Spinal cord injuries are common in car accidents, falls, criminal attacks, workplace accidents, and due to some types of health conditions (such as infections). Injuries to the spine are serious and deserve skilled legal representation. The Raleigh personal injury lawyers at Riddle & Riddle have more than 160 years of combined experience. We have the talent, resources, and determination to get maximum compensation for your spinal cord injury claim. After an accident in the Raleigh area, contact us for a free case review.
The Impact of a Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injuries are some of the most catastrophic outcomes possible in personal injury accidents. When the delicate nerves along the middle of the back suffer serious injuries, the victim may never be the same. The severity of the damage will depend on the location and type of injury. Most spinal cord injuries, however, can have the following impacts:
- Physical impairments. Spine injuries can result in permanent, irreversible loss of sensation and movement in the affected area. Rehabilitation and therapies can help patients improve their capabilities, but no cure exists for spinal cord damage.
Lifelong medical bills. Permanent disabilities result in the lifelong need for medical care, including expenses such as doctor’s appointments, therapies, live-in care, medical devices, equipment such as wheelchairs, medications, and home or vehicle modifications. - Emotional pain and suffering. Suffering a permanently disabling injury such as one to the spine can have a significant impact on the victim’s mental and emotional health, as well as the lives of family members.
- Lost wages and earning capacity. Most spinal cord injuries prevent the survivor from returning to his or her previous job, or from working in any capacity, on top of lost wages from missing work while hospitalized.
No facet of life is unaffected by a spinal cord injury. This is why it’s so important to retain an attorney for spinal cord injury claims. You need a lawyer to represent your best interests and fight for full compensation for the myriad damages involved with a spine injury. Only a skilled attorney can give you the best chance at securing maximum compensation for damages such as pain and suffering.
Types of Spinal Cord Injuries
The spine has five main regions. From the uppermost region to the lowest, they are the cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, sacral spine, and coccygeal region. In general, the higher up the injury, the worse the impact to the patient. Most spinal cord injuries result in loss of movement and sensation below the point of injury. That means injuries to the cervical spine can cause paralysis in the entire body below the neck or upper spine.
Spinal cord injuries can be complete or incomplete depending on whether the patient retains the ability to move or feel. Paraplegia refers to paralysis in the legs only, while quadriplegia is paralysis in all four limbs as well as the trunk. Healthcare professionals consider some injuries as incomplete, like anterior cord syndrome, central cord syndrome, and Brown-Sequard syndrome. Different patients will suffer different outcomes from spinal cord injuries.
Trust Riddle & Riddle - Attorneys for Raleigh Spinal Cord Injury Cases
Regardless of the type of severity of your spine injury, we can help. We’ve secured outstanding results for clients in the past and may be able to do the same for you. Our Raleigh personal injury attorneys have years of experience and hundreds of satisfied clients who trusted them with the most catastrophic injury claims in North Carolina. Legal representation might be the only way to get an insurance company to take your claim seriously. To learn more about how we might be able to help you, contact our spinal cord injury lawyers for a free legal consultation.