- What Does The Spinal Cord Do?
- Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
- The Cost Of A Spinal Cord Injury
- Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuit FAQs
- Get Help From A Manhattan Beach Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Today
Injuries to the spinal cord can be catastrophic, life-altering events that affect an accident victim’s physical and emotional health, ability to work, relationship with family and friends, and more. When these injuries are the result of someone else’s negligence, it’s important to contact a Manhattan Beach injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Scott Dinsmore, APC to get legal assistance.
What Does The Spinal Cord Do?
The spinal cord consists of a bundle of nerves running along the spinal column. These nerves are protected by the backbone, which is made up of 33 vertebrae. The nerves that are branched throughout our bodies communicate with our brains by sending signals back and forth through the spinal cord.
When someone suffers a spinal cord injury, also known as an SCI, this communication is damaged or completely cut off. Depending on the level of damage to the nerves, the victim may experience chronic pain, paralysis, loss of ability to speak, loss of sexual function, loss of bladder/bowel function, inability to breathe independently, and more.
Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
There are many ways that spinal cord injuries occur, including:
- Bicycle Accidents
- Slip and Fall Accidents
- Work Accidents
In some cases, such injuries occur through circumstances no one could predict or prevent. Many times, though, an SCI is the result of someone else’s negligent behavior.
The Cost Of A Spinal Cord Injury
Suffering a spinal cord injury in an accident leads to a wide range of financial damages for the victim. Calculating the cost of a spinal cord injury means taking into account medical bills, lost income, long-term medical care needs, structural adaptations to the home, and more.
If the SCI was the result of someone else’s negligence, then the injury victim has the right to fair compensation from the person responsible. This compensation should reflect the vast financial damages and non-economic damages the victim will face both now and in the future.
Non-economic damages are more commonly referred to as “pain and suffering” damages. If you suffered a spinal cord injury due to someone else’s negligence, the responsible party is required by law to compensate you for pain and suffering damages, which can include but is not limited to:
- Past and future physical pain
- Mental suffering
- Diminished quality of life
- Disfigurement
- Grief
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Humiliation
- Emotional distress
After a catastrophic injury, these damages are almost always the most severe, but the negligent party will often try to avoid compensating for them as required by law.
Frequently Asked Questions Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuits in California
In a spinal cord injury lawsuit, there are several types of damages that may be awarded, including:
– Past and future medical costs
– Loss of income/lost earning capacity
– Pain and suffering
Learn more about compensation in a personal injury claim.
Statutes of limitations are laws that govern how long you have to file a lawsuit. There are different time limits for different types of lawsuits in different states. In California, personal injury claims, including those related to spinal cord injuries, must be filed within two years of the date of injury.
Learn more about when to file a personal injury claim
Although this is a common question, there isn’t a quick and easy answer. There are cases that settle very quickly, within weeks or months. Other times, it can take a year or longer.
Get Help From Our Manhattan Beach Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys Today
At the Law Offices of Scott Dinsmore, APC, we understand the challenges that SCI victims face and are prepared to give your case the time, effort and resources needed to ensure that you get the maximum compensation possible for your injuries.
Our spinal cord injury attorneys strive to provide efficient, responsive and unsurpassed legal services to accident victims. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
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