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Suffering a spinal cord injury can be one of the most life-altering experiences in a person’s life. One moment, you are healthy; the next, you struggle to deal with a new reality.
The physical, emotional, and financial challenges often leave victims unsure of where to turn for help. Choosing the right legal representation is vital if you have been injured due to a negligent or reckless party.
At Forbes Law Offices, we are here to support you every step of the way. Our Charleston spinal cord injury lawyer can help you determine the next steps in your case. Find out how we can help you through this difficult journey.
Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are some of the most consequential injuries that you can suffer. There are almost 17,000 new spinal cord injury cases occurring in the United States on an annual basis, according to data provided by the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
The impact of these injuries on the victim and their families can be devastating. Many times, spinal cord injuries lead to long-term physical, emotional, and financial challenges. Unfortunately, they can occur in many ways, such as
How the injury can affect you will depend on the extent of the damage and the location. Generally, if the injury happens higher up the spinal cord, it will have a big impact on a person’s bodily functions.
There are two types of spinal cord injuries: complete and incomplete. With a complete injury, the spinal cord is fully severed or compressed. In turn, that can lead to a total loss of sensory and motor function below the site. Many times, these individuals will experience permanent paralysis that affects the lower body or all four limbs. Those who suffer from these injuries rarely recover.
For people who have incomplete injuries, their spinal cord is only partially damaged. Most of the time, they will have some sensory or motor function below the injury site. Their recovery can vary depending on the specific damage to the spinal cord, the rehabilitation efforts undertaken, and the individual’s overall health.
Unfortunately, the outlook for these injuries is not good, even with the best medical treatment. The most heartbreaking consequence of a severe spinal cord injury is paralysis. These consequences can drastically alter a person’s ability to engage in daily activities. Often, they will need lifelong assistance and specialized equipment like wheelchairs or mobility aids.
Also, these injuries can disrupt the body’s ability to feel pain, temperature, or touch below the injury site. With a loss of sensation, it can affect the muscles. A lack of movement can result in joint stiffness or muscle atrophy.
The spinal cord controls certain involuntary bodily functions, including bladder and bowel control. Patients with severe spinal cord injuries can have issues with these functions. In these cases, they may experience additional medical problems affecting the kidneys and bladder.
If someone has suffered an injury to the upper spinal cord, that can affect the respiratory muscles. In turn, they may have trouble breathing on their own. Sometimes, they may require mechanical ventilation to assist with this bodily function.
Another consequence of these injuries is the fact that victims must deal with a lifetime of chronic pain. This can result from abnormal musculoskeletal posture or nerve pain as a result of the injury. Additionally, uncontrolled muscle stiffness is another factor that can limit mobility.
With this grim outlook, it is natural to want to look for answers. Any unexpected injury can strain your physical, mental, and financial health. If you believe your injury resulted from another party’s negligence, you may want to pursue legal action. Contact our Charleston spinal cord injury lawyer to learn more.
When these injuries result from negligence, the consequences can be even more distressing for the victim and their family. Negligence occurs when someone’s reckless or careless behavior causes harm to another person. In Charleston, victims of spinal cord injuries caused by negligence are entitled to seek damages related to the incident or accident.
However, you and your legal team will need to prove some aspects of negligence. First, you need to show that the other party owed you a legal duty of care. For example, a driver must operate their vehicle safely, or a doctor must provide you with the accepted level of care.
When they breached that duty by acting carelessly or recklessly, that is the foundation of your lawsuit. In some situations, that can result from a driver running a red light or an employer failing to provide proper safety equipment.
There must be some link between that breach and your spinal cord injury. You will need expert testimony, medical evidence, and accident reports to connect the defendant’s actions to the injury.
There is no case if you did not suffer any damages from the accident. For those who have medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and ongoing care costs, you may be able to recover them with a personal injury lawsuit.
Unfortunately, these injuries caused by negligence can lead to long-term consequences for victims and their families. Along with the emotional or physical toll, the financial burdens are overwhelming. In most cases, you can face:
Fortunately, you have legal recourse to hold those accountable parties liable for their actions. Contact Forbes Law Offices to see how we can assist with your case.
You have several legal options to seek compensation for your injuries and the resulting damages. Many people file personal injury lawsuits. This claim is filed against the person or entity responsible for causing the injury due to negligence. However, that is not the only legal avenue for your case.
If the spinal cord injury occurred in a work-related incident, such as a fall at a construction site or an equipment malfunction, you could be eligible to file a workers’ compensation claim. You can receive benefits and provide financial relief without needing to prove negligence. These benefits include medical expenses, lost wages, and disability payments. However, they will not cover pain and suffering.
Sometimes, the injury was the result of a defective part. If unsafe medical devices or faulty machinery lead to injuries, a product liability lawsuit may be viable. In these cases, the claim holds manufacturers, distributors, or retailers liable for injuries caused by defective products.
If the spinal cord injury was the result of the negligence of a healthcare professional, you may file a medical malpractice lawsuit. In these situations, you will need to prove that the medical professional’s care fell below the accepted standard, resulting in substandard care that led to a spinal cord injury.
When it comes time to take legal action, you have several options available, depending on the specifics of your case. Contact our legal team to see which one could be the right avenue for your claim.
When searching for a spinal cord injury attorney, choose Forbes Law Offices. We bring decades of experience regarding personal injury law and these cases.
After experiencing a life-altering spinal cord injury, the last thing you should worry about is securing the compensation you deserve. Reach out to us today for a free consultation with our Charleston spinal cord injury lawyer.
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