Transactions facilitated by us are not to be considered loans. Your surgeon may recommend fusion if your spinal range of motion is disrupted, either from trauma at work, a car accident, a slip and fall, a fall from a height such as a roof or ladder resulting in a fractured vertebrae (both burst fractures and vertebral compression fractures), a herniated disc that causes cauda equina compression syndrome, or worsening degenerative changes (spinal stenosis, spondylosis, lordosis, spondylolisthesis, scoliosis, etc. The need for the fusion is related to degenerative disc changes that would have happened anyway, regardless of the work-related injury. For this reason, the probability of your success with a spinal fusion can rise tremendously. . You may be familiar with popular workplace injuries such as slips, trips, and falls. Grade II Lumbar Strain: A Grade II strain results in some damage to muscle tissue with swelling, tenderness, and bruising. These infections may require hardware removal. How to negotiate a top-dollar workers compensation settlement for spinal fusion if you are undecided about moving forward with the procedure or have already had it. We provide the best possible personal injury financing services and rates available in the market and can ease your financial burden today. If you have been injured or have become ill due to a workplace incident, we recommend speaking with a local workers comp attorney to discuss your case. Historical returns do not guarantee future results.. But, the compensation awarded in cervical fusion is not standardized; thus, the amount varies from case to case. Injuries to the neckand back are some of themost common injuries suffered on the job. But this does not make them any less severe. A negative MRI does not mean you are faking a back injury or capable of your pre-injury job. What Is The Average Settlement For Spinal Fusion? - Baker It results in swelling, complete tearing of the muscle, and loss of strength or tendon function. Lumbar fusions are the most common type of fusion performed each year, followed closely by cervical fusions. But it did not resolve your back or neck pain. Average Workers Comp Settlement for Surgery - WIN Injury To avoid confusion and simplify matters on, we'll use the word "loan" throughout this article. TheInternational Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines failed back surgery syndrome as: Lumbar (cervical) pain of unknown origin either persisting despite the surgical intervention or appearing after surgical intervention for spinal (origin) pain originally in the same topographical distribution. Failed back syndrome can occur after any type of spine surgery but most often occurs after a laminectomy. And there was a risk of some type of complication post-surgery and the need for repeat surgery. The nursing category includes certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and home health care aides. But, if these two treatment levels fail to reduce the pain, medical personnel resort to spinal fusion surgery. The general rule is that a multilevel lumbar fusion, one-level neck fusion, and one-level thoracic fusion are worth more than a single-level lumbar fusion settlement. What are the Physical Requirements of Your Pre-Injury Job? As spinal infusion is the most complicated form of treatment, it dramatically increases the potential of a settlement in back pain injury claims due to the following reasons: Generally, three levels of medical treatment are available in a back injury case. In my experience the average workers comp settlement amount for spinal fusion cases is $150,000.00 to $225,000.00, or higher. I have settled multiple cervical and lumbar fusion cases for more than $250,000.00, including several for more than $325,000.00 and one for more than one million dollars. Workers Comp Settlement For Neck Fusion Explained Obviously, the severity of the injury and the body part that is injured also play a significant role in the compensation that is awarded. But suppose the insurance carrier accepts that you suffered a back injury and agrees to the entry of an Award Order that covers all injured body parts. Auto mechanic: As an auto mechanic, you are often bending, twisting, reaching, and lifting while using tools and working around heavy machinery. Spinal fusion is a high risk surgery that comes with serious complications, including death. There are several reasons why your back surgery may fail to relieve pain. What Medical Treatment is Available if I Decide Not to Get a Cervical or Lumbar Fusion, or if I Continue to Have Pain after the Spine Fusion? Finally, divide $63,671.4 by 52 (the number of weeks in a year) to get your average weekly wage of $1,224.45. ), Most workers comp settlements include a cash buyout of future medical needs, vocational rehabilitation services at the employers expense, reached Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI), obtained a permanent impairment rating signed by a medical doctor, additional settlement monies if a resignation is required, only thirty days to give written notice of the accident to your employer, two years to submit a claim to the Workers Compensation Commission, HITECH Act A Way to Get Medical Records in Your Disability, Workers Comp, or Personal Injury Case, My Employer Wants Me to Use Sick & Vacation Leave for a Work Injury, Driving a motor vehicle or heavy machinery, Extended hours or overtime, causing additional muscle weakness and fatigue, Lifting or carrying items weighing more than 25 pounds, One-arm work resulting in muscle imbalance, Operating heavy equipment, including a crane or excavator. Average Workers Comp Settlement For Surgery - Forbes Before you decide, ask us to send you free written information about our qualifications and experience. Many of my clients reach that decision after talking with their treating physician, seeing another orthopedic surgeon for a second opinion, and discussing the surgery with me and their family. Judge's Review of the Settlement Furthermore, Despite its name, consumer legal funding is not a loan. And the loss of enjoyment of life and ability to work, combined with the cost of medical treatment, equals tens of billions of dollars per year. Explore our litigation financing solutions for claimants, institutional disputes, attorneys, and law firms. What Is The Average Settlement Value For Spinal Fusion? Of these, about 100,000 to 200,000 have only partial or no pain relief. A cervical or lumbar fusion is a surgical procedure with substantial risk. Is My Job Putting Me at Greater Risk of Injuring My Back? If the insurer or TPA (Sedgwick, Gallagher Bassett, ESIS, Landon Companies, etc) know that you will not have the surgery, then they will likely offer you a lower settlement amount for your spinal fusion claim. What are Common Causes of Work-Related Back Injuries and Pain? You must make your claim through the workers compensation system. F. You develop spine instability after a laminectomy procedure. Lumbar spine degenerative disc disease can take many forms: The extent of the lumbar disc disease, its impact on nerve roots and disc stability, and your symptoms determine if you are a surgical candidate. For more information on this topic, read my article: Workers Compensation Herniated Disc Injury Settlements, Osteoarthritis/Spondylosis: This condition refers to age-related wear and tear of the spinal discs, deterioration of the cartilage protecting the vertebrae, or narrowing of the space between vertebrae, Spinal Stenosis: This condition is a narrowing of the spinal canal resulting in pressure on the nerve roots and other spinal structures, Spondylolisthesis: This condition refers to the displacement (movement) of vertebrae in the low back, International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines failed back surgery syndrome as, : Lumbar (cervical) pain of unknown origin either persisting despite the surgical intervention or appearing after surgical intervention for spinal (origin) pain originally in the same topographical distribution., Failed back syndrome can occur after any type of spine surgery but most often occurs after a laminectomy, There are several reasons why your back surgery may fail to relieve pain.