A serious injury to the spine can impact a person for the rest of their life. Unfortunately, spinal cord injuries are much more common than many people realize. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), more than 17,000 spine injuries occur every year in the United States. While injuries to the spine can occur for a wide variety of reasons, car accidents are the leading cause of serious cases. Due to the many ways spine injuries can have a long-term impact on victims’ lives, it is important to work with a personal injury lawyer who can help determine how to recover financial compensation from the person or parties who were responsible.
Types of Spinal Injuries
While all spinal cord injuries should be taken seriously, the severity of an injury depends largely on the area of the spine that was damaged. The four types of spinal cord injuries are cervical, lumbar, thoracic, and sacral injuries. Cervical injuries are generally the most serious spinal cord injuries, because they occur in the head and neck area. Serious cervical injuries can result in loss of feeling or paralysis below the shoulders. It should be noted that many cervical injuries result in serious or fatal health complications.
The True Impact of a Spinal Injury
While a victim may receive treatment that can help regain stability in the spine, most spinal injuries are permanent. In other words, victims of severe spinal injuries will be forced to cope with the symptoms and limitations of their injuries for the remainder of their lives.
A victim may require extensive medical treatments and medications intended to avoid further injury and reduce swelling in the injured area. They may also require ongoing physical rehabilitation, and they may suffer from disabilities that impact their mobility and ability to work, and they may require assistive equipment and modifications to their homes and vehicles. In some cases, a victim will need to receive 24-hour medical care.
In the immediate aftermath of a spinal injury, the average patient will spend 11 days in the hospital and one month in a rehabilitation center. Even with the medical advancements that have been made in this field, approximately 30% of people who suffer spinal cord injuries will be rehospitalized after their initial injury.
Following a spinal cord injury, the costs of medical treatments alone can be prohibitive, especially if a victim needs ongoing physical therapy and other forms of care. A permanent disability can also have a huge financial impact on a family due to limitations on the victim’s ability to work and earn an income, the need for other family members to provide care, and the costs involved in modifying a victim’s home to meet their needs and maintaining the necessary medical equipment.
Contact a Green Bay Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
If you or a member of your family have suffered a spinal cord injury in a car accident, in the workplace, or in other circumstances, you will want to understand your options for pursuing compensation. At Herrling Clark Law Firm, Ltd., we can provide the legal help you need during this difficult time, and we will work to ensure you are fully compensated for the damages you have suffered, including the costs of immediate and ongoing medical care, loss of income by the victim or other family members, and your family’s physical and emotional pain and suffering. To schedule a free consultation with an Appleton personal injury attorney, call us today at 920-739-7366.
Sources:
https://www.nscisc.uab.edu/Public/Facts%20and%20Figures%202019%20-%20Final.pdf
https://www.shepherd.org/patient-programs/spinal-cord-injury/Cervical-Spinal-Cord-Injury