A broken neck is a rare and serious injury. A fractured vertebra in your neck can damage or sever the spinal cord, leading to paralysis or death. As a result, accident victims with this injury will often require emergency treatment at the scene, hospitalization, and a lengthy rehabilitation.
In many cases, you may be entitled to pursue compensation for the financial losses and other impacts of these injuries. Specifically, you may have a personal injury claim against anyone who contributed to the cause of your injuries. This compensation can cover any medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering you experienced as a result of your fracture.
Anatomy of a Broken Neck
Your spine has three segments. The cervical spine is the medical term for the top seven vertebrae that connect your head to your body. The thoracic spine includes the 12 vertebrae attached to your ribcage. The lumbar spine covers the five vertebrae in your lower back.
The vertebrae protect the spinal cord while allowing maximum flexibility. These bones can move with respect to one another, giving you the ability to turn, raise, and bow your head. At the same time, they are positioned and connected to distribute your head’s weight to your shoulders and back.
A broken neck occurs when you fracture at least one cervical vertebra. Each vertebra includes a cylindrical load-bearing body and protrusions called processes, where ligaments and muscles attach to the spine. They also include a circular hole for the spinal cord. The effects of a neck fracture often depend on which of these structures cracks.
Causes of Cervical Fractures
Cervical fractures occur when the vertebrae experience forces that overcome their strength. The bones are primarily composed of minerals, creating a strong yet brittle structure. Excessive force can cause bones to crack.
Several types of force can cause a vertebral fracture when applied to the neck.
Blunt Impact
A blow to the neck can cause a cervical fracture. For example, a slip and fall accident may cause you to fall backward. The impact of the ground or other surface on your neck can fracture the vertebrae.
Hyperextension
Forces that cause your head to whip or twist unnaturally can produce enormous strain on your neck. As a result, your cervical vertebrae may fracture. For example, a high-speed car accident at an intersection might cause your head to whip and turn to the side, causing so much stress on your cervical vertebrae that they fracture.
Compression
Another common scenario occurs when a blow to your head causes your neck to compress, resulting in a fractured cervical vertebra. For example, diving into the shallow end of a pool can cause this injury. Similarly, it can happen when a heavy object falls on your head.
Symptoms of a Broken Neck
A broken neck can produce dull, achy pain. Moreover, the fracture can destabilize your neck, causing the muscles, tendons, and ligaments to shift out of place and experience pain.
Your neck may swell in response to a fracture. Inflammation is the body’s response to injuries, such as fractures. Damage to the structures in your neck may also limit your ability to move your head..
Complications of a Broken Neck
The most severe complication of a broken neck is a spinal cord injury. The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves connecting your body to your brain. These nerves can be compressed or severed when you fracture a vertebra.
The resulting nerve damage causes the following symptoms:
- Paralysis
- Loss of sensation
- Numbness or tingling
- Radiating pain
- Weakness
The nerves of the spinal cord branch out as the bundle passes down your back. Thus, higher injuries can affect more nerves and more body regions. A spinal cord injury in your lower back might only affect your legs and feet, while an injury in your neck can affect all four limbs and your torso.
Prompt emergency care after an accident can reduce the risk of a spinal cord injury. Emergency responders will often leave a victim with a suspected neck fracture in place until they can brace their head and neck. The brace reduces the risk that movement will cause the bone fragments to displace and sever or compress the spinal cord.
How Broken Necks Relate to Personal Injury Claims
Broken neck injuries often lead to personal injury claims because they can cause severe physical, emotional, and financial harm. A cervical fracture may require emergency care, surgery, rehabilitation, and long-term medical treatment. In the most serious cases, the injury can result in paralysis or permanent loss of function.
When someone else’s negligence caused the accident, an injured person may be able to pursue compensation through a personal injury claim or lawsuit. This compensation may cover medical expenses, lost income, future care needs, pain and suffering, and other losses tied to the injury. Because broken necks can have lasting effects, the value of a claim often depends on the severity of the fracture and its long-term impact on daily life.
Contact the Birmingham Personal Injury Lawyers at Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
A broken neck can lead to emergency treatment, extensive rehabilitation, and life-changing complications. If your cervical fracture happened because of someone else’s negligence, you may have the right to pursue compensation for your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses.
Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers helps injured people in Birmingham understand their rights after serious accidents. Contact our Birmingham personal injury attorneys today at (205) 933-1500 to schedule a free consultation and learn more about your legal options.