Spinal cord injuries are often catastrophic, and whether these serious injuries result from a fall, a car crash, or something else, they change the victims’ lives forever. Many people who suffer spinal cord injuries end up paralyzed to some degree and may require assistance with activities of daily living for the rest of their lives.
Others may recuperate in time and eventually be able to walk again, but that may not happen for months or even years after the spinal cord injury. If you have suffered a spinal cord injury at work or in a car accident, you may have a valid workers compensation or personal injury claim. Neck and back injuries are some of the most serious that many lawyers deal with in personal injury cases.
Some of the most common causes of spinal cord injuries are:
- Falls
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Surgical mistakes
- Defective products (including faulty vehicle parts)
- Violence
- Sports
Medical Definition of “Spinal Cord Injury”
Spinal cord injury is damage to the spinal cord, which is the bundle of nerves housed within the spinal column (commonly known as the backbone). The spinal cord carries messages between the brain and body, and injury to the spinal cord may result in full or partial loss of motor control and sensation.
Spinal cord injuries may leave victims paralyzed in the lower parts of the body (paraplegic) or in all four limbs (quadriplegic). Because the spinal cord is responsible for a range of bodily functions (breathing, body temperature, bladder, and sexual function), accident victims can suffer a broad range of permanent and serious health problems. And with these physical challenges often come emotional and psychological problems because many men and women with some degree of paralysis don’t feel whole, and they feel as though their lives will never be the same.
Spinal cord injuries, much like traumatic brain injuries, often change people lives forever in ways they never dreamed of, and many spinal cord injury victims are dependent to some degree on their loved ones for activities of daily living, travel, and monetary support.
If someone has caused your spinal cord injury due to their negligence, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. You will need an experienced personal injury lawyer with a history of handling catastrophic injury cases on your side.
Spinal Cord Injury Case Compensation
The main purpose of a monetary award in a spinal cord injury case is to compensate the injured person for the losses caused by the accident and injury whether it took place on a highway, a football field, or the victim’s workplace. Even though the money-based award (known as “damages”) cannot restore the victim’s life as he previously knew it, the compensation is designed to help the victim get back to the life he knew before the accident and injury, as much as possible.
Damages in spinal cord injury cases usually include compensation that goes above and beyond reimbursement for incurred medical expenses and pain and suffering. Since a spinal cord injury can have permanent and life-changing effects, damages may also include compensation for costs like ongoing health care and rehabilitation, the cost of assistive devices (wheelchairs), and modifications to the injury victim’s home (ramps and stair lifts).
If you have suffered a spinal cord injury due to someone’s negligence or wrongdoing, please contact a personal injury attorney in your area that handles complex spinal cord injury cases and schedule a free consultation today. There are statutes of limitations with all personal injury claims, so the longer you wait, the greater the chance of exceeding the statute of limitations for your type of case.
