Spinal cord injuries are devastating—and expensive. The victim usually incurs massive medical bills for the initial injury, and often requires lifetime care to manage daily tasks. Most Americans can’t afford the bills, to say nothing of the lost wages and resulting damages.
If you or a loved one suffered a spinal cord injury as the result of someone else’s negligence or recklessness, it’s crucial that you work with a personal injury lawyer. Although you might be tempted to work with an insurance company on your own, you risk getting a lowball settlement offer. Attorneys are experienced in working with insurance companies as well as the litigation process, and have a better chance of getting you the help you need.
Spinal Cord Injuries, in Brief
The spinal cord is made up of nerves that communicate between the brain and the body. When the spinal cord is damaged, it can result in partial or total paralysis, loss of sensation and similar outcomes. Your spinal cord also helps bodily functions like breathing, sexual function, bladder control and more.
Complete spinal cord injuries are usually permanent. Lesser injuries might see some functional improvement over time, but the prognosis is rarely good.
Spinal cord injuries occur when the spinal cord suffers a traumatic injury or impact. Most commonly, this occurs due to car accidents. However, falls, physical violence and sports injuries can also cause damage to the spinal cord.
Causes of Action and Damages
When it comes to personal injury claims, spinal cord injuries usually stem from two causes of action: negligence and products liability. Negligence claims require the plaintiff to prove that the defendant had a duty of care (a duty to act in a common sense manner in the circumstances), they breached that duty, and as a result the plaintiff was injured. Products liability cases involve suing the manufacturer of a defective or inherently dangerous product, which caused the plaintiff’s injuries.
If your case succeeds, you could be entitled to economic damages (compensation for medical bills, lost wages and other easily calculated economic losses) as well as non-economic damages. Non-economic damages include pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of consortium or companionship and more. A lawyer can help you understand which damages you are entitled to, and how to prove your losses to an insurance company or jury.
Discuss Your Case with an Ohio Personal Injury Lawyer
When you suffer a spinal cord injury, you may be able to recover compensation for your losses. I’ll Make Them Pay!® Call me today at 877.614.9524 for a consultation, and we’ll work to get what you deserve.
