If you’ve been injured in a car accident, your doctor may recommend conservative care for your injuries. Many people do not understand the definition of conservative care after a motor vehicle accident. There are a range of treatment options for most injuries suffered in an accident, and that is especially true with neck and back injuries. Surgeons will often suggest the use of conservative treatment in advance of considering patients for surgery. Some injuries can resolve through conservative care. Others require advanced treatment with interventional pain management doctors and possibly surgical intervention by a spine or orthopedic surgeons.
Surgery is an invasive form of treatment, so most doctors and surgeons prefer to use this technique only after more conservative methods have been attempted. Generally speaking, surgery for neck, back and spinal injury pain is considered as a treatment option only if conservative treatments fail to relieve pain which persists for an extended period of time and limits your ability to function or creates a heightened risk of further spinal cord injury. These less invasive methods may include physical therapy sessions, chiropractic care, therapeutic massage, acupuncture, acupuncture, and some potentially minimally invasive pain management injections.
The type of non-surgical, conservative treatment chosen by your medical provider will vary depending on the condition or conditions being treated. Using conservative care to treat your injuries after a motor vehicle accident does not necessarily rule out the possibility that surgery may be necessary down the road, but by starting with conservative care, your eventual recovery from surgery may be easier.
When it comes to filing a personal injury claim, the amount of money you spend on medical bills while having your injuries diagnosed and treated is known as medical special damages. These include the costs of physical therapy, massage, chiropractic care, acupuncture, and some pain management with an interventional doctor. Conservative care serves as a pre-requisite, absent extreme circumstances, prior to surgical consultation.
The Whalen Injury Lawyers team will fight for you to get the compensation you deserve and receive the medical care after a car accident you need. Our primary goal is to establish a direct, meaningful, trusted and reliable relationship with you, and secure a settlement that is fair and reasonable. Our personal injury lawyers will work closely with you to make sure that you are sufficiently compensated for any loss you suffer as a result of a personal injury received from your involvement in a motor vehicle accident.
At Whalen Injury Lawyers, we’re proud to be one of America’s Top 100 Attorneys, 5280 Top Attorneys in Colorado, Top 100 Trial Lawyers, and Super Lawyers. Our personal injury attorneys aren’t afraid to take on the fight for a fair settlement so you can focus on getting the medical treatment you need to heal from your injuries, receive the compensation you deserve, and move ahead with your life.
You can reach our Denver injury attorneys at (720) 307-2666. Our offices are located in the Denver Tech Center at 7955 East Arapahoe Court, Suite 2375, Centennial, CO 80112. In Colorado Springs you can find us in the Alamo Corporate Center, conveniently located at 102 S. Tejon Street, Suite 1100, (719) 644-7000. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your legal options. We look forward to working with you.
You were injured in a car accident and in an effort to understand the residual functional limitations and disabilities that can impact your life in the future, you are required to undergo a functional capacity evaluation. What is it though, and why is it so important to your case? Here are the answers to those questions.
A functional capacity evaluation, commonly referred to by its acronym FCE, is a series of standardized tests conducted by a licensed health care provider who is certified to complete these evaluations – often someone with extensive rehabilitative and physical therapy training. The tests are used to provide an evaluation of your physical impairment caused by the accident injuries. The required tests may be performed over several hours or over a couple of days, depending on the severity of the injury you suffered and the number of abilities that need to be tested.
Tests of your physical abilities may be used to evaluate your ability to stand, sit, walk, crouch, step, reach, grip, climb stairs, or lift items from the floor. The evaluator will be looking for specific things such as whether you walk with a limp, can stand upright, joint and muscle flexibility, muscle tone, range of motion, strength, reflexes, and endurance. Sometimes, other injuries are identified that require additional medical imaging and evaluation by an orthopedist or surgeon. The evaluator will also go through your medical history as it pertains to your injury to collect information such as:
An FCE can be important in an auto accident case for two different reasons. Your lawyer may request one in order to evaluate the presence of permanent functional limitations or disabilities. Establishing that your injuries are permanent is important because it impacts the amount of compensation you can seek to recover. Some of the ways the results of your tests can be used in determining a fair amount of compensation include:
Just as the FCE can be useful for your lawyer in proving permanent impairment and related damages, an FCE is sometimes ordered by the at-fault party's insurance company in order to determine functional limitations. Because the FCE is performed by an impartial evaluator and the tests are standardized, there is little room for exaggerating the extent of your injuries. Some of the issues an insurance company may seek to resolve through the FCE include:
If you've been asked to undergo an FCE, here are some tips to make the process easier:
If you are involved in an auto accident, you will need a dedicated, experienced car accident attorney to effectively pursue a lawsuit against the person or entity responsible. At Whalen Injury Lawyers, we work closely with you to ensure you receive the support you deserve and the representation you rely on. Our personal injury lawyers have recovered over $25 million on behalf of our clients, including millions of dollars in car accident cases.
At Whalen Injury Lawyers, our goal is to secure fair and equitable settlements for our clients who are victims of a car accident. We work to establish direct, meaningful, trusted and reliable relationships with every client we represent. When you need an experienced legal team with a proven track record of success, contact us today. We’re happy to offer you a free consultation with one of our successful personal injury lawyers to discuss your legal options. Our Denver Tech Center office is conveniently located at 7955 East Arapahoe Court, Suite 2375 in Centennial, CO 80112. You can reach us in Denver by calling (720) 307- 2666. Our Colorado Springs legal office is located in the Alamo Corporate Center at 102 South Tejon Street, Suite 1100, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. You can contact us in Colorado Springs by calling (719) 644-7000. Give us a call today. We look forward to helping you get the fair compensation you deserve.
According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT) nearly 1.25 million people die in road crashes each year, on average 3,287 deaths a day, and an additional 20-50 million are injured or disabled. Many of these devastating injuries are neck and back injuries, and some cause damage serious enough to require spinal fusion after a car accident.
Spinal fusion, also called spondylosis or spondylosyndesis, is a neurosurgical or orthopedic surgical technique that joins two or more vertebrae. This procedure can be performed at any level in the spine and prevents any movement between the fused vertebrae. This surgery involves implementing techniques designed to mimic the normal healing process of broken bones. During spinal fusion, your surgeon places bone or a bonelike material within the space between two spinal vertebrae. Metal plates, screws and rods may be used to hold the vertebrae together, so they can heal into one solid unit.
Your doctor will order imaging studies of your spine prior to your surgery and use these images to plan and guide your surgery. Spinal fusion surgery is performed under general anesthesia, so the patient is unconscious during the procedure. There are a variety of techniques for performing spinal fusion surgery. The surgery may take anywhere from two to seven hours or more, depending on the location and severity of your injury.
Spinal fusion surgery generally involves a surgical incision to allow the surgeon to gain access to the area to be fused, bone graft preparation to access bone grafts that actually fuse the vertebrae together (these may come from a bone bank or from your own body), and the fusion procedure. If your own bone is used, the surgeon will remove a small portion of pelvic bone and then close the incision. To permanently fuse the vertebrae together, the bone graft material is placed between the vertebrae. In some cases, surgeons may use a synthetic substance instead of bone grafts. These substances help promote bone growth and speed up the fusion of the vertebrae. Metal plates, screws or rods may be used to help hold the vertebrae together while the bone graft heals.
A short hospital stay of two to three days is usually required after spinal fusion surgery. Pain is usually well controlled with medication. It could take several months for the bones to heal and fuse. During this time, you may need to wear a brace to keep your spine correctly aligned. You may or may not be confined to bed rest by your doctor during recovery. However, you may require extended physical therapy. While most patients experience a beneficial outcome and recovery that can allow then to resume normal quality of life and return to pre-accident function, this could affect your ability to work and provide for your family depending on what you do for a job and career. That’s why it’s imperative that you secure the best legal representation possible.
Whalen Injury Lawyers is proud to be one of America’s Top 100 Attorneys, 5280 Top Attorneys in Colorado, Top 100 Trial Lawyers, and Super Lawyers. If you’ve been involved in a car accident and suffered injury requiring spinal fusion, contact our firm of experienced personal injury lawyers in Denver and Colorado Springs for proper legal representation. We have successfully represented many car accident victims over the years, winning millions in personal injury case settlements. Our personal injury attorneys are not afraid to take on the large insurance companies on your behalf to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation confidential consultation to discuss all your legal options.
You can reach our Denver attorneys at (720) 307-2666. Our offices are located in the Denver Tech Center at 7955 East Arapahoe Court, Suite 2375, Centennial, CO 80112, and our Colorado Springs office is in the Alamo Corporate Center, conveniently located at 102 S. Tejon Street, Suite 1100, (719) 644-7000. We look forward to working with you.
Herniated discs can occur as a result of an injury sustained in a car crash when sudden excessive pressure is placed on the spine. Our vertebral discs act as the shock absorbers of the spinal system, ensuring that bone doesn’t rub against bone, allowing our backs to be flexible without causing pain. Vertebral discs are made up of two substances; an outer layer of tough, fibrous material which houses an inner gel-like layer. When a disc becomes ruptured, or herniated, this means that there is a break in the outer protective layer which allows a portion of the inner layer to protrude, pushing out into the spinal channel and pressing against spinal nerves. This pressure produces severe back, neck, leg pain and possible hand pain. The severe forces which occur in a motor vehicle accident are known to cause flexion/extension injuries and twisting injuries and can lead to immediate pain. Sometimes the disc doesn’t herniate immediately, but rather pain sets in after a few days or weeks when the inner layer of the disc finally leaks out of the damaged exterior layer. This can occur over time and your symptoms can slowly develop. If you experience sudden pain following a car accident or in the ensuing days or weeks, you should seek immediate medical attention and contact a personal injury attorney.
Disc replacement is a procedure where an artificial disc is placed in the intervertebral space after the injured disc has been removed. This surgery is sometimes done as an alternative to a spinal fusion. Some studies show better outcomes in disc replacements, opposed to spinal fusions, where the patient doesn’t have any identifiable spinal instability. Both procedures should be discussed with your surgeon.
A surgeon will operate on your spine from the front, going in through the abdomen or neck to access the area where the artificial disc will be placed. Once the area is cleared and the new disc is in place, blood vessels and soft tissues are replaced in their original position and the incision is closed. A vascular surgeon can often assist during this procedure.
After surgery, spinal flexibility and range of motion should be restored, and pain should be abated. Most patients need to remain in the hospital for a few days following this surgery. Further recovery will happen over the next four to six weeks, with full recovery occurring in approximately around two to three months as the spine adjusts to the implanted device and the body recovers from surgery. A serious back or neck injury caused by a motor vehicle accident can lead to disc replacement surgery. This situation can lead to potential future inability to work and loss of significant income. This could affect your ability to provide for your family. That’s why it’s imperative that you secure the best legal representation possible. A spinal injury case requiring a disc replacement should be handled by an experienced personal injury attorney.
Whalen Injury Lawyers is proud to be one of America’s Top 100 Attorneys, 5280 Top Attorneys in Colorado, Top 100 Trial Lawyers, and Super Lawyers. If you’ve been involved in a car accident and suffered injury requiring disc replacement, contact our firm of experienced personal injury lawyers in Denver and Colorado Springs for proper legal representation. We have successfully represented many car accident victims over the years, securing millions in personal injury case settlements. Our personal injury attorneys are not afraid to take on the large insurance companies on your behalf to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation confidential consultation to discuss all your legal options.
You can reach our Denver attorneys at (720) 307-2666. Our offices are located in the Denver Tech Center at 7955 East Arapahoe Court, Suite 2375, Centennial, CO 80112, and our Colorado Springs office is in the Alamo Corporate Center, conveniently located at 102 S. Tejon Street, Suite 1100, (719) 644-7000. We look forward to working with you.
After a car accident, you should seek medical attention right away, even if you’re not presently in pain and are just experiencing what you may think is a rush of adrenaline from the crash. The pain and discomfort from the car accident may present itself a few days, weeks, or months after the accident, but having a record of your injury progression after the accident will help you if you plan to pursue a personal injury claim. During consultations with your medical professional, they may recommend a variety of treatments depending on your injury, especially where physical therapy has left you with residual continuing pain complaints. One option may be an epidural steroid injection (ESI) to help reduce the inflammation and pain in your spine or neck. Being knowledgeable about this injection, and what to expect during the process may help relieve some anxiety about getting this type of treatment.
An epidural steroid injection (ESI) is a minimally invasive medical procedure that can help relieve neck, arm, back, and leg pain that can occur after a car accident. The injection supplies medicines to the epidural space – a fat-filled area between the bone and the spinal nerves – to flush away the proteins that cause swelling. This can be performed in a doctor’s office or medical center.
To perform the epidural steroid injection procedure, your doctor will insert a hollow needle through the skin and between the bony vertebrae into the epidural space. Watching the needle in real-time on an x-ray monitor, your doctor can ensure that the needle goes to the desired location. For a neck injury, the needle is inserted from the side of the neck to deliver the steroid medication where the inflamed nerve root exits the spine. For a lower back injury, a lumbar ESI is performed, with the entry site slightly off midline of the back to reach the inflamed nerve root.
Waiting until after your case settles could result in a lower evaluation of your claim by the insurance company based on arguments that you don’t really intend on undergoing the procedure and recommended care. Therefore, you should not delay getting epidural steroid injections for painful injuries sustained in a car accident. Most importantly, following through with this procedure, based on the doctor’s recommendations, could provide substantial temporary relief.
If this treatment works, your attorney can assess your long-term treatment needs and ultimate prognosis. This can help the attorney communicate additional value in your case through identifying future treatment costs as part of your case. This will ensure that you are fully compensated for your injuries. Herniated discs and spinal cord injuries can cause inflamed spinal nerves resulting in severe pain that can be alleviated through epidural steroid injections. This treatment works, its minimally invasive, and it can help in your recovery.
Whalen Injury Lawyers is proud to be one of America’s Top 100 Attorneys, 5280 Top Attorneys in Colorado, Top 100 Trial Lawyers, and Super Lawyers. If you have been involved in a car accident and suffered injury requiring epidural steroid injections, contact our firm of experienced personal injury lawyers in Denver and Colorado Springs for proper legal representation. We have successfully represented many car accident victims over the years, securing millions of dollars in personal injury case settlements. Our personal injury attorneys are not afraid to take on the large insurance companies on your behalf to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation confidential consultation to discuss all your legal options.
You can reach our Denver attorneys at (720) 307-2666. Our offices are located in the Denver Tech Center at 7955 East Arapahoe Court, Suite 2375, Centennial, CO 80112, and our Colorado Springs office can be found in the Alamo Corporate Center, conveniently located at 102 S. Tejon Street, Suite 1100, (719) 644-7000. We look forward to working with you.
If you’re involved in a car accident, you should go to the emergency room immediately after the crash to be evaluated for possible injury. There are many types of injuries you could suffer as a result of a car accident, some of which aren’t sudden and obvious but rather might only be detected or identified by a qualified, trained medical professional. The ER staff will need to know the facts of how the accident took place and will conduct a physical examination to determine if you have suffered any injuries followed by some preliminary medical imaging like x-rays. Millions of people visit emergency rooms after car accidents every year, with a variety of injuries including neck, back, shoulder, knee, hip, other orthopedic injuries and sometime internal injuries.
The hospital emergency room has equipment and medical personnel who can run tests, take x-rays, CAT scans, and use their medical expertise to determine the extent of any injuries you suffer in an accident. If there is any question about your health or safety, the emergency room staff will likely recommend you stay overnight for observation and not leave the hospital until they are fairly confident you’re in stable condition. Many times, the adrenaline your body releases after an accident can mask symptoms of an injury. Even if you do not have a life-threatening injury, you should still have an emergency room physician check you out. Car accidents happen fast with incredible force, impact and trauma. The statements you make will be documented along with the medical findings and test results. You should be careful to take note of, and mention, anywhere you feel pain or if you are experiencing any unusual symptoms. Once discharged from the ER, you need to understand that you have only been cleared for immediate traumatic injury that may require admitted hospitalization and possibly trauma surgery. Most car accident injuries can have symptoms that develop over time and must be further investigated and identified through MRIs – this is common in orthopedic and spinal injuries. Just because an x-ray doesn’t show any fractures, this doesn’t mean you are in the clear. When you leave the ER, you will need to follow up with your primary care doctor and likely do some precautionary physical therapy. After PT, you likely need and MRI before you are reasonably discharged from care.
Delaying medical attention could potentially hurt any personal injury claim you wish to file with an insurance company in order to be compensated for any medical bills, lost wages, and other accident-related expenses. By not seeking immediate medical attention after an accident, an insurance company could claim that your injuries were not that serious and could deny your claim. After a car accident, you have the right to:
Delaying needed medical treatment could also adversely affect your health in the long term and may have long term effects on your overall condition and wellbeing. If the accident which caused your injury is not your fault, or if your insurance company is refusing to pay for your accident-related health care or other costs, you should call a personal injury attorney. Whalen Injury Lawyers exclusively represents clients against large insurance companies and big corporations in personal injury matters. Our firm has successfully represented many accident victims over the years, winning millions in personal injury case settlements. Our personal injury attorneys aren’t afraid to fight large insurance companies to make sure you receive the compensation you deserve.
We’re proud to be one of America’s Top 100 Attorneys, 5280 Top Attorneys in Colorado, Top 100 Trial Lawyers, and Super Lawyers. We take on the fight for a fair settlement so you can focus on getting the treatment you need to heal from your injuries and move on with your life.
The Whalen Injury Lawyers team will fight for you to get the compensation you deserve. Our main goal is to establish a direct, meaningful, trusted and reliable relationship with you and secure a settlement that is fair and reasonable. Our personal injury lawyers will work closely with you to make sure that you are sufficiently compensated for any loss you suffer as a result of a personal injury. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your legal options.
You can reach our Denver injury attorneys at (720) 307-2666. Our offices are located in the Denver Tech Center at 7955 East Arapahoe Court, Suite 2375, Centennial, CO 80112, and in Colorado Springs in the Alamo Corporate Center, conveniently located at 102 S. Tejon Street, Suite 1100, (719) 644-7000. We look forward to working with you.
