen.
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What Types of Accidents Result in Herniated Discs?
Since a herniated disc essentially occurs when the annulus sustains an injury, injuries that cause trauma to the spine can result in herniated discs. Any accident where the spine takes on direct or indirect impact can be the culprit. During a car accident, for example, the spine may become injured, and the resulting impact can cause a rupture of the annulus.
Similarly, a slip-and-fall accident can result in a herniated disc. If someone falls and injures the spine, the resulting damage to the annulus can result in a herniated disc and all of its associated symptoms.
The skilled Fort Myers herniated disc lawyers at Viles & Beckman have experience dealing with insurance companies, investigating accidents, and helping clients recover damages for their injuries. Let a qualified attorney handle the details of your case.
(239) 334-3933
How Were You Injured?
Herniated discs can occur in many ways. Age is one of the most common risk factors for sustaining a herniated disc injury. As Harvard Medical School reports, individuals who have entered middle age often have weak points in the annulus of the discs, and these weaknesses leave them at increased risk for harm.
Herniated disc injuries are most common in people aged 35 to 55. There are also genetic factors that increase the risk of a herniated disc injury. These genetic components are increasingly likely in individuals who report herniated disc injuries at younger ages.
A herniated disc can also occur due to a specific injury that causes a traumatic impact to the spine.
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Your Daily Lifestyle Impacts Your Risk of Developing a Herniated Disc
Another major risk factor for herniated disc injury is one’s daily activity. Individuals who work at a job or perform in a sport that requires heavy lifting or repetitive twisting or bending motions are at a higher risk of sustaining a herniated disc injury.
Preventative measures can include avoiding activities that require repetitive bending or heavy lifting, exercising regularly, and maintaining good posture.
Click To ContactWho to Hold Responsible for a Herniated Disc
The responsibility for a herniated disc injury is largely determined by the conditions under which such injury was sustained.
If a herniated disc was caused by an acute injury or repetitive motion required because of working conditions rather than normal wear and tear over the course of aging, the party responsible for the conditions under which the injury occurred may be held liable for the damages sustained.
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How to Hold Someone Accountable for a Herniated Disc
To tie your herniated disc back to someone else’s negligence, you need to present evidence of misconduct in a personal injury complaint. Both you and a herniated disc attorney in Fort Myers can use this evidence to outline the story of your injury. In turn, you can more effectively convince a judge and jury of your right to financial support.
The evidence you bring forward needs to confirm the identity of the party you want to hold accountable for your losses. It should also elaborate on what kinds of negligence resulted in your losses. Finally, you can also present evidence that details the losses you endured due to your accident, including proof of a herniated disc.
You do not have to determine what evidence best suits your case on your own. Instead, our attorneys can look at the data available after your accident and bring in the sets that best suit your case. This can include:
- Bystander testimony
- HIPAA-compliant medical data
- Expert testimony
- Physical evidence from the scene of the accident
- Still or moving footage of the accident
- Accident recreations
You can discuss what evidence best suits your herniated disc case during a consultation with our team.
Compensation from a Herniated Disc Lawsuit Can Help You Pay Your Bills
The bills associated with your herniated disc can often feel more overwhelming than your accident. That, however, is the grief that a herniated disc claim tries to alleviate. Our team advocates for your right to financial compensation after an accident resulting in a herniated disc.
You do have to present evidence valuing your losses if you want to request that compensation, though. Fortunately, no one’s going to make you do that math on your own. Our team can step in and help you calculate the value of your economic and non-economic losses. This way, you can bring an estimate of your possible compensation to negotiations as well as to court.
The losses you can most often list in a herniated disc claim can include:
- Medical expenses related to your recovery
- Property damaged in your accident
- At-home care expenses
- Essential therapy and/or mobility aids
- Pain medication and related treatments
- Lost wages or opportunities for work
- Pain and suffering
Our team uses multipliers to stand in for the accident expenses that don’t generate traditional bills. You can discuss the economic value of losses like pain and suffering when you meet with our attorneys.
Fort Myers, FL, Herniated Disc Attorneys Act Fast to Get Your Case Before a Judge
Your herniated disc claim is subject to Florida’s personal injury statute of limitations. You must submit your claim within two years of the day your accident takes place, save for in cases involving unique or unusual circumstances. Florida legislators go into more detail regarding this deadline in Florida Statutes § 95.11.
Our Team Addresses Your Herniated Disc Losses
We understand the frustration of dealing with the financial fallout that comes with a herniated disc. Losing your ability to work after an injury is tough enough. You shouldn’t have to face pressure or ghosting from an insurance company at the same time.
No matter how you were injured, a Florida personal injury lawyer from Viles & Beckman can help you recover your losses.
Finding the Best Fort Myers Herniated Disc Attorney
Having dealt with a herniated disc, not only have you suffered the physical pain of injury and healing, but it’s likely you have added emotional and financial stress in the aftermath of the accident that caused your injury.
At Viles & Beckman, we understand this is a difficult time for you and your family, and we are here to advocate for your rights and hold liable parties accountable. Let our skilled Fort Myers, FL, herniated disc attorneys handle the details of your case, including investigating the accident to uncover the facts which we can use to build a case against the defense.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
Call or text (239) 334-3933 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
