Spinal Cord Injury: Causes and Liability
Depending on the severity of the SCI, its effects may be mild, moderate, or severe enough to cause death. To avoid further health damage, SCIs should be treated as quickly as possible after they occur.
For some sufferers, the effects of an SCI may be temporary, while for others the effects will be lifelong (paralysis). The most common causes of SCIs, as presented by NSCISC are:
If another party’s negligence caused your injury or the injury your loved one suffered, you need and deserve compensation for your accident-related expenses. The compensation recovered after making a claim can cover all medical bills and lost wages, as well as future medical care costs and pain and suffering. Depending on the circumstances that lead to your SCI, a claim to recover the compensation you need during this difficult time may be brought against:
- A motorist
- Construction companies or roadway designers
- A property owner
- A healthcare provider
- A manufacturer, distributor, or installer of a faulty or dangerous product
- A third-party manufacturer, contractor, architect, engineer, owner of the worksite, etc.
Our Miami-based spinal cord injury lawyer can help you file a claim to hold the liable party financially responsible. In our initial free consultation, we can help you understand the role of others in causing your injuries and determine if you are eligible to pursue legal action.
Spinal Cord Injury: Compensation
At The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary, we know the scope and complexity of spinal cord injuries and the life-changing expenses and complications that may most likely arise for you and your family. So, we understand that you are usually calling us on one of your worst days.
We believe it is essential to help you appreciate the challenges you and your family face. This appreciation will aid in the process of holding negligent parties legally responsible for the injury and the damages caused as a result. We also want you to know that you are not alone in this challenge and that we make sure our office is always available to you.
Economic Damages
- Medical costs. A person suffering from a spinal cord injury may be compensated for:
- Hospitalization in an acute care unit
- Medical consultations
- Surgery
- Prescription drugs
- Medical devices
- Physical rehabilitation
- Caregiving costs. Spinal cord injuries not only impact the injured person but also spouses and other loved ones who become their caregivers.
- If your family opts to hire a professional caregiver, it can expect to pay from $15 to $25 for every hour of service.
- If a family member cares for the suffering person, that family member may experience a loss of income.
- Loss of income for the suffering person. An injury can reduce or eliminate a person's earning capacity, requiring a significant shift in family finances. It has been estimated that only 12% of individuals with SCI return to their pre-injury jobs. Persons suffering from an SCI, injured by the negligence of another, and unable to return to work can recover for:
- Lost wages
- Future lost earnings
- In-home assistance and renovation costs. When a suffering person can return home following the injury, there’s a genuine chance that his or her lifestyle will undergo some drastic changes. Spinal cord injury claims can often help compensate you for any assistance that you may require at home. This could extend to:
- Manual and electric wheelchairs
- Orthotics (or braces)
- Ventilators
- Ramps or railings for the home
- Specially designed showers
- Modified automobiles
- Transportation expenses
- Unexpected medical costs. Lodging, meals, and transportation when the suffering person and his or her family must travel to and from medical care.
- Long-term medical costs. People suffering from spinal cord injuries are vulnerable to subsequent medical issues, such as high blood pressure, cholesterol disorders, diabetes, pneumonia, bladder infections, and bedsores. The expenditures associated with these conditions can quickly produce a large bill.
- Alternative medical treatments. Many persons suffering from an SCI pursue alternative treatments, such as massage therapy, chiropractic care, and acupuncture.
Non-Economic Damages
- Pain and suffering and mental anguish. People suffering from SCIs experience, on average, higher levels of distress and lower levels of life satisfaction compared with the general population. A person who suffers mental anguish due to an injury caused by the negligence of another may be compensated monetarily to mitigate the extent of the trauma.
- Loss of consortium. When a life-altering ordeal like an SCI affects a person, his or her loved ones are unavoidably also affected. In fact, their relationships and even marriages can often suffer during trying times. Loss of consortium is designed to compensate them for how they’ve been affected. It does play an essential role in situations where an injury resulted in the death of a loved one, as its scope applies more fully in this case.
Miami catastrophic injury attorney Sean M. Cleary is here to help people suffering from spinal cord injury/paralysis get the compensation they need for their costly medical care from those responsible so that they can focus on healing, recovering, and getting their feet back on the ground.
