Arizona workers’ compensation covers medical care costs, lost wages, and more if you experience a herniated disc injury because of an on-the-job accident or working conditions. The Matt Fendon Law Group can help you to receive the maximum benefits you are entitled to in a workers comp settlement for a herniated disc condition.

Here, we cover what a herniated disc injury is, its causes and symptoms, what you might expect from a workers’ compensation settlement for disc herniation, and factors that determine how much you can receive in a settlement.

What Workers Comp Benefits Can I Receive for a Herniated Disc?

In an average workers compensation settlement for a herniated disc, you may be eligible to receive some or all of the following benefits:

• Permanent and temporary disability payments
• Reimbursement for medical expenses, including doctor visits, surgical costs, and prosthetics
• Permanent care costs
• Lost wages
• Disability benefits

Herniated Disc Treatments and Costs

Treatment options for disc herniations can be conservative, like prescription pain medication and muscle relaxants like epidural or corticosteroid injections, and physical therapy.

Treatment can be more aggressive for complex injuries, including surgery to remove herniated disc material or spinal fusion surgery to join two or more vertebrae.

The ranges vary, but the medical bills and other costs associated with conservative treatment can be from $5,000 to $20,000, while surgery can cost from $40,000 up, depending on the nature of the injury, the severity of the symptoms, their duration, the location of the herniated disc, lost wage amounts, and the complexity of the needed treatment.

Insurance Company Considerations in Settlement for Herniated Disc Injuries

Workers’ compensation insurance providers consider several factors when negotiating your settlement amount for a herniated disc. These include whether any pre-existing injuries are involved, the physical demands of your job and how they affect whether you can return to work, whether you can find alternate employment if you cannot go back to your old job, the medical evidence connected with your injury, the treatment you have received and will need in the future, your wage loss benefits, and more.

In Arizona, an average workers’ comp settlement for a herniated disc injury can be structured, such as a compromise and release award or a lump sum full and final payment. Which of these options is best for you depends in part on the degree of your maximum medical improvement, whether you will need temporary disability benefits or permanent benefits, your ability to return to work, and the predictability of your future medical treatment.

As an injured worker, you do not need to have an attorney to represent you in settlement negotiations with the insurer. However, an experienced workers’ compensation attorney can help you receive all necessary benefits, including medical expenses and wage loss compensation.

Remember, your employer’s insurance provider is not obligated to represent your best interests in settlement, and will be motivated to save costs in any settlement payout, whether structured or in a lump sum payment.

What is a Herniated Disc?

Your spinal cord consists of vertebrae separated and cushioned by discs. These discs have a rubbery outer surface and a gelatinous inside. In a herniated spinal disc, the soft inside material can be displaced when the rubbery surface is damaged, irritating nearby nerves.

When this happens, you can experience symptoms like pain, muscle spasms, tingling sensations, or weakness in your arms or legs.

Herniated Disc Causes

A herniated disc condition often happens over time. Most of the time, the cause is repetitive motion or using your back muscles in manual labor to lift heavy objects. Less often, a traumatic back injury, like a fall, a car accident, or an object striking your spine, can also be a cause. It can be hard sometimes to clearly establish what the cause is.

Here are some specific ways that you can suffer a disc herniation injury:

• Poor posture, like slouching or leaning forward.
• Repetitive movements like twisting and turning can lead to muscle fatigue and strain.
• Working at a fast pace can result in awkward motions, which can lead to strained muscles in the spinal region.
• Infrequent or inadequate breaks can lead to prolonged sitting or standing periods that strain spinal discs.
• Poor workspace arrangements, like improper chair height or computer monitors and keyboards positioned too high or too low, can lead to poor posture.
• Lifting heavy objects or bending increases the risk of a herniated disc.

Occupations More Likely to Lead to Herniated Discs

Some jobs are more prone to lead to herniated disc workplace injuries than others. These include:

• Manufacturing jobs
• Construction work
• Warehouse and assembly work
• Agricultural work
• Nursing home employment
• Quality inspectors and compliance workers

Talk to a Phoenix Workers’ Compensation Lawyer About Your Herniated Disc Injury Claims

At the Matt Fendon Law Group, our skilled and compassionate workers’ compensation lawyers are ready to help you with all aspects of your workers’ compensation claims for a herniated disc injury. 

We can represent you with your employer and insurance company in negotiating workers’ compensation benefits. If the insurance company denies your injury settlement claim, we can represent you in a hearing before an administrative law judge to argue on your behalf in an appeal.

Call us today at (800) 229-3880 to schedule a confidential, free consultation with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer in Phoenix. Or, if you prefer, you can contact us online to ask a question or to schedule a free consultation.