Should I Get a Fusion Surgery after a Slip and Fall Accident?

Spinal fusion surgery, also known as spondylosyndesis, is a medical procedure that fuses two or more vertebrae together. By joining the vertebrae, it allows them to support each other and minimize nerve and spinal cord issues that can compromise your mobility. The procedure involves a bone graft (either from your pelvic region or from a cadaver), which is placed between the vertebrae. To ensure that the vertebrae hold together, the surgeon may use metal rods, screws, and plates.

Though we use the term “spinal fusion” for simplicity throughout this article, there are various types of surgeries that fall under this category. These include:

• Lumbar fusion 
• Cervical spinal fusion
• Posterior spinal fusion 
• Anterior spinal fusion 
• Anterior lumbar interbody fusion 
• Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion 

Spinal fusion may be the best option for those who are injured from a fall if all other courses of treatment are ineffective. With back injuries, the standard procedure is to use the least invasive method, so any type of surgery in that area would be the last option to explore with your doctor. However, if you continue to experience any of the conditions listed below, you may benefit from a spinal fusion procedure:

• Herniated disc
• Bone fracture
• Chronic pain in the lower back
• Unstable or weak spine
• Spinal stenosis 
• Abnormal curvature of the spine

A spinal fusion comes with pros and cons, and all these factors must be examined before you can decide on the right way to recover from a back injury. Make sure to discuss your symptoms with your doctor right away and let them refer to a specialist who can go over all the available options to heal you back if you were injured from a slip and fall.

A lawsuit for slip and fall injuries requiring back surgery may be worth between $80,000 to $1,000,000, with the most extreme cases resulting in payments of $3,000,000 to $5,000,000. The value of a slip and fall accident claim is based on many factors, including:

• If you sustained other injuries from a slip and fall, aside from your back injury
• How these injuries will affect your life in the long run (future medical care, limited mobility, disability, job loss, etc.)
• Your level of physical pain and emotional suffering due to the accident
• The defendant’s involvement in causing or contributing to the accident, i.e., negligence or misconduct

As stated previously, undergoing back surgery is a last resort, due to the fact that’s it’s an invasive and highly complicated procedure. Some patients will not experience full relief, and it’s possible you may have other complications, like persistent pain, nerve damage, or limited range of motion. That’s why you must have a thorough discussion with your doctor and a back specialist – perhaps more than one – before you can decide whether a spinal fusion is the right way to go.

Though we can’t help you in a medical sense, we have the skill and experience to represent you in a claim for monetary damages. We will fight tirelessly to bring you maximum payment and ensure that you have the funds to cover your medical treatments, lost wages from your job, and other monetary losses.

Based on the level of injury and the amount of compensation that’s being requested, a slip and fall accident claim typically takes around 6 to 12 months to settle. However, the actual amount of time to reach a settlement may be anywhere from a few weeks to over 3 years. Typically, claims against major businesses and owners of commercial properties take between 8 to 18 months, while those involving homeowners may settle in just a few months. If you are suing a city, county, or state government, the expected timeframe to settle a case is usually 1 to 2 years. However, a slip and fall claim against a government entity may be resolved in 6 months or less if you have relatively minor injuries.

If you fell down and injured yourself due to someone else’s negligence, the time limit to file a lawsuit is 2 years. As a general rule, the courts give you 2 years from when you had the accident to submit a claim for damages. But there are situations where a victim discovers the harm they suffered (injury or illness) months or years after the incident date. That’s why the courts allow 1 year to file a lawsuit if there is a delayed discovery of a slip and fall injury. The statute of limitations is based on the latter of these dates, but please don’t delay in filing a claim, no matter how much time you have. Doing so will only add to the amount of time before your case is settled, thereby allowing you to move forward with your life.

Please note that claims for accidents on government property have a deadline of 6 months. So, if you slipped on something at a city park, county agency building, sidewalk maintained by the city, etc., you only have 6 months starting from the accident date t file a claim. Government claims have specific forms and instructions that are very different than a standard personal injury claim. Due to the complications that are involved, contact our law firm and ask for help from a government liability lawsuit attorney.

Representation from an experienced attorney can make all the difference when it comes to a slip and fall injury claim. However, we know that victims are dealing with considerable expenses due to their recovery needs, and hiring a lawyer is expensive, even in the best of times.

We have a Zero Fee Guarantee to ensure that you won’t go without the help you need when you are seeking compensation from a negligent party. No matter what happens, you will pay $0 in legal fees, which are billed to the defendant and included in your settlement check. That means you pay absolutely nothing out of pocket, since our payment is based on winning your case.

The slip and fall lawyers of DTLA Law Group are waiting to speak with you, so contact us right away to schedule a free consultation.

Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
Texas Casino Slip And Fall Lawyer
Talk Show Audience Slip And Fall Attorney
CBS Studios Slip And Fall Attorney