Spinal Cord Injuries: Filing a Claim

Spinal Cord Injuries: How a Personal Injury Claim Can Help You

A spinal cord injury can be one of the most devastating injuries a person can suffer. Spinal cord injuries can result in paraplegia, paralysis, and even quadriplegia. The conditions arising from a spinal cord injury can permanently affect a person’s entire life, leading to ongoing (and expensive) medical costs.

About The Spinal Cord

Paralysis, paraplegia, and even quadriplegia can all result from a spinal cord injury. The spinal cord is known as the body’s nerve center. It relays the body’s information associated with movement, and facilitates the sense of touch. The spinal cord also controls the movement and/or automatic functions of the body related to breathing. When a person has undergone a spinal cord injury, he or she may be lose all nerve functioning that occurred below the impact. Injuries associated with the lower spinal cord can cause weakness, numbness, or limited limb movement. In extreme cases, a spinal cord injury causes complete paralysis.

If you or someone you love has suffered due to a spinal cord injury, the process for recovery may have already begun. A big part of this process involves adapting to this new lifestyle. Fortunately, many individuals courageously live gratifying lives, all while coping with quadriplegia and even paraplegia.

If you have suffered this type of injury, you may be able to overcome the many challenges associated with a spinal cord injury, especially financially. Currently, one of the most basic and fundamental needs to support your process to recovery is finding acceptable financial resources that can help cover the costs associated with the injury. Your first step is to meet with a qualified and knowledgeable personal injury attorney. He or she can help determining if seeking restitution through an injury claim or lawsuit is the best option for you.

Seeking Help After a Spinal Cord Injury

Whether the spinal cord injury results from a fall, a car accident, or any other cause, its impact on the lives of the victims and their families can be overwhelming. The lifelong remedial costs associated with the spinal cord injury can be massive and excruciating. Filing a lawsuit or a personal injury claim can help your family when you feel overwhelmed by these financial responsibilities.

The overall purpose of seeking restitution for a spinal cord injury is to help alleviate the injured person for any losses caused by the accident and/or injury. The damages received will help to cover the expenses and restore the victim to his or her condition prior to the accident as best as possible. While many spinal cord injuries are irreversible, many factors need to be considered when charting a new path forward. For example:

• The amount the victim was making at his or her job prior to the accident
• Was the victim the primary source of income in his or her household?
• Can the victim sustain a job after the accident?

These all come into play when filing a spinal cord injury claim.

To further explain, in these types of cases, damages usually include restitution that can go above the repayment for accrued medical costs and/or pain and suffering. Victims of spinal cord injuries, often deal with permanent and life-changing effects. By seeking restitution, you can seek compensation for the ongoing rehabilitation and health care. You can also seek compensation for the financial costs of medical devices such as oxygen machines, wheelchairs, and rehabilitation. Additionally, you can modify your home to fit your needs. You may be able to install ramps or stair lifts to make it easier for you to go about your daily tasks.

A Lifetime of Medical Costs

Unfortunately, when it comes down to a severed spinal cord, the amount of treatment available is not extensive. The extent of the available treatment depends on the degree of the injury sustained. While treatments may be limited, sustaining a spinal cord injury involves many forms of medical care expenses. Supportive medical care is expensive, and it can also last a lifetime.

Seeking Legal Aid

The recovery potential after a spinal cord injury greatly depends on the scope of the injury. The medical costs can be staggering and ongoing. An effective personal injury attorney can strengthen your claim and help you on the path to recovery. By filing a claim, you are fighting to regain your quality of life and find recovery by adapting to this new life change. Experienced and qualified spinal cord injury attorneys can support your case and champion for your rights as a victim. Many attorneys in this area of the law work on a contingency basis. That means that they will only be paid if you successfully obtain compensation.