Blog Topic

Whiplash Can Lead to Chronic Pain
Posted by: Christopher Hoffmann
March 27, 2009

Whiplash is a neck injury that occurs when the head moves suddenly backward then forward. As the Mayo Clinic notes, it is a common injury that is most often associated with rear-end car crashes.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke states that whiplash may include "injury to intervertebral joints, discs, and ligaments, cervical muscles, and nerve roots." According to eMedicine Health, symptoms of whiplash include:

• Neck pain
• Neck swelling
• Tenderness along the back of your neck
• Muscle spasms (in the side or back of your neck)
• Difficulty moving your neck around
• Headache
• Pain shooting from your neck into either shoulder or arm

A motorist who suffers mild whiplash in a car crash may recover from the injury within four to six weeks. Unfortunately, for those who receive severe whiplash in an auto accident, the recovery can be much longer. In some cases, whiplash can lead to severe, disabling chronic pain.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident, contact The Hoffmann Law Firm by filling out our online contact form or by calling 314.361.4242.

The Hoffmann Law Firm specializes in motor vehicle accident claims. By focusing our practice on car accident and truck accident claims, we are in a better position to provide you with important information - especially information regarding the value of your claim and the strengths and limitations of your case.

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Car Crashes are the Leading Cause of Spinal Cord Injuries
Posted by: Christopher Hoffmann
March 12, 2009

According to The National Spinal Cord Injury Association, more than 30 people each day are paralyzed as a result of sustaining a spinal cord injury. The leading cause of spinal cord injuries are auto and motorcycle accidents, reports the Mayo Clinic.

The spinal cord consists of a bundle of nerves that carry messages to and from the brain to the rest of the body. A spinal cord injury disrupts the delivery of those messages. A spinal cord injury survivor may suffer paralysis and loss of sensation below the injury.

Adjusting to life after a spinal cord injury can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are resources for survivors and their families to turn to after an injury.

The National Spinal Cord Injury Association is dedicated to educating and empowering survivors. The organization's Web site is packed with information and resources.

The Mayo Clinic's Web site contains helpful information on testing, treatment and complications associated with spinal cord injuries.

The Hoffmann Law Firm's Web site contains legal information that may assist survivors and their families who are coping with a spinal cord injury related to an auto accident. If you or a loved one sustained a spinal cord injury in a truck, car or motorcycle accident and would like to discuss your rights, please fill out our online contact form or call us at 314.361.4242 or 866.763.6433.

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Seat Belt Safety for Children
Posted by: Christopher Hoffmann
March 06, 2009

According to Safe Kids USA, car crashes are the number one killer of children in the United States between the ages of 3 to 14. To lower the risk of death or serious injury, parents need to know the correct way to buckle up as well as the safest equipment to use.

For parents whose children have outgrown car seats, booster seats remain a must. Recently, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute released safety ratings for booster seats.

Surprisingly, 13 of the 41 booster seats tested failed to make the grade. The 13 booster seats that the researchers refused to recommend did a poor job of improving the fit of the lap and shoulder belts for children. Good booster seats make sure that seat belts cross a child's bony parts such as the pelvic bones. The booster seats that failed to make the grade left the lap belt partially or fully on the abdomen.

The researchers concluded the ten best-bet boosters include 3 backless seats: Combi Kobuk, Fisher-Price Safe Voyage and Graco TurboBooster. The six highback booster seats identified as best bets include: Britax Monarch, Britax Parkway, Fisher-Price Safe Voyage, LaRoche Bros. Teddy Bear, Recaro Young Style and Volvo booster cushion. The combination Safeguard Go seat, when used as a backless booster, was also named a best bet.

If you have been in a motor vehicle accident, you should seek our services. Motor vehicle accidents are all we do, and we do them well. Our lawyer, Chris Hoffmann, has over 10 years of experience and a track record of success in handling car accident and truck accident claims throughout Missouri and Illinois.

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