Neck Injuries in Car Accidents

Cape Cod Attorneys Helping People Hurt in Accidents

Most people do not know that a car crash is going to occur until it is too late to avoid a collision, when they don’t have time to brace themselves against the force of the impact. As such, many people involved suffer substantial neck injuries in car accidents that can be painful and debilitating. If you sustained a neck injury in a car accident, you may be able to recover damages from the person responsible for the accident and should speak to a lawyer as soon as possible. The diligent Cape Cod car accident attorneys of The Law Offices of John C. Manoog, III, are adept at helping injured parties seek recourse from the negligent parties that caused their harm. If you engage our services, we will work tirelessly to help you seek a just outcome. Jointly, we have more than one hundred and fifty years of experience representing people injured in car accidents in civil lawsuits, and our dedicated advocacy has helped us to settle and win numerous cases for damages awards in the multi-million dollar range.

Neck Injuries In Car Accidents

Neck injuries are among the most common ailments caused by car accidents. For example, many people involved in a crash will suffer cervical strain or sprain, commonly known as whiplash, which is a soft tissue injury caused by a rapid back and forth movement of the neck. Whiplash is usually caused by rear-end collisions, but it can be caused by side-impacts and other types of accidents as well. Similarly, it is not uncommon for the force of a collision to cause a disc herniation in the cervical spine, which occurs when the soft material in a disc pushes through a crack in the disc. Herniation can cause pain, numbness, tingling, and weakened extremities. In some instances, the disc may become dislocated or fractured, which can cause symptoms similar to those caused by whiplash or herniation, but in extreme cases may lead to paralysis.

Fundamentals of Proving Liability for Neck Injuries in Car Accidents

Although there are many factors that can lead to a car accident, such as inclement weather, poorly designed roads, and reckless driving, the primary cause of the majority of accidents is carelessness. As such, in most lawsuits arising out of car accidents, the plaintiff, who is the party seeking damages, will allege a negligence claim against the defendant, who is the party that allegedly caused the accident.

Under Massachusetts law, to prove negligence, a plaintiff must prove that the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty to act with reasonable care under the given circumstances, but that the defendant acted in a manner that constituted a breach of the duty. The plaintiff must also show that the breach proximately caused the plaintiff to suffer harm. In other words, although the breach does not have to be the sole cause of the accident, it must be a primary force in bringing it about, and the plaintiff must show that the crash would not have occurred had the defendant complied with the duty owed.

A defense commonly asserted by defendants in car accidents on Cape Code is that the plaintiff’s behavior caused the crash, and therefore, the plaintiff should not be awarded any compensation. In Massachusetts, though, a plaintiff will only be barred from recovering compensation if the negligence attributed to the plaintiff exceeds the fault of the defendant. Otherwise, any fault ascribed to the plaintiff will merely reduce the plaintiff’s damages proportionately.

Discuss Your Accident with an Experienced Attorney

Neck injuries can greatly diminish a person’s quality of life and ability to earn an income, and anyone who suffers a neck injury in a car accident has the right to pursue damages. If you were hurt in a collision, the experienced lawyers of The Law Offices of John C. Manoog, III, can advise you of your options for seeking compensation and assist you in striving to protect your interests. Our zealous representation has enabled us to uphold a record of successful results, which includes many settlements and verdicts exceeding one million dollars. We help injured people seek damages in civil lawsuits on Cape Cod and can meet for consultations in Plymouth and Hyannis. You can reach us by calling 888-262-6664 or through our form online to set up a consultation.