A spinal cord injury may well be the worst kind of injury a Texas accident victim can suffer. The devastating effects of spine injuries can leave a victim with a lifelong disability. Furthermore, the medical expenses for treating such catastrophic injuries are high.
Fortunately, a spinal cord injury victim can recover financial compensation from the liable party. First, however, you'll need the help of one of the best spinal cord injury attorneys in Grapevine TX. So, you can reach out to Glenn Law Firm to exploit the extensive experience our lawyers have dealing with spinal injuries.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries?
The spinal cord and the brain make up your central nervous system. This system is one of the most important in the body. Therefore, a spinal cord injury is any damage to any part of the spinal cord. Furthermore, the injury could be to any of the nerves at the spine's base.
Many factors can cause spinal cord injuries. However, the most common causes include:
- Motor vehicle accidents,
- Acts of violence, and
- Sports accident.
Furthermore, you can also sustain a spinal cord injury during risky surgical procedures. In this case, your injury lawyer can hold the medical practitioner liable for malpractice. Also, multiple parties can be responsible for your injury.
For instance, imagine that auto accidents caused victims spine injuries. Then, at the hospital, the doctor worsened the plight of the spine injury victim. Here both negligent parties can be liable. Finally, a variety of accidents can also result in spinal cord injuries. These would include work-related accidents, falls, alcohol, and even diseases.
How Is a Spinal Cord Injury Treated at the Scene of an Accident?
Frequently, the first and most obvious effect of a spinal cord injury is the loss of movement. Victims lose certain bodily functions that limit their ability to walk and move some parts of their bodies. Depending on the level of injury, victims may suffer partial paralysis. Furthermore, it may result in permanent damage such as complete paralysis. Unfortunately, you cannot reverse the effects of this devastating injury.
However, medical care can result in a better quality of life. Furthermore, treatment centers and their stages of treatment focus on preventing further damage. In doing this, many people don't know that treatment starts at the accident scene. The actions of the first responders can determine whether and when victims recover motor function.
Treatment at the accident scene aims at reducing spinal cord trauma. Emergency professionals often immobilize the spine gently and quickly. This is because any further movement can cause more damage. This immobilization is done with a rigid neck collar and a carrying board. It's in this state and with this equipment that they'll transport you to the hospital. Finally, at the hospital, the doctors now go into the more technical treatment procedures.
How Much Is a Spinal Cord Injury Settlement Worth?
Knowing how to calculate the worth of a spinal cord injury settlement is vital for a spinal cord injury survivor. However, an injury lawyer can help with it. So, you don't need to learn the calculation methods if you have an experienced lawyer.
Furthermore, knowing the value of a spinal injury claim can be challenging. This is because there's no fixed figure for apportioning such value. Instead, three critical factors affect the value of your compensation.
The Severity of the Injury
Generally, spinal cord damage is a severe injury. However, certain circumstances can worsen the wound for an injured person. Consequently, the severity of the injury results in a significant amount of money spent treating the same.
For instance, according to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, a high tetraplegia survivor can spend up to $1.06 million in the first year of treatment. Of course, this figure depends on the level of injury. Therefore, such amounts will inevitably impact the worth of any spinal cord injury case.
Reputation
Depending on the cause of the spinal cord injury, the defendant may want a quick and quiet settlement. Furthermore, they may even ask the court to seal the agreement. For instance, this may be so if spinal injuries result from the actions of a medical professional. Here, the doctor won't want the incident to tarnish their medical reputation. Therefore, in their desire to settle quickly, they can easily agree to the maximum compensation.
Age and Health
The age of the plaintiff also affects the value of their injury settlement. If they're younger, it means that they have more years to live with the future pain and loss of enjoyment of life. However, if the plaintiff is already old, they may not get much out of a claim.
Recoverable Damages From a Spinal Cord Injury Claim
You can recover a wide variety of compensation packages from an accident claim. In addition, you can classify the common types of compensation into economic and non-economic damages.
Economic Damages
This class refers to the amounts of money you've already spent or lost because of your injury.
- Medical Bills: The fault party will often cover the costs of your medical treatment. This is the primary compensation package. However, you can also recover the costs of any spinal cord injury rehabilitation. For instance, if you underwent any physical therapy to get back your daily function, you can claim the bills.
- Loss of Income: Your bad health can make you lose your source of income and wages. A lawsuit or settlement can give you both.
- Home Modifications: Your current health condition, especially loss of function, may necessitate remodeling your home. Furthermore, this will be more necessary where you suffer a disability. Therefore, fair compensation will cover this incidental expense.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are non-financial losses that your spine injury causes you. The courts and insurance companies often apply different calculating methods to assign dollar amounts to these losses. The most significant non-economic damage for spine injuries is pain and suffering.
Pain and suffering refer to any chronic pain or persistent pain you suffer because of the spinal injury. Suffering can also include any emotional distress such as depression, sadness, and humiliation.
Punitive Damages
Often, the courts grant punitive damages to plaintiffs. However, this compensation type only applies where the defendant's conduct was so bad that it deserves punishment.
Finally, you can also recover compensation for any property damage from the accident. Determining which of these common damages you deserve can be challenging. That's why you should engage a spinal injury lawyer.
Is There a Statute of Limitations for Texas Spinal Cord Injury Claims?
Most legal processes often have time limits within which you must start them. These statutory periods are defined in Statutes of Limitations. Furthermore, different states have Statutes of Limitations for various claims. For instance, in Texas, spinal cord injuries are subject to the Statute of Limitations for personal injury claims. Therefore, you have only two years to file your spinal cord injury lawsuit.
So, if your personal injury attorney doesn't institute your suit within this period, the courts will bar you from any remedy. However, you don't have to wait for two years. Therefore, it would be best to start your lawsuit as early as possible. This way, you can preserve the necessary evidence for your Texas spinal cord injury suit.
Texas Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys Can Get You the Maximum Compensation
The long-term effects of a spinal cord injury can significantly affect a person's finances and quality of life. With high medical bills and continuous medical treatments, it would be unfair for the victim to foot the hospital bills and other accident-related expenses. So, if you sustain spine injuries, you can sue the fault party and other parties responsible in a personal injury lawsuit. However, you'll need a spinal cord injury lawyer.
An experienced injury lawyer can evaluate your claim and advise you on the best way to get fair compensation. Our attorneys at Glenn Law Firm have significant experience dealing with spinal cord injury lawsuits. So, call us today for a consultation on your case.