Portland Neck
Injury Attorney

We Handle Neck Injury
Cases in Portland and Throughout Oregon

Neck and back injuries are sometimes dismissed as minor aches and pains. Overtime, however, they can cause ongoing issues with chronic pain and mobility, inhibiting the ability to work or otherwise enjoy a normal life. If you or someone you know suffered a back or neck injury as the result of the negligence of another person, it is important to seek the help of a personal injury lawyer.

The Johnston Law Firm, P.C., represents people throughout the Portland metro who suffer from back and neck injuries, including neck strain, whiplash, slipped disks, spinal cord damage, separated vertebrae and others. We understand the seriousness of these injuries and are committed to helping you recover the compensation you deserve after an accident. You can count on us to fight on your behalf, so you can focus on your recovery.

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Common Causes
of Neck and Back Injuries

A neck or a back injury might be the result of a health condition, could be caused during a workplace accident, may be the result of a repetitive stress injury, or could happen because of an acute and unforeseeable accident. Some of the common causes of neck and back injuries include:

• Car accidents;
• Pedestrian accidents;
• Bicycling accidents;
• Motorcycle accidents;
• Slips, trips, and falls;
• Diving accidents;
• Sports injuries;
• Workplace accidents; and
• More.

Of course, the above list is not inclusive. If you are suffering from a back or neck injury and you think that someone else is to blame, you may have a personal injury case. Learn more by calling our law firm directly.

Types of Back
and Neck Injuries

Back and neck injuries can be concentrated anywhere along the spine, which runs from the base of your neck to the end of your back and the many muscles and ligaments in between. Common types of back and neck injuries include:

• Whiplash. A whiplash injury occurs when the head is whipped back and forth much like a whip, typically as a result of a car accident or another accident type that forces the head to swing forward and backward suddenly (such as a rollercoaster ride). Whiplash is a type of soft tissue injury that can be very painful to live with, and can be temporarily disabling. Typically, whiplash will heal with time.

• Vertebrae fractures. A fractured vertebra is an extremely serious injury type. This type of accident happens when enough pressure is applied to the spine that causes one of its vertebrae to fracture. It can also happen if the spine is forced into an awkward or unnatural position. One of the biggest risks of a vertebrae fracture is that the spinal cord will be impacted.
• Herniated disc injury. In between the vertebrae in your spine are little discs that create a cushion between the bones. A herniated disc injury happens when the jelly-like substance within those discs pushes through a crack in the harder exterior. Sometimes, this can irritate nerves and cause pain.
• Spinal cord injury. Perhaps the most serious type of neck and back injury is a spinal cord injury. The spinal cord runs the length of the spinal column. When it is impacted, the brain’s ability to send messages to the rest of the body is impaired. As such, a spinal cord injury will result in complete or partial paralysis from the site of the injury downwards. There is no cure for spinal cord injuries; these types of injuries are permanent.
• Strained/sprain muscles and tendons. As mentioned, there are many different ligaments, tendons, and muscles throughout the back. Both repetitive motion injuries and acute accidents can lead to backs sprains and strains that are painful and, sometimes, debilitating.

Spinal
Cord Injuries

One of the most devastating injuries that you can sustain is a spinal cord injury, also called an SCI. The spinal cord consists of nerve bundles that constantly carry messages between your brain and the rest of your body. If you sustain trauma to your back or neck that causes a fracture, dislocation, or other types of injury to your vertebrae, it can compress or tear into the nerves and spinal cord tissue, causing serious damage and interrupting the signals that allow your body to function. As you can imagine, this type of injury requires immediate medical attention and often long-lasting treatment.

Don’t miss out on these common personal injury mistakes.

Get the legal counsel you need to guide you through the process of filing an injury claim.

Common Causes
Of Spinal Cord Injuries

SCIs can occur in many different situations and commonly happen in preventable accidents. Some of the common scenarios from which spinal cord injuries can result include the following:

• Car accidents;
• Commercial truck accidents;
• Pedestrian accidents;

• Bicycle accidents;
• Motorcycle accidents;
• Slips, trips, and falls;
• Contact sports;
• Recreational accidents;
• Violent assaults.

Spinal cord injuries are particularly prevalent in collisions between motor vehicles and bicyclists, pedestrians, or others who have little protection from the impact. Because Portland is such a bike and walk friendly city, the risk of spinal injuries can be high.

Effects Of
A Spinal Injury

The effects of spinal cord injuries can vary substantially from one victim to another. Spinal injuries are generally separated into two categories:

• Complete Injury: A complete injury means that the victim loses all movement and sensory abilities below the point of the damage, resulting in complete paralysis.
• Incomplete Injury: An incomplete injury can impair some functioning below the point of damage though victim’s retain some sensation and movement.  

In addition to the complete and incomplete distinction, victims may experience symptoms of spinal cord injuries either temporarily or permanently. Some patients regain mobility with time and treatment while others are permanently paraplegic or quadriplegic.

Damages from a 
Back or Neck Accident

In addition to coping with the injury itself, a victim of a back accident may suffer:

• Medical expenses. Back and neck injuries are expensive to treat. Even minor injuries that require minimally invasive treatments are expensive, and if an injury requires ongoing medical care, physical therapy, medications, and surgery, the medical expenses can be overwhelming.
• Lost wages. If a person suffers a back or a neck injury, they may be temporarily or permanently disabled, impacting their ability to work and earn an income. This can result in major financial losses for a family, sometimes totaling into the millions of dollars over the course of a person’s life.
• Pain, suffering, and emotional distress. Serious back and neck injuries cause physical pain and suffering, and also psychological harm in many cases. For example, being unable to do the things that you once loved, or being paralyzed and being unable to even care for yourself, can take a major toll on your emotional wellbeing.

You deserve to be compensated in full for all of these damages, as well as any other damages you have suffered. For example, if you were in a car accident and this is the source of your injuries, you should be compensated for the value of damages to your vehicle.

Workplace Accidents vs. 
Personal Injury Claims

If you have been injured in the workplace, you may be wondering whether or not you have a personal injury claim. Typically, those who suffer a back or a neck injury at work must file workers’ compensation claims in order to recover benefits, and are barred from filing a claim against their employers as a result. That being said, an injured worker may have a third-party liability claim. A third-party claim is a type of claim brought against someone other than the worker’s employer. For example, if a construction worker is injured by a drunk driver (not related to the construction company) at a roadside construction site, the worker may be able to file a workers’ compensation claim and a third-party liability claim against the at-fault driver. As such, if you have been injured at work, don’t hesitate to talk to our personal injury lawyers about your options if a third-party’s negligence played a role in your injuries.

How Our Back and
Neck Injury Lawyers Can Help

Our back and neck injury attorneys can help you by investigating your case and, along with your doctor, determining the cause of your back or neck injury; determining who should be held liable for your damages; gathering evidence to support your claim;

bringing in experts; calculating the value of your damages; filing your claim; reviewing a settlement offer; negotiating your settlement with an insurance adjuster; and filing litigation on your behalf. Sometimes, an insurance adjuster may question the severity of your injuries, or say that your injuries were pre-existing – our lawyers will be there to back you up and put these thoughts to rest. Our lawyers will also be available to answer any questions that you have about the process along the way, and promise to remain accessible to you throughout the process.