Damages to the neck and spine can leave you incapacitated for weeks or months. These injuries are extremely painful and take a lot out of you; you may not be able to resume daily activities for some time, which can have a greatly adverse effect on your quality of living. If you have been involved in an accident that resulted in neck and back injuries that needed spinal fusion surgery to correct, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your damages. Our skilled attorneys with experience in spinal injury cases at the top-rated Normandie Law Firm have presided over dozens of different cases where spinal fusion surgery was the end result, and we are willing to work with you to bring you the restitution you deserve, whether it’s from a business, your workplace, or an irresponsible driver. Our clients call our experienced lawyers asking questions about the compensation for a spinal fusion case and what they can receive if they were to file claims. They also ask us questions like:
- How much is a lumbar fusion case worth?
- How much can I recover for a spinal fusion car accident case?
- What is the average settlement value for a spinal fusion injury because of a car accident?
- What is the average value of disc fusion in a slip and fall lawsuit?
Neck and Back Injuries and Spinal Fusion
Neck and back injuries can be debilitating. Sometimes, no matter how much treatment you receive, you will always have lingering pain and troubles. It is important that you take careful measures to not be injured in the first place, but as we know, accidents happen. If you have been injured and damage has been done to your neck and back, you should seek medical treatment and legal representation if you were not at fault.
Spinal damage is usually caused by some kind of blunt force trauma. The amount of pressure that results from accident can be enough to severely damage the spine; for example, a simple slip and fall can cause strained muscles, sprains, and cracked vertebrae. Accidents that have much more force behind them, such as car accidents, can cause irreparable damage to the spine. In some cases, the only option for medical treatment is spinal fusion. Fortunately, you may be able to recover some of the damages from the injury in a spinal fusion car accident injury lawsuit.
The most common cause of injury that results in a spinal fusion surgery is an automobile accident. When driving, you may be struck by another negligent driver; sometimes, a head-on crash can force your spine to bend in an unnatural way while your body curls in on itself in an effort to protect itself from damage. Other times, you may be bounced against the door or even hurled from the vehicle. This is more common in motorcycle accidents, however. The impact from another car that weighs over a ton, combined with gravity, can lead to severe injuries in the neck and back.
On occasion, an injury may occur from something as simple as a slip and fall. Falls can happen for any number of reasons – perhaps there was debris on the sidewalk, maybe there were work materials in the walkway, suppose a business owner did not shovel the path in front of his store and it iced over. You may have been carrying objects in your arms and were unable to break your fall. Landing on hard pavement or solid concrete can cause spinal damage that requires surgery.
These accidents can also happen while at the workplace. Truck drivers may be involved in accidents that give them severe neck and spinal injuries, while those working in factories or loading docks can suffer falls down stairs, off loading bays, and trip over work-related materials.
We personally have seen a truck accident case where the plaintiff needed fusion and a workplace injury requiring lumbar fusion. Our top team of expert lawyers with experience handling spinal injury cases is well-versed in handling spinal fusion claims.
Spinal Fusion Surgery
Spinal fusion involves taking bone grafts from another part of the body and using them to fuse together the vertebrae. Doctors may use steel rods, screws, and other materials to keep the spine in place. This is a very limiting procedure; it can cause a lack of mobility and increase stiffness, but it can also cure chronic pain stemming from disc injuries. The stability of the neck and spine will be increased due to the lack of motion in the vertebrae. However, due to how invasive the surgery is, it is generally not recommended unless all other options have been exhausted.
Some examples of what spinal fusion is used to cure include:
- Disc damage, including ruptured discs, herniated discs, and slipped discs. The disc, if damaged enough, may be removed and replaced with another object to prevent spinal collapse.
- Vertebral fractures can be extremely painful; there is not much protecting the spine, and most of our movement is predicated around our backs. Everything from breathing to moving has some effect on the spine, and a fractured vertebra can cause extreme pain. If left untreated, the fracture may not heal, and cause long-lasting damage.
- Scoliosis is a condition that affects the curvature of the spine, forcing it to curve sideways. If this is not fixed, it can result in permanent damage and an inability to stand straight, stay mobile, or perform other bodily functions. Spinal fusion can correct this if caught early enough.
- Degenerative diseases may attack the discs and vertebrae, leading to their necessary removal. In these cases, doctors do recommend surgery to preserve the spine.
Because of the myriad ways you can sustain injuries to the back, there are, accordingly, many factors that determine the value of an injury case requiring disc fusion.
Average Settlement Value
There are some important notes regarding average spinal fusion settlements. You may hear that the average value is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars range; this is not true. Outlier cases that net over a million dollars will bring the average up by a lot; as a result, you should instead observe the median settlement amounts for injury requiring a spinal fusion surgery.
For example, the average settlement for a spinal fusion injury case over the last few years has been upwards of $300,000. The median, however, has been around $50,000. This indicates that a few cases have inflated the numbers, and many claims do not end in the six-figure mark.
When it comes to determining the value of a case, however, the main point of contention is the extent of the injury. If the spinal fusion reduced the quality of your life in a drastic way and you were unable to work in the aftermath of the operation, you may earn a higher settlement than someone who got the surgery and resumed close-to-normal activities. Your age also matters – a younger person is likely to heal faster after an injury, while an older person is more worn. Older people are usually seen as carrying more responsibilities and thus are awarded larger settlements.
There is no way to accurately determine the average case settlement for a cervical fusion case. The best method is to observe other cases that had similar injuries and see what the plaintiffs were awarded. Even though each case is different, you can get a benchmark idea of what you potentially may earn.
The value of a spinal fusion case is over $150,000 if you were out of work for some time after the accident. If the responsible party were grossly negligent and contributed to the accident, you could earn over $350,000. A lawsuit for an injury resulting in spinal fusion is worth close to $500,000 if the party could have prevented the incident from happening as well and if you had additional damages besides back injuries.
Some sample cases are:
- $752,000 Verdict: A deckhand fell on a stairway on a ship. The vessel challenged the claim but eventually lost the case.
- $575,000 Verdict: Two vehicles crashed while rounding a curve. The plaintiff suffered damages that required neck surgery. He had been out of work for some time after the accident due to the injury and recovered a large settlement.
- $375,000 Settlement: A woman was rear-ended by another vehicle. The plaintiff, who was in her 60s, suffered a lower back injury that required spinal fusion.
- $775,000 Verdict: A driver required two separate surgeries after he was struck by another car making an illegal turn. One of the surgeries was a spinal fusion.
An experienced attorney can help you closely determine the average value of a lumbar fusion lawsuit. You will be able to get a general idea of what you may learn after speaking with a professional lawyer.
Free Second Opinion
Clients often come to us asking about average lumbar fusion settlements because they want to make sure their current lawyers are doing all they can to bring them the fairest compensation possible. They want to compare those proposed settlement values to what other people have earned who were in similar situations.
This is not a bad idea. Many lawyers are lazy or do not care about the financial security of their patients. They aim to speed through as many cases as possible so that they can receive a steady stream of paychecks; they are known to settle quickly and for low amounts with insurance companies as well, and will try to talk you into accepting the offers because it’s all they can allegedly negotiate. These acts of bad faith are enough for you to consider legal representation elsewhere.
An accomplished attorney with expertise in spinal injury lawsuits at Normandie Law Firm is willing to give you a free second opinion on your case. We will tell you if we think your current attorney is acting in a manner that contradicts your best interests or if you can earn much more than what is being offered. You should always examine multiple options when dealing with legal issues, and searching for a lawyer is no exception.
Our Law Firm
Normandie Law Firm is here to help all victims of back injuries who have had spinal fusion surgery. We dedicate ourselves to bringing fair restitution to our clients and pride ourselves on our work ethic and results. We will aggressively fight for your rights as victims of accidents and workplace injuries and will strive to bring you a settlement you are satisfied with.
Call us today for a completely free and confidential legal consultation. You can discuss your case and current legal situation, and a professional, qualified attorney who has experience in spinal injury cases will give you all the information you need to know. Further, we offer you a zero fee guarantee on your claim – you do not pay us any money out of pocket; all of our expenses are paid for in the settlement we earn for you, so you lose no money whatsoever. If we lose, you owe us nothing at all.
Contact Normandie Law Firm today to learn more information about spinal fusion settlements. A lawyer experienced in spinal injury cases will be available to talk with you.
FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING SPINAL FUSION
Average Case Value of a Spinal Fusion Injury Lawsuit
Average Case Value of a Lumbar Fusion Injury Lawsuit
Back Neck Surgery Malpractice Attorney – Botched Spinal Fusion
Our Recent Back and Spine Injury Verdicts & Settlements
Our law firm has successfully settled tens of millions of dollars on behalf of clients who have suffered back, neck, and spinal cord injuries. Below, you will find some of our most recent settlements on behalf of these clients. If you have suffered a back, neck, or spinal cord injury, feel free to contact our lawyers for a free no-cost case evaluation.
