A spinal cord injury is considered to be an injury that causes damage to any portion of the spinal cord or nerves in the spinal canal. A spinal cord injury is considered to be traumatic if it occurs due to a cut or blunt force to the spine. In cases where a traumatic spinal cord injury is suffered by an accident victim, they are likely to suffer some form of paralysis, or the injury may even prove to be fatal.
If you or a loved one has sustained a spinal cord injury while in an accident due to the negligent conduct of another, they could seek to recover monetary damages from any at-fault party involved in causing their injury. A knowledgeable Greene County spinal cord injury lawyer could work to ensure that any potentially liable parties are held accountable for their actions. As soon as possible following an accident, retain the services of a dedicated catastrophic injury attorney.
A spinal cord injury may fall under several categories and may be assessed by doctors and given three scores, a motor score, sensory score, and grade of impairment, based on the standards that have been established by the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA). The grade given to a spinal cord injury based on the ASIA Impairment Scale is used to determine whether the injury is complete or causes total loss of motor function and feeling or incomplete, which causes only partial loss of function and feeling. The following are the various Grades of spinal trauma.
The more severe a spinal cord injury is, the higher the grade it is given. For example, Grade E is the least severe spinal cord injury a person may sustain while Grade A is the most severe. A skilled attorney with experience handling spinal cord injury cases could evaluate the damage caused by the effects of the severe trauma and determine the extent of compensation an injured party may be owed by the negligent party responsible for causing their injuries.
The annual costs associated with treating a spinal cord injury within the first year alone could accumulate to astronomical amounts. Typically, within the first year, individuals suffering from a spinal cord injury may spend anywhere from a little less than half a million dollars to upwards of one million dollars, depending on the severity of their injury and the extent and permanency of the paralysis they suffer as a result.
Additionally, the costs within the years following could accumulate to over one hundred thousand dollars per year to ensure a spinal cord injury patient receives adequate and proper treatment for their condition. A skilled spinal cord injury attorney could evaluate the facts of a case to determine whether an at-fault party may be held liable for damages and, if so, the extent of damages that may be awarded to a claimant for their paralysis injury.
When a loved one sustains a spinal cord injury, the resulting consequences could have a lasting and drastic impact on their life. From losing partial to total motor function and feeling in a part of their body, a spinal cord injury victim may also incur hefty medical costs for treatment that could be financially devastating to them, as well as their family.
If you or someone you know is suffering from a negligently inflicted spinal cord injury sustained in a recent accident, they may be eligible to receive financial compensation for their losses by filing a lawsuit against the negligent party responsible. Call a Greene County spinal cord injury lawyer to discuss your claim and learn more about the options potentially available to you.