Meeting Your Needs After a Spinal Cord Injury

Individuals suffering from spinal cord injuries are faced with a new reality that makes it extremely difficult to accomplish the functions of daily living. Injuries that occur on the cervical spine can cause such extensive paralysis that some victims cannot even eat or breathe without assistance.

When damage to the spinal cord is the result of someone’s irresponsible conduct, such as a driver causing a car accident or a surgeon’s medical malpractice, then an experienced injury attorney can help recover compensation needed for the future and offset at least some of the suffering caused by the injury. It is important to work with an attorney who understands how to account for all the factors for which you need compensation and who has the knowledge and skill to properly anticipate the full range of your future needs.

Understanding the Prognosis

After any type of injury, the human body begins an automatic recovery process. Sometimes, the body is able to heal fully on its own. Other times, extensive medical treatment is required to facilitate the healing process. Unfortunately, the spinal cord is such a complex organic mechanism that modern medical science has no method of repairing damage to it. The nerve fibers in the spinal cord are too intricate and delicate to be repaired with current medical technology. Unlike some other types of cells, nerve cells are not automatically regenerated or replaced by the body which means that damage to the spinal cord is almost always permanent.

Doctors will often focus on stabilizing the bones and other components of the spine to relieve pressure on the spinal cord. This can sometimes decrease pain and keep an injury from worsening. Medical professionals also focus on preventing or addressing complications that often stem from spinal cord injuries, such as cardiovascular problems.

Victims of spinal cord injuries need treatment to keep their condition stable, but they often have no true hope of regaining much, if any, of the function and sensation they have lost. 

It may take some time to assess whether relieving pressure and stabilization have had any effect. A patient with a spinal cord injury from an incident such as a truck accident or a fall at work may need surgery to remove bone fragments or herniated disks or to stabilize the spine to prevent future complications. At some point, doctors will determine that the patient has reached the maximum medical recovery.

Assessing Future Needs

Under North Carolina law, when your legal team is able to prove that spinal cord injuries were the result of someone else’s negligence, recklessness, or deliberate wrongdoing, then the person (or company) is held legally liable for the injuries and expected to pay compensation for the consequences of the injuries. The compensation is usually provided by insurance companies, but may come from the resources of the company as well.

Your legal team will present a request for damages, which is sometimes referred to as a demand letter. That request includes appropriate amounts to offset each and every effect of your injuries and to provide for the needs you will have in the future. You should receive amounts to make up for past losses, such as medical expenses and lost wages.

The difficult part is to determine future needs and the cost of meeting those needs. Your attorney must have the experience to understand what you will be facing in the future and the myriad needs you will have. Then your legal team must be able to calculate the costs involved so that you can request amounts that will be adequate to meet those needs. Not every attorney is prepared or willing to undertake this detailed analysis, but it is essential to ensure that your compensation package will meet your needs after a spinal cord injury.

Some of the factors to account for include the costs for:

• Medical care for the spinal cord injury
• Medical care for related conditions, such as urinary or cardiovascular issues
• Medical devices
• Human assistance, such as someone to help around the house and assist with self-care
• Adaptive equipment to enable you to function with reduced motor control
• Modifications to your home
• Specialized vehicles
• Amounts to make up for loss of income

Every patient suffering from spinal cord injuries will have unique needs, It is important to talk to doctors and specialists to get a more thorough sense of the needs you will have in the days, weeks, and years to come.

Compensation for Intangible Effects of Your Injuries

The needs discussed above are considered economic damages. They represent losses that you have incurred or are expected to incur in the future that have a direct economic value. But injuries to your spinal cord affect you in profound ways that extend far beyond physical needs. The loss of future opportunities, changes in self-perception, and a host of other factors can cause emotional anguish that most people will never fully understand. Despite a loss of motor control or sensation in your body, you may still experience considerable pain. There are numerous difficult consequences of a spinal cord injury that do not have a dollar value but nevertheless have a huge impact on your life.

You should be able to receive compensation for these intangible losses as well as the economic losses. Make sure that your attorney understands how to calculate the appropriate compensation for these losses so that you receive a full and fair recovery.

Trust Martin & Jones to Fight for the Compensation You Need After a Spinal Cord Injury

The team at Martin & Jones has decades of experience helping people with spinal cord damage and other catastrophic injuries receive compensation for their losses and meet the full range of future needs. We take the time to delve deep into your situation so we can properly anticipate your needs and understand the effects of your injuries. We know how to stand up to insurance companies effectively. When you’re dealing with a life-changing event like a spinal cord injury, we want to do everything we can to help you restore your life.

We invite you to call us at 800-662-1234 or contact us online today to discuss the ways we can assist after a spinal cord injury.