What are Spinal Cord Injuries?
A Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is a debilitating damage to a person’s spinal nerve cord which usually results from automobile accidents. Statistics show that 50% of new SCI cases come from car accidents. Other causes may include falling from an elevated structure, sports-related accidents, and diseases, among others.
Medical Specialists would classify the injury depending on the location or the extent of the damage along the spinal column, usually from Class A to Class E with Class A being the gravest.
Cervical (neck) injuries often result to tetraplegia or the loss of sensation with all limbs, while thoracic injuries would lead to paraplegia or the impairment of the lower extremities.
Spinal Cord injuries are also classified into two types:
• Complete Injury – this type of injury would mean a total loss of sensation throughout the person’s whole neurological system.
• Incomplete Injury – this type of injury would mean that there is still a sensation or feeling below the injury.
How will this injury affect you?
The City of Los Angeles has one of the highest numbers of car accidents across the country and several cases of this result in spinal cord injury. Although a large number of SCI victims would return to work a year after their injury, some lose their jobs due to permanent disability.
The cost of treatment for spinal cord injuries is also high, the average cost of treatment across the United States amounts to around $300,000 for paraplegics, while medical bills for tetraplegics would total between $500,000 to $800,000 depending on the location and severity of the injury, and this would just be for the first year of treatment alone. For the succeeding years, patients may see medical expenses go to around $25,000 to $150,000 annually.
Who can help?
Vehicular accidents usually involve accident scene investigators and specialists who are in charge with determining who is at fault. There are also attorneys who handle this type of cases. These lawyers are referred to as spinal cord injury attorneys.
They specialize in the gathering of important evidence and often work with doctors in documenting the extent of the injury, the prescribed treatments and rehabilitation. These attorneys may also suggest where a patient can get their treatment and most of the time, they also help SCI patients and their families cope with the pain and suffering that they are going through.
Spinal cord injury attorneys discuss possible injury claims with insurance adjusters as well as damages that can be claimed with the party at fault. These damages may include: economic loss during and after the incident, present and perceived medical expenses, compensation for the pain and suffering experienced by the patient resulting from the accident.
Can one prevent this type of injury?
As with most accidents, there is no sure way of preventing them from happening but one may reduce the impact or the extent of injury that they can suffer. Road discipline, wearing of seatbelts and other protective gear, and being alert for any hazardous housing fixtures are some ways one can minimize injuries.
Spinal cord injuries will impact one’s life greatly and it is much better to be proactive to prevent them from happening.
To help you with personal injury cases such as
spinal cord injury and other related concerns, seek advice from our skilled
Los Angeles spinal cord injury attorneys. Log on to our website and avail of our free case analysis.
