Back and Neck Injuries

Why Back and Neck Injuries after a Car Accident Should Never Be Ignored

October 17, 2016 | By Dave Abels

One of the biggest causes of injuries for those in Chicago each year continues to be car accidents and other traffic incidents that occur on local roads and expressways. In fact, the Illinois Department of Transportation reported that 285,477 such traffic crashes happened in the state in 2013 alone. Of those, the official statistics report that 21.4 percent resulted in injuries to at least one person involved.

The percentage allocated to injury accidents likely is low, though, because it is based upon the self reports of victims immediately after they are involved in a collision. Typically, vehicles collided and a law enforcement official is sent to respond to the scene. That officer will ask the drivers and passengers involved if they are hurt and in need of an ambulance if an ambulance has not already been called to the area. There is a tendency among accident victims to underplay their symptoms right after an impact because they are in shock and unsure exactly how they feel. Often, their minds have not slowed enough for them to process what happened to them and the adrenaline rushing through their veins may delay the onset of pain.
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Anatomy of a Spinal Disc Herniation after an Accident

October 23, 2015 | By Dave Abels

When an accident occurs, it is common for victims to suffer from injuries to their back and/or neck. A slip-and-fall, a car crash, or even an incident at work can all cause strain, pressure, or an impact to a victim’s spinal column which can cause numerous problems and conditions. One of the most problematic and painful can be a herniated disc, a type of injury where the interior portion of a spinal disc protrudes beyond the exterior portion.

The spinal column is comprised of 33 separate bones, or vertebrae, that stack on top of one another. They are categorized by their location with seven cervical vertebrae, 12 thoracic vertebrae, and five lumbar vertebrae. Below the lumbar vertebrae are the sacrum and the coccyx which are made up of five and four fused vertebrae, respectively. These vertebral bones serve to hold up the body as well as providing protection for the delicate spinal cord that passes through their hollow center.
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New Dummy Reducing Risks of Injuries in Car Accidents in Chicago and Elsewhere

March 5, 2012 | By Dave Abels

Chicago child injury attorneys at Abels & Annes often handle cases where kids have been hurt in traffic collisions.

A new crash test dummy is hitting the market and it’s being used to help keep your child safe in the event of a car accident in Chicago and elsewhere. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the new dummy is being used to test all of the new booster seats and car seats for kids who weigh more than 65 pounds. The new kid dummy represents a 10-year-old child and it is the newest edition to the NHTSA’s family of crash test dummies. It’s the best and most accurate tool available for testing child seats and for assessing the risk of injury among children who use higher-weight child car seat systems.”It’s good news that manufacturers are making more car seats and boosters than ever before,” said the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Secretary, Ray LaHood.

Child car seats are always changing to meet consumers’ needs. It’s more important now more than ever to make sure that safety regulators have the most advanced tools to help them to evaluate just how well these seats are going to work in the event of an accident. The new child dummy really is breakthrough technology for the DOT’s crash test program. Officials see this new addition as a giant step forward in helping them to better evaluate the performance of child car seats.

The new dummy was created to help make sure that child seats are meeting the newly updated child car seat requirements. It will also be able to provide brand new information regarding the specific risks for injury using knee and head excursions and even chest acceleration.

According to the final rule that was recently issued by the NHTSA, the new federal car seat standards will include booster seats and kid car seats for children who are more than 65 pounds and less than 80 pounds. The new standard will also be used to test how well these new kid car seats will deal with collision energy and whether or not the seat’s structure will stay intact when the dummy is used.

Car seat manufacturers will be allowed 24 months to certify their higher-weight car and booster seat to meet the new requirements.

Even though the new dummy is a huge step in the journey to better child protection in the event of an accident, David Strickland of the NHTSA says that the Administration is already trying to take the next step it can take to better protect these young passengers.

Remember that none of these tests and none of these newly designed seats will help you to protect your child in the event of an accident if they’re not used correctly. Buckle up your little passenger during every car ride!
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Car Accident Survivors Sent to Chicago Hospital – Two Dead, Two Paralyzed, One Seriously Injured

August 1, 2011 | By Dave Abels

A horrific head-on collision devastated a family, killing both parents and leaving the two sons paralyzed from the waist down. Despite intense therapy, doctors are unsure if the boys will ever regain use of their legs. The 9- and 8-year-old boys were on their way home with their family from a road trip when the family suffered a tragic car accident in Colorado. The accident happened on Highway 285 in Fort Stockton when an SUV swerved into the lane that the family’s minivan was traveling in and collided with the vehicle head on. In addition to the brothers injuries, the parents died and their 6-year-old sister’s arm was broken, according to Huffpost Impact.After the accident, the boys were taken to the Covenant Health System’s Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Lubbock. Later on they were airlifted to the Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital because of the severity of their spinal cord injuries. They were then transported to Chicago’s Shriners Hospital. Our Chicago personal injury attorneys understand how fortunate we are to have facilities like this in our area. The Shriners Hospital is a facility renowned for its work in pediatric spinal cord rehab. The boys will continue their treatment here in Illinois. Spinal cord and neck injuries can and do occur in serious car accidents.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the spinal cord column consists of more than 31 bones (or vertebrae), 7 cervical vertebrae (neck), 12 thoracic vertebrae (upper and middle back), 5 lumbar vertebrae (lower back), 5 sacral vertebrae (sacrum) and 2 fused coccygeal vertebrae (coccyx). Also in the spinal cord is the central bundle of nerves in charge of sending signals to and from the brain and the rest of the body. Damage to the spinal column can be detrimental to these functions.

Roughly 200,000 people have to live with SCI in our country. It is estimated that there are anywhere between 15 and 40 cases per million people every year. This means anywhere between 12,000 and 20,000 new patients are treated for SCI every year.

Motor-vehicle accidents contribute to nearly 50 percent of these injuries. Men are most likely to be the victim of SCI as they account for 80 percent of all patients. Most of the new SCI cases are of people 30-years-old or younger. It’s estimated that approximately 60 percent of these new cases occur in those ages 15- to 35-years-old.

This is no cheap injury either. The CDC estimated that the lifetime cost for this injury can be more than $3 million. This means a patient could potentially have to fork over anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000 a year if they suffer from SCI.

Insurance companies understand the liability and can sometimes move quickly toward a settlement — even offering a check claiming to be the maximum available under the policy limits of the at-fault driver. If a loved one suffers a spinal cord injury, seeking the immediate representation of an Illinois injury lawyer can be vital to protecting your rights. An accident lawyer will charge you nothing for a confidential consultation — and will often come to your home or hospital room.

Do not make any statements to opposing insurance representatives. Do not sign any paperwork and do not accept any payment. Choosing a lawyer can be an important first step toward ensuring that the necessary resources for rehabilitation and long-term care will be made available to you and your family.
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Illinois injury attorney to represent Chicago woman hurt in crash

June 6, 2011 | By Dave Abels

Accident lawyers at Abels & Annes have signed on to represent a South Side resident that was recently injured in a car crash. The collision occurred at 79th and Claremont.

The plaintiff was traveling southbound on Claremont in her Hyundai Sonata when the defendant, who was eastbound on 79th, failed to yield the right-of-way coming out a stop sign. Southbound traffic had no stop sign.

The Chicago Police Department investigated the accident. After speaking to all parties involved, they placed the defendant at fault.

Chicago truck accident lawyer reaches $825,000 settlement

May 5, 2011 | By Dave Abels

Illinois truck crash attorney Gary Annes of Abels & Annes recently resolved a tractor-trailer vs. automobile accident claim on behalf of a Chicago resident for $825,000.

The claim arose out of a collision that took place in August, 2009 in the afternoon hours. Both the plaintiff and the defendant truck driver were headed northbound on Interstate 94. The tractor-trailer was in the center lane and our client was in the right lane. The semi truck change lanes, failing to observe the plaintiff, and struck the rear driver’s side of her car with the front passenger side bumper of the truck.

The impact sent our clients car spinning across three lanes of traffic into the left retaining wall. The front end of her car struck the wall, causing the vehicle to bounce back while still spinning. As the vehicle spun, the passenger side sideswiped another vehicle, causing a third impact. Finally, the vehicle struck the right retaining wall with the rear driver side of her vehicle for a fourth impact before coming to a rest.

Chicago injury attorney to represent injured truck driver

April 15, 2011 | By Dave Abels

Illinois work injury lawyers and Chicago motor vehicle accident attorneys at Abels & Annes have agreed to represent a truck driver that was injured on the job. The client will be pursuing both a worker’s compensation claim and a third party claim.

In the course of his employment, the trucker was making a delivery in Chicago earlier this month. He was working on a loading dock when a forklift driver quickly turned a corner and struck him. The forklift was moving too fast for conditions on the loading dock.

Immediately after the collision the truck driver started experiencing back and neck pain. An ambulance was called and he was taken to Mercy Hospital and Medical Center.

Chicago injury lawyer receives $35,000 verdict in Illinois auto accident lawsuit

April 8, 2011 | By Dave Abels

Illinois car accident attorney Gary Annes of Abels & Annes obtained a $35,000 jury verdict this week in the Circuit Court of Cook County. The case stemmed from an automobile vs. motorscooter accident that occurred back on June 25, 2008 at around 5:45 PM on westbound Lawrence Avenue in Chicago.

At the time of the accident, the plaintiff was riding a motor scooter and a car in front of him stopped to make a left turn. Our client then stopped behind that car.

At that time the defendant, who was westbound on Lawrence Avenue driving a Buick Century, failed to stop and struck the plaintiff from behind. The impact caused our client to fall off the scooter, landing on his back.

Chicago Worker’s Compensation lawyer to represent injured store employee

January 21, 2011 | By Dave Abels

An Illinois work comp attorney at Abels & Annes has agreed to represent a North Side resident who sustained back injuries while working at a large home goods store in July, 2010. The claimant sustaining injuries from lifting heavy objects on a repetitive basis.

After the client got hurt, she underwent treatment with her personal doctor. Over time her pain did not improve, so she also treated with an orthopedic physician in Chicago. An MRI was ordered which showed our client sustained two bulging discs due to the heavy lifting at work.

In a work injury case such as this one, our office will work to ensure that the claimant continues to receive medical treatment as needed, that she receives temporary total disability pay for time off work if warranted, and at the end of the case we will negotiate a bodily injury settlement on her behalf.

Teen killed in fatal Chicago pedestrian accident blamed on drunk driver

March 12, 2010 | By Dave Abels

A 15-year-old Bowen High School freshman is dead following a weekend Chicago pedestrian accident after being struck by as many as three vehicles, including a drunk driver, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Chicago police said the teenager was struck by a drunk driver while walking home, thrown into the path of a second vehicle and hit again. Police are investigating reports that a third vehicle may also have been involved.

The girl had just stepped onto East 87th Street near King Drive when she was run down at about 11:15 p.m. Saturday. She died Monday morning at Advocate Hope Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn.