The physical and emotional aftermath of incurring a spinal cord injury should never be underestimated. Spinal cord injuries affect approximately 12,500 people every year, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center. The spinal cord is responsible for the body’s movements, and when it is injured, life can take a horrifying turn in a heartbeat.
It is not uncommon for those with spinal cord injuries to lose their ability to walk, drive, work, play with their kids, or even tend to their own daily living activities such as grooming and bathing. While some spinal cord injuries are treatable, many are not, and the damage they wreak can leave the victim permanently disabled and in need of a lifetime of outside care.
If someone else’s poor decisions or negligent actions left you with a spinal cord injury, our legal team can help you put the pieces back together so that you can regain some sense of normalcy in your life again.
The Leading Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries Are:
- Motor Vehicle Accidents
- Falls
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Gunshot wounds
- Violent altercations (person-to-person contact)
- Bicycle Accidents
- Medical and surgical complications and errors
- Diving accidents
- Sports accidents, including those involving football, skiing, horseback riding and surfing
- ATV accidents
The Seriousness of Spinal Cord Trauma
The location of the injury greatly impacts its severity; this holds true whether or not the spinal cord’s nerves were involved in the trauma. If a nerve is severed or damaged, it can make complications of the injury even greater. Spinal cord damage can you to lose control of your bodily functions, including bladder control.
You can also lose control of the muscles in your legs. Some people are left with paralysis following a spinal cord injury; quadriplegia and paraplegia are not unusual with the most serious spinal cord cases.
The latter types of injuries are catastrophic, resulting in lifelong problems for the accident victim, and oftentimes, permanent disability. Spinal cord injuries cannot be reversed.
However, with proper rehabilitation and therapy, some spinal cord injuries are more tolerable over time, with pain generally managed by medication and with surgery that stabilizes the spine.
Those injured may need to make modifications to their lifestyle in order to cope with their limited mobility. Modifications to one’s home and vehicle are common. Because of the long-term care needs and the need to modify the victim’s surroundings can make for ongoing financial stress.
It is not unusual for serious spinal cord injuries to cost more than $1 million over the course of the person’s life.
If you have suffered a spinal cord injury, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain, and suffering, and future costs of care. Our legal team has a history of helping accident victims recoup damages for their injuries.
Contact our experienced Doylestown Spinal Cord Injury Attorney right away to discuss the merits of your case and determine the best legal actions for you to take in holding the responsible party accountable.