Neck, Shoulder & Back Injury

Respected injury attorneys representing clients throughout Washington and Oregon

At Philbrook Law, our Vancouver, WA neck, shoulder, and head injury lawyers understand how excruciating upper body pain can be. We work with your doctors to understand the cause of your pain and to show just how painful and crushing the pain is. We work with investigators and conduct extensive discovery to help show how another person’s negligence has caused you harm. For 20 years, we’ve helped personal injury victims obtain strong verdicts and just settlements for neck, shoulder, and head pain injuries.

What types of accidents cause head, neck, and shoulder injuries?

While head, neck, and shoulder injuries may be due to bad posture and old age, negligence is a common cause of these types of injuries. The following are well-known to cause head, neck, and shoulder trauma:

• Car accidents
• Truck accidents
• Motorcycle crashes
• Slips and falls
• Being struck by an object
• Violent acts
• Product defects

In most cases, we work to show a company or person was negligent and that negligence caused the head, neck, and shoulder injuries. In cases where a manufacturer’s defective product caused the injuries, the manufacturers and sellers of the product can be held strictly liable.

What are the common types of neck injuries?

Neck injuries are usually due to some type of forceful collision. Victims may not even know they have a neck injury for a few hours or even days after the accident. The more common kinds of neck injuries include:

• Whiplash. This type of injury happens fairly often in rear-end collisions. The car in the rear strikes the front car causing the neck of the passengers to whip forwards and backwards. Whiplash is a type of soft tissue issue injury that can take a long time to heal, and speaking with a Whiplash Injury Lawyer in Vancouver may help you understand your options if the injury was caused by a crash. Whiplash is a type of soft tissue issue injury that can take a long time to heal. Symptoms include:
  • A stiff neck
  • Headaches
  • Dizziness
  • Shoulder or back pain
  • Loss of concentration
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Memory loss
  • Depression
• A herniated cervical disk. According to the Mayo Clinic, a herniated disk occurs when “one of the rubbery cushions (disks) that sit between the individual bones (vertebrae) that stack to make your spine.” A herniated disk in the neck is called a herniated cervical disc. The disc can press on the nerves or spinal cord causing neck pain, numbness, and other systems. In most cases, the treatment is a surgical procedure or some type of pain management procedure.
• A pinched nerve. If the force of the accident moves the head to the side, such as in a car accident, the nerves to the arm can be damaged, causing brachial plexus injuries. This can cause shooting pains or stingers. Medications and therapy may be required.
• Spinal stenosis. This involves the narrowing of the spaces between the vertebrae of the neck.
• Neck fractures. Even in cases where a broken neck is neither fatal nor the root cause of paralysis, neck fractures could still require surgery to fix, and may never fully heal. There could be damage to the connective tissues, too. Some victims never regain full mobility.

What are the common types of shoulder injuries?

According to the University of Michigan Health System, the most common shoulder injuries include:

• Bicep injury
• Brachial plexus injury
• Broken clavicle
• Broken shoulder blade
• Bursitis
• Fracture of the shoulder
• Frozen shoulder
• Labral tears (SLAP)
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Scapuloperoneal syndrome
• Shoulder dislocation/separation
• Shoulder instability
• prains and muscle strains
• Tendonitis
• Torn rotator cuff

What are the common types of head injuries?

Of all the head injuries, traumatic brain injuries may be the most severe. However, they are not the only life-altering injury. Other head injuries can include:

• Skull fractures
• Hematomas
• Edemas
• Hemorrhages
• Diffuse axonal injury
• Concussions
• Injuries to the eye
• Injuries to the ear(s)

Did you know?

According to Harvard Medical School, there are two million ER visits for head injuries each year – resulting in more than 72,00 deaths, and 80,000-210,000 moderate or severe head injuries which require long-term hospital care and disabilities.

What treatments are used for head neck, and shoulder injuries?

The treatments vary depending on the location of the injury, the type of injury, and the severity of the pain. Often extensive physical, occupational, and vocational therapy can provide relief. Head injury victims often need speech therapy and other types of medical care. Medications may help.

Surgical treatments include:

• Neck injuries. Surgical treatments include steroid injections, physical therapy, traction, short-term immobilization, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).
• Head injuries. Surgeries include repairing a fractured skull, removing clotted blood, stopping bleeding in the brain, and opening a skull window to relieve pressure.
• Shoulder injuries. Surgeries include arthroscopic repair, fusion surgery, mini-open repair, open repair, revision surgery, shoulder joint replacement, and shoulder replacement.

Chiropractic care, acupuncture, and other types of medical care may also help.

Our Vancouver, WA injury lawyers have experience with these types of claims

At Philbrook Law, we have a strong track record of success fighting for accident victims who have suffered neck, head, and shoulder injuries including a recovery for a plaintiff who was forced to lay his motorcycle down when a car pulled into his lane from a parking lot, causing ligament damage to his spine and shoulder. We’ve helped thousands of negligence victims in Washington; let us help you, too.

Speak with a trusted Washington neck, head, and shoulder injury lawyer now

There is help for your excruciating pain. At Philbrook Law, we know that some injuries take longer to heal than others, and some may be permanent. If you suffered an injury to your head, neck, or shoulder because of someone else’s negligence, we can help. To schedule a free consultation at one of our offices in Vancouver or Portland, OR, please call 360-695-3309 or complete our contact form. We also serve the greater Portland area and Oregon State. We handle neck, head, and shoulder injury victims on a contingency fee basis. We see you in your home if you’re not mobile.

Rated 5 Stars by Our Clients

Read firsthand accounts from the clients our personal injury attorneys have represented in complex personal injury claims.

“You will not be disappointed. After my first meeting with Matthew I felt confident they were the team for my case. Tiffany provided great communication and assistance during the info gathering phase and also throughout the settlement phase. Thank you so much for going the extra mile.”

“They were able to find his insurance. I highly recommend hiring Matt and Tiffany. They took all of the insurance stress off my shoulders so I could concentrate on helping my son who had many broken bones and surgeries.”

“I reached out to them and within minutes, we had a great conversation. You can tell how much they care about their clients. They also went above and beyond to get the best results for my situation. Would highly recommend. You won't find anyone better!”

“Amanda especially was such a huge help. They handled two back-to-back car accident settlements for me, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome. The entire team was professional, responsive, and made the whole process smooth and stress-free. I truly appreciate their hard work and highly recommend them!”

“Not our fault! The other driver turned left in front of as after he was waved on by another driver. We both had minor to moderate injuries. Our Ford F150 Lightning became undriveable. We went to urgent care! One year later, we were having difficulty in reaching a settlement with the other drivers insurance company after they gave us a low offer. We felt we needed legal advice or assistance. We met with Tiffany Henson, who reviewed our case. She gave us the advice we needed to negotiate with the other insurance, rather than try to take it to court. Tiffany offered to review our letter and gave us further advise. After the insurance company reviewed our letter and statements they doubled the settlement amount and made all of the stipulations we had requested! We can not thank Tiffany enough for her caring personable attitude toward us. Her advise was right on and saved us from more anxiety and stress. If you have an injury accident do not hesitate to contact Philbrook attorneys. They will treat you right.”

“That’s how great these people are. Driving home one night in my shiny new car I was suddenly sandwiched inbetween 2 much larger vehicles. The damage didn’t seem like much at first, but ended up being four years of treatment & life long conservative care. I wasn’t a case that was easy to get treatment for and I felt very lost before I was recommended the Philbrook law team. I actually fired an attorney who had left me with more questions than answers and hired this office. It was the best choice I could have made for myself. They stood by me every step of the way. Thousands of questions and appointments all the way to discovery and settlements. I have recommended them to hundreds of people and will continue to at any given chance. Not once in 4 years did I question if I was in good hands. They really go above and beyond for their clients and I can’t thank them enough. I truly miss hearing from them. I’m sure not everyone can say that about their attorneys. Give them a call, you won’t regret it.”

“I had never needed to hire a lawyer for anything so I didn't know what to expect and I was nervous. Matt and his team were awesome. They helped me throughout the whole process with every question and concern. They were timely, knowledgeable, patient and courteous. I appreciate the hard work everyone contributed to my case and getting me a fair settlement.”

“They did everything to get what I deserved, They work for the best of my interest, and I really have the best experience with her, everyone in there is very polite and respectful. I hope that I will never have the need to hired them again but if I have to I will. If you're reading this review and you're looking a lawyer to represent you in a car accident matter, then don't look any further, they are the best.”

“My recovery treatment took well over a year and took up a lot of time outside of other life stuff. Once they took over my case, a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders and they took on all the burden from there on out. My insurance tried to settle for an absurdly low offer and Philbrook law got a settlement beyond my imagination. And they made it so quick and easy. I would recommend Philbrook law to anyone needing an accident lawyer. They were so efficient and stayed in touch through the whole process. Their whole team works hard to ensure people get the justice they deserve. Couldn't be happy with my settlement outcome!”

“It was very thoughtful, kind and helpful to have good advice, especially after asking another local firm and them not knowing what to do! I will definitely use this law firm in the future. Thank you!”

~ D. Pierce

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