A fractured neck is a very serious injury. Depending on the prognosis for partial or full recovery, it may require very substantial amounts of compensation if the injury happened while at work. Most injuries should be covered by your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance which ensures that injured workers are paid for all related medical treatment, lost earnings and for long term disability as might result from a fractured neck injury. Because of the seriousness of this type of injury and the likelihood that it could have a very long term impact, it is advisable to seek legal help from an experienced workers’ compensation attorney throughout the claim process. Broken Neck Injuries Fractured neck injuries most commonly result from a nasty fall or as a result of a vehicle accident. Construction sites, especially those where workers work high up, with or without scaffolding, are typical examples of workplaces where neck injuries occur. Mining, oil and gas exploration and extractive industries and agricultural workplaces are also places where neck injuries can occur. Van and truck drivers who are involved in the transportation industry as well as forklift operators are at risk of collision and possible neck injury. Most bone fractures should eventually heal, with the help of surgery. The worst neck injuries are those in which bone fragments press against the spinal cord that lies inside the neck vertebrae. The worst case scenario would be if the spinal cord was cut completely, causing paralysis below the neck. Broken neck injuries vary from serious but remediable through to permanent loss of use of the body below the neck and a future life in a wheel chair and a need for accompanying support. How Much is a Workers’ Compensation Broken Neck Injury Worth? Every workplace broken neck injury is unique and must be assessed carefully by medical and/or legal professionals before calculating the value of a workers’ compensation claim. The two biggest variables are the extent and complexity of the surgery required to deal with the injury and the long term implications, especially whether a return to work is feasible. A workers’ compensation claim should result in full compensation for medical treatment, both current and into the future. The claim should also lead to compensation for lost earnings. If the injury was so severe that no return to work at all was possible, then this must be realistically compensated for. This means that a broken neck injury could result in compensation worth anything from several thousand dollars for a chipped or single fractured neck vertebra right through to hundreds of thousands of dollars for an injury so severe that partial or full paralysis is involved. Talk to a Workers’ Comp. Attorney After any serious workplace injury which may require substantial compensation payments, it is vital to contact an experienced workers’ compensation attorney. The attorney will have dealt with injuries like this before and will be able to use credible medical witnesses to push for the maximum compensation permitted under the workers’ compensation laws in that state. Additional Resources Workers' Compensation: How Much is Your Claim Worth? Common Mistakes When Documenting My Workplace Accident
