Attorneys Penny Merkel and Joseph Merkel

Denver Workers’ Comp Attorneys For Neck Injuries

Neck injuries at work can be severe, affecting your ability to perform daily activities and causing significant pain. These injuries, whether they involve disk injuries, neck sprains or fractures, can require long-term medical care and rehabilitation. Whether your injury happened in a workplace accident or was the result of repetitive motions over months or years, be sure you have a skilled lawyer to help you earn the compensation you are entitled to.

At The Merkel Law Firm, LLC, we are dedicated to helping injured workers in Colorado navigate the complexities of the workers’ compensation system to get the benefits they need. Our extensive experience in these claims allows us to guide our clients through the workers’ compensation process with ease and skill.

Common Work-Related Neck Injuries In Colorado

The cervical spine houses delicate vertebrae, discs, nerves and muscles and even a slight injury can lead to serious complications. Common work-related injuries we handle include:

  • Cervical herniated discs: They occur when one of the discs that cushions the vertebrae in the neck ruptures or bulges outward. It can happen after heavy lifting or repetitive strain.
  • Whiplash: It occurs when the head is suddenly thrown backward and forward, stretching muscles, ligaments and tendons beyond their normal range.
  • Cervical fractures: A break in one or more vertebrae in the neck, often caused by construction accidents or falls from ladders.
  • Cervical spinal cord injury: Often results from severe falls, machinery accidents or falling objects.
  • Cervical radiculopathy: It occurs when a nerve root in the neck becomes compressed or irritated. This condition may develop after a traumatic accident or gradually due to repetitive stress on the cervical spine.
  • Cervical facet syndrome: Trauma from falls, repetitive motions or sudden impacts can damage these joints.
  • Chronic muscle strains: Repeated lifting, poor posture and repetitive movements can cause chronic muscle strains in the neck and upper back.

Our workers’ compensation attorneys can work with medical professionals to gather the necessary evidence to build a strong claim and pursue full workers’ compensation benefits.

Common Symptoms Of Workplace Neck Injuries

Some workers experience intense pain right away, while others may not notice significant symptoms until hours or days after the incident. Here are the symptoms you may notice:

  • Neck pain: It can be sharp, dull, throbbing, constant or intermittent and can worsen with movement.
  • Radiating pain: Pain that shoots into the shoulders, arms or between the shoulders often signals nerve injury. It can interfere with the ability to lift or reach.
  • Numbness and tingling: Compressed or damaged nerves may result in a pins-and-needles sensation in the fingers or arms, making it difficult to perform tasks.
  • Weakness: Neck injuries that affect the nerves can reduce muscle strength in the arms and hands.
  • Headaches: Many neck injuries cause headaches that originate at the base of the skull.
  • Limited range of motion: Inflammation, muscle damage and joint injuries often lead to difficulty lifting the head, looking up or looking down.
  • Muscle spasms: The muscles surrounding an injured cervical spine often tighten involuntarily to protect the injured area, which can cause pain.
  • Difficulty sleeping: Difficulty finding a comfortable sleeping position can lead to insomnia, fatigue and slower recovery.
  • Balance and coordination issues: Workers may experience dizziness, poor coordination and difficulty walking safely.

We will review your medical records and obtain workplace evidence to help ensure the insurance carrier pays the benefits you deserve.

Colorado Industries And Jobs At High Risk For Neck Injuries

In Denver and across Colorado, certain jobs expose workers to higher risks of neck injuries. Some of the industries and jobs include:

  • Construction workers: Heavy lifting and falling materials in companies such as J. Hartman Construction LLC and Cillessen Construction Company expose workers to significant risk.
  • Delivery drivers and truck drivers: Delivery drivers working for companies such as On The Clock Logistics and Denver Area Express Courier Services may sustain neck injuries from cumulative strain.
  • Warehouse workers: Warehouses along the busy I-70 corridor and other facilities, such as Colorado Fulfillment and Empire Warehouse, Inc., may have strenuous tasks that can lead to neck injuries.
  • Manufacturing and assembly workers: Workers at facilities such as Colorado PCB Assembly may develop chronic neck conditions from repetitive strain on the neck and upper body.
  • Nurses and certified nursing assistants: Nurses at facilities such as HCA HealthONE Presbyterian St. Luke’s and HCA HealthONE Rose face daily risks of musculoskeletal injuries from handling patients.
  • Office workers: Poor workstation ergonomics and prolonged computer use can result in chronic strain and persistent pain.
  • First responders: Police officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel routinely encounter physically demanding and hazardous situations.

Our workers’ compensation lawyer can uncover the evidence needed to establish how a workplace injury occurred. We aim to build a compelling claim and help you pursue full benefits.

What Colorado Workers’ Compensation Covers For Neck Injuries

After a serious neck injury, medical bills can accumulate quickly, and time away from work can affect your income. Fortunately, Colorado’s workers’ compensation provides important benefits that may help you move forward by reducing financial strain. These benefits include:

  • Medical treatment: It can cover medical care such as physician visits, diagnostic imaging, physical therapy, medications, surgery and follow-up treatment.
  • Lost wages: Colorado provides temporary disability benefits to eligible workers who lose income due to a work-related injury. Temporary Total Disability (TTD) is paid at ⅔ of your average weekly wage every 2 weeks.
  • Permanent disability: When permanent limitations remain, workers may qualify for permanent disability benefits under Colorado law.
  • Vocational rehabilitation: Vocational rehabilitation can help injured workers develop new skills and pursue alternative employment opportunities if the injuries hinder them from returning to their previous job.

Recovering benefits is not always straightforward. Insurance carriers may dispute the severity of your injury or undervalue the long-term impact of your condition. Our lawyer can advocate for full compensation under Colorado workers’ compensation law.

Helping You Through Your Claim

We serve injured workers in Denver and the surrounding areas. We proudly represent clients through workers’ compensation cases to help them earn the resources they need to cover the costs of medical expenses, lost income and other eligible costs. To ensure we provide you with the representation you deserve, we take the time to learn about the full extent of your injuries, the nature of the accident that caused them and anything else relevant to your accident or claim.

You likely qualify for workers’ compensation if your neck injury results from a fall at work, heavy lifting or repeated strain. Our workers’ compensation lawyers are prepared to stand up for you after you suffer an injury such as disk injuries, sprains, strains, fractures, and back injuries.

As your legal representation, we will complete any necessary paperwork for you, report your injury following company policy, ensure you receive necessary medical assistance and address any other legal obligation on your behalf, all in the interest of helping you recover from your workplace injuries.

Leave Your Claim With Experienced Attorneys

When you are hurt on the job, make sure that you receive the full compensation you deserve for your injuries.

Contact our Denver, Colorado, workers’ compensation attorneys by calling us at 303-276-8665 or emailing us here to schedule your initial consultation today.