One of the most common types of work injuries are neck injuries. Neck injuries can result in a significant amount of time off of work.  These types of injuries can also result in treatment such as office visits, physical therapy, medications, injections, and even surgery.  For these reasons, workers’ compensation insurance companies will try to deny the injury or refuse to pay owed benefits.

Most low neck injuries are caused while lifting, while others are caused by placing, carrying, holding, or lowering items or materials. Additionally, work-related neck injuries can also be caused by trauma, overexertion, falls, or strains.

Injured workers can sustain a variety of injuries to their neck, including:

• herniated discs
• strains/sprains
• fractures
• spinal cord injuries

It is important to seek the appropriate medical treatment and to choose the right doctor for you.  It is important to know what your rights are in selecting your own doctor.

Insurers may dispute that a neck injury even occurred.  It is important to report your injury immediately to your employer and seek medical treatment.

Following your work-related neck injury, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits even if you have a preexisting condition.  Under Minnesota Workers’ Compensation, as long as the injury aggravates, accelerates or worsens the preexisting condition and remains a substantial contributing cause to your disability, then you are allowed to collect workers’ compensation benefits.