One of the most devastating injuries you can sustain is damage to your spinal cord. Direct trauma to the spinal cord can cause compression of the vertebrae, fracture to the cord, or can even completely sever your spinal column. Such injuries damage or destroy nerve cells that transport information from the brain to the body and can therefore result in serious physical and sensory limitations. While some spinal injuries can completely heal, victims can experience permanent paralysis below the location of the damage.
Spinal cord injuries occur in a number of ways, including:
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Auto accidents;
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Bicycle accidents;
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Motorcycle accidents;
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Falls;
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Construction accidents;
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Pedestrian accidents; and
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Sports injuries.
Victims in any of these accidents can suffer severe spinal cord damage and often have the right to recover monetary compensation for their often extensive losses.
Common Losses in Spinal Cord Cases
The following are examples of losses that victims can sustain following a spinal cord injury:
Medical Bills — Spinal cord injuries require emergency medical assistance to stabilize the spine and attend to possible respiratory issues. Additionally, certain treatment can help reduce nerve damage if it is administered within eight hours of the injury. Victims often remain hospitalized for an extended period of time and may require surgery. Rehabilitation, assisted living, home health care, and medical equipment can all be necessary and can result in overwhelming medical bills. Victims deserve to recover for not only past medical expenses incurred but also their estimated costs of future treatment.
Lost Income and Benefits — Individuals with any kind of spinal damage will almost certainly have to take time off work to recover and some may never be able to return to their jobs. Not only can they lose wages, overtime, bonuses, and benefits, but also may lose their future earning capacity. Economic experts can help calculate the value of lost future income.
Non-economic Damages — Like any serious physical injury, spinal cord injuries can result in serious pain and suffering. Victims can also experienced serious emotional issues from either the trauma of the accident or due to their new physical limitations. Victims often significantly lose their ability to enjoy their life as they normally would and they often have the right to recover for these intangible losses in addition to their financial losses. Spinal injury victims who have suffered permanent damage to their spine are often left paralyzed in their lower limbs or below the neck. As you can imagine, their lives completely change and they deserve to be compensated for their disability by any negligent party that caused their accident.
Contact an Experienced Wisconsin Personal Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you have sustained a spinal cord injury or any other type of injury in an accident, you should not hesitate to call a qualified Appleton personal injury attorney or Green Bay personal injury attorney at the [[title]] Our offices are located in Appleton, Green Bay, and Oshkosh and we offer free case evaluations. Please call today at 920-739-7366 for help.