Obviously, you can easily identify your neck. However, you should also know that it has a more formal name. The neck is actually part of the spine. More specifically, it’s known as the cervical spine and consists of seven vertebrae.
Accidental Injuries to the Cervical Spine
All types of accidents can cause cervical spine problems. A sharp jolt in a car crash can cause a neck injury. It doesn’t even matter if you were wearing your seat belt. You can injure your neck in a work related accident or as a result of a sports accident. Unfortunately, injuries to the cervical spine are somewhat common.
Let go through the different types of neck problems that start as a result of accidents:
- Whiplash: Just about everybody has heard of whiplash. We wrote about it previously and recognize that it is painful. But, what is it? It’s actually a neck strain. An accident may cause your neck to jerk forward. As a result, you can pull tendons and muscles in your cervical region. Although whiplash is considered a soft tissue injury, we understand it can be quite painful.
- Herniated Disc: Like the rest of the spine, the vertebrae in the neck have a certain structure. The joints are supported by connective tissues known as discs. They serve as a cushion. Think of them as your car’s shock absorbers. Trauma can cause a number of things to happen and result in cervical disc herniation. The outer layer of the disc can actually rip. The inner center may start to bulge through or totally displace. Pain will not necessarily limit to the neck region. Herniated discs also cause pain to radiate down the arm.
- Neck Laceration: Like any other body part, it is possible to sustain a severe laceration to the neck. In fact, the damage may be so severe as to result in death. Such was the case of this work-related accident. In this case, the worker was assigned to a wood cutting machine. Unfortunately, a piece of the metal saw flew off the machine. It landed in the operator’s throat. The metal lacerated major blood vessels. Unfortunately, the worker died as a result of his injuries.
- Fractured Neck: In Part One of our series on Accidental Injuries, we focused on broken bones. A broken or fractured neck is considered a catastrophic injury. It involves a fracture of any of the seven cervical vertebrae. The consequences of a broken neck can be more than just a bone fracture. There can be damages to the spinal cord. A cervical fracture can cause paralysis or result in death.
Contact Us
We’ve covered some of the most common neck issues. If you have suffered any type of accidental injury, you should consider seeking legal representation. At the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone, we have nearly thirty years providing legal advice to personal injury victims. Contact us for an appointment to discuss your accident.