Spinal disc herniations are often caused by auto accidents, slip and fall accidents, and work accidents.  If you have a disc herniation, then you must make the right decisions at every stage of your claim, or you could lose thousands of dollars.  The Griffin Law Firm has a history of great personal injury and workers’ comp recoveries for cases involving herniated disc injuries.  To review our settlements and verdicts visit:       [Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation Recoveries]

Herniated disc diagnosis is critical.  Spinal disc herniations often are first diagnosed as soft tissue injuries to the neck and back early in the treatment.  Soft tissue cases involve injuries to the muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues.  These injuries can be very painful, but they usually resolve after 4-8 weeks of conservative care (chiropractic or physical therapy).  For patients who do not find relief from the conservative care, a referral to a pain management doctor (psychiatrist, physical medicine and rehab physician, anesthesiologist, or other pain management specialist) is often the best second phase of treatment.  Pain management physicians often order a MRI scan to determine if the patient is suffering from on of the following:

  • spinal disc herniation  – These are often referred to as disc herniation, disc bulge, disc protrusion, ruptured disc, or slipped disc.  These are injuries to the discs in the neck or back that cushion the spine between each vertebrae.
  • facet syndrome –  Facet injuries involve damage to the facet ligaments in the spine that help hold each vertebrae in place.
  • degenerative disc disease – This condition is often pre-existing, but can be aggravated from trauma and injuries.  Often this condition involves narrowing of the spacing between the discs, stenosis, and osteophyte formation.
  • nerve root compression – These injuries involve pressure to the nerves, nerve roots, or spinal cord that often cause radiating pain, numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness.

Free Injury Consultation:  Call injury attorney Richard Griffin at 877-PAIN-LAW (877-724-6529) to get the answers you need to the following questions about our personal injury or workers’ compensation claim:

    • Do I have a personal injury, a worker’s comp claim, or both?
    • Which doctor should I treat with?
    • Who will pay for the medical treatment?
    • How can I be paid for my lost wages?
    • What is my injury claim worth?
    • How can our firm help you get a great recovery?

Why are herniated disc cases high value cases?  Because herniated discs are serious injuries that often require extensive medical treatment to control the pain and to allow the injured party to return to work.  The factors that determine how much an personal injury or workers’ compensation claim is worth are discussed below:

  • Herniated Disc Personal Injury Claims:  Attorney Richard Griffin is often able to settle these personal injury settlements for the auto insurance policy limits.  Many of these cases settle for $100,000 to $500,000 depending on the facts of each specific case.  The value of a personal injury claim is determined by the following:
    • Medical Expenses:  Herniated discs often require extensive and expensive conservative care, pain management, and even spinal surgery.  The largest settlements and verdicts normally involve injections and surgery.
    • Lost Wages:  There are also higher lost wages for herniated disc cases since these injuries often disabled someone from work for an extensive period of time.  Some people are never able to return to their previous work if it is physically strenuous.  The largest settlements often involve a permanent loss of earning capacity due to serious and permanent injuries.
    • Pain and Suffering:  Pain and suffering damages are often higher in herniated disc cases because of the intensity of the pain and the significant disruption these injuries can have to someone’s life.  This number is higher when the injured party needs extensive pain management and/or surgeries.  Pain and suffering also increases when the injured party has a permanent impairment rating, severe scarring, or disfigurement.
    • Punitive Damages:  Personal injury cases can often double or triple in value when the defendant is guilty of drunk driving (DUI) or hit and run.  This is because the plaintiff can receive punitive damages (damages to punish bad conduct) in addition to the medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.  Very high blood alcohol or drug levels or habitual DUI offenders can increase the punitive damages awarded even higher.
  • Herniated Disc Workers’ Comp Claims:  Our workers’ comp lawyers are usually able to negotiate higher workers’ compensation settlements for cases involving herniated discs because the injured worker will often require years of extensive treatment.  These cases are also larger than most because disc herniations often prevent the claimant from working for years and years.  Great workers’ compensation settlements must properly evaluate the following factors:
    • Medical Expenses:  Herniated disc injuries often require physical therapy, pain management, and spinal surgeries which collectively are very expensive.  The treatment for these injuries sometimes includes injections such as epidurals, facet injections, nerve blocks, and even nerve ablations periodically for the rest of the claimant’s life.  We make sure any settlement properly accounts for the cost of all of the projected future treatment for the 400 week cap.  If the case is catastrophic, then the case will evaluate the cost of the future treatment for the projected life expectancy.
    • Income Benefits:  Spinal disc herniations also make it hard for workers to be able to work.  This means that the future weekly income benefits for lost wages can be extensive.  Correct future income benefit projections are a key to a great settlement.  Claimants are eligible for income benefits for a maximum of 400 weeks from the date of the accident in most cases.  However, in catastrophic workers’ comp claims, the future income benefit exposure can be based on the claimant’s life expectancy.
    • Permanent Partial Disability Benefits:  Workers’ comp claimants often are assigned a higher permanent partial disability rating for herniated disc injuries.  This benefit compensates the claimant for the permanent loss of use of part of his or her body due to the on the job injuries.

Medical Treatment Decisions:  How can you make sure you make the correct decisions about medical treatment for your personal injury or workers’ comp claim?  You can accomplish this be hiring our law firm to guide you from the beginning of your case to the end.  These decisions will directly impact the following:

  • Will you get the treatment you need to physically recover from your injuries?
  • How can you get the medical treatment you need even if you do not have health insurance?
  • How can you utilize health insurance, auto med pay coverage, doctor liens, medical funding companies, and workers’ comp medical benefits to maximize how much you net from your settlement or verdict?

To read more about how the Griffin Law Firm can help you make the right decisions regarding your medical treatment we recommend the following link:

[Injury Attorneys help you make wise decisions about your treatment]

We can help.  You did not choose to get hurt, but you can choose to get the help you need to make sure your injury case is resolved in a way that helps you put your life back together.  Get the help you need today by calling our Pain Law attorneys at 877-PAIN-LAW (877-724-629) today.

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