Spinal cord injuries affect almost 300,000 Americans and are often the result of car accidents and falls. For spinal cord injury victims and their families, life may never be the same. These injuries often require extensive hospitalizations, surgeries, and long-term care, which are some of the costliest medical expenses for a family. In cases where the injuries were caused by accidents and/or negligence, victims and their families should consider consulting with an attorney with experience in spinal cord injuries. An experienced injury attorney can passionately pursue compensation so the family and victim can focus on recovery.
Your spinal cord is a bundle of nerves, tissue, and vertebrae that runs down your back and connects to your brain, forming your central nervous system. It is one of the most important structures in your body, and when it is injured, it could cause pain in many different places. Common types of spinal cord injuries can range from issues with herniated, ruptured, or bulging discs, which can cause painful conditions and may require surgery and extensive recovery time, to different forms of paralysis, such as paraplegia and quadriplegia which require lifetime care.
The Financial Burden of a Spinal Cord Injury
After suffering a spinal cord injury, victims and their families often struggle with medical bills, lost wages, and uncertainty about the future. Spinal cord injuries are often complex, which is why it’s important to speak with an attorney about your options. An attorney experienced in spinal cord injuries can represent the victim and the family and will be able to facilitate a medical evaluation pertaining to the extent of the victim’s impairments. A medical evaluation asks questions like can the victim work?; can the victim live independently?; what medical interventions may improve the prognosis of the victim?
Another important aspect of the case is what the likely outcome is from the long term from a medical standpoint. Victims of spinal cord injury often require extensive immediate and rehabilitation care. Upon returning home, round-the-clock home health care aides, therapists, and hospital equipment made for a home setting may be needed. In some cases, many families will need to create an accessible home environment with ramps, lowered sinks and toilets, safety bars and wheelchair access in bathtubs/showers as well as acquire an accessible vehicle and an aide to drive the victim to doctor’s appointments and errands. The lifetime medical costs alone could easily reach into the millions of dollars mark.
Beyond medical expenses, the loss of future earnings may present a significant economic challenge for the victim and family. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, only 18% of spinal cord injury victims are employed one-year after injury. If a spinal cord injury victim cannot return to work permanently or for a period of time, that loss of future wages could be part of the financial compensation the victim recovers from the responsible party in a claim.
Brandon J. Broderick, Injury Attorney, Can Turn Your Setback into a Comeback
We understand the trauma that you and your family may be going through. We also know the importance of your case and its outcome. In addition to the passion and client-care we bring to every case, we will interact with insurance companies on your behalf as well as compile and review witness statements, medical reports, and other health care provider information to show the extent of your injuries.
Contact us today for a free consultation. One of our trusted team members will listen to your story, learn about your case, and can advise you next steps. Many of our clients feel a sense of relief once they make that first phone call. Don’t go it alone. Let us help you turn your setback into a comeback.