Among the most terrible kinds of catastrophic injuries a person may get are spinal cord injuries. These injuries—which can cause partial paralysis, paraplegia, and quadriplegia—involve fractures, dislocations, severing, or other damage to the spine. Generally speaking, the degree of damage done to the spine will determine how badly the victim would be affected.
Two varieties of spinal cord injuries could arise: one designated incomplete and the other complete. Incomplete spinal cord damage suggests that some kind of sensation or mobility could be accessible below the area of the damage. These kinds of injuries could cause either partial or complete functional recovery. No recovery will take place with a full spinal cord injury; these individuals will suffer immobility and loss of function below the injured spinal cord for their lifetime. In this blog, we will look at the details of a spinal cord injury and get guidance on hiring a lawyer from Dolan Dobrinsky Rosenblum Bluestein.
Types of Spinal Cord Injuries
A common outcome of spinal cord injuries is paraplegia, in which the lower extremities are either partially or completely paralyzed. The legs and the top or lower part of the chest could lose sensation and use. Thus, one will lose motor abilities, sexual function, bladder and bowel control, and control over other organs. The paraplegic will have sensation and hand and arm function.
Quadriplegia is the paralysis of the body below the neck, affecting the arms and legs either partially or totally in terms of feeling and movement. Because of a loss of muscle control in the chest and torso, quadriplegics may also have trouble breathing or other respiratory issues. They also usually lose bladder and bowel control as well as sexual ability.
These are really severe physical disorders that will permanently alter the quality of life for the affected person. They can need personal help for the rest of their life just to finish daily chores, be unable to sustain themselves or their family and lose their independence owing to their permanent handicap.
Spinal Cord Injuries Damages Awards
Since spinal cord injuries can affect many facets of someone’s life, claims involving them might yield large damages awards. A personal injury attorney can guarantee the negligent party pays damages for all possible complications years after the spinal cord injury is acquired, as there is no reliable method to evaluate a person’s future losses resulting from the accident. Compensation for your injuries might include, but is not limited to, damages covering:
Medical expenses—including rehabilitation—may also be recovered for the following:
- Expenses of altering automobiles and dwellings
- If the injury is above C4
- Mobility aids (scooters, wheelchairs)
- Climate controls
- Specialized computer software
- Genitourinary and bowel supplies/equipment
- Family or marital counseling
Though damages are capped on pain and suffering at $450,997, as of January 2024, there is no cap applied to past and future loss of income or earning potential, future cost of care, or loss of housekeeping and home maintenance capacity, which can yield millions of dollars depending on the circumstances of the case.
Conclusion
Trauma to the head, neck, or back should cause accident victims to seek an emergency medical evaluation. Whether complications arise depends much on the time it takes to receive treatment for spinal damage. Should you also be bringing a personal injury lawsuit, it is also crucial to compile medical records.