If you have suffered a spinal cord injury, you may be eligible to receive compensation. You can seek damages for pain and suffering and for loss of earning potential. In addition, you can sue for lost income and the inability to provide for your family. Learn more about your rights and your options. Read on to learn more about spinal cord injury law.
Incomplete or complete spinal cord injuries
Incomplete spinal cord injuries are relatively rare, but can cause significant problems. They may cause loss of feeling, decreased movement, or paralysis. Depending on the level of injury, other symptoms may also appear. An incomplete SCI can affect any portion of the spinal cord, but it is often worse at the higher levels. A spinal cord injury to the neck can affect the respiratory muscles and mid-cervical vertebrae, while a spinal cord injury to the lumbar vertebrae can affect the nerves and muscles of the bladder and bowel.
The American Spinal Injury Association has developed an Impairment Scale to grade spinal cord injuries. A grade of A represents a complete spinal cord injury. In this type of injury, there is no motor function or sensory function preserved. A grade of B means that there is some motor and sensory function preserved below the level of injury.
Compensation for in-home assistance
If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury, you should consider filing a claim for compensation for in-home assistance. A spinal cord injury can leave a victim unable to perform everyday tasks due to physical limitations, making it difficult to maintain a normal routine. This can include help with household chores, transportation, and child care. It may also mean the need for assistive equipment like a wheelchair ramp or a chair lift. While compensation for in-home assistance will not change the physical outcome, it can make life easier for everyone involved.
In some cases, spinal cord injuries can cause life-long disabilities. In addition to the pain and suffering, spinal cord injuries also can leave the victim incapable of earning a living. Only 11.6% of spinal cord injury victims return to work within a year of their injury. This means they may lose their earning power for the rest of their lives.
Damages for cellular damage to the nerves
A spinal cord injury causes damage to the nerve cells and fibers in the spinal column. This damage may be minimal or may result in total loss of nerve cells. Partial spinal cord injuries may result in some degree of recovery, while complete spinal cord injuries may cause permanent loss of motor and sensory functions.
Secondary spinal cord injuries can occur if the communication between neurons is impaired. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that help neurons communicate with each other. When the spinal cord is injured, these chemicals may become overactive, causing damage. This process is called excitotoxicity.
Legal theories of negligence
A person who suffers a spinal cord injury may be eligible to pursue compensation for damages. In this type of lawsuit, with the help of spinal cord injury lawyers in Utah, the injured party will need to show that someone else was negligent in causing his or her injury. This can be accomplished through a number of different legal theories. While some of the more common theories include negligence, others may include strict liability or premises liability.
Negligence occurs when a person fails to act reasonably. A person’s actions, whether they are affirmative or negative, may be considered negligent if they cause an injury. Several of these theories are based on the legal concept of comparative negligence, which focuses on the fault of the victim.
Long-term care costs of a spinal cord injury
A spinal cord injury is one of the most severe and difficult injuries to treat and a person who has experienced one is often in need of long-term care. In addition to the direct costs of medical care, spinal cord injuries can have significant indirect costs, such as the loss of wages, productivity, and quality of life. The full costs of a spinal cord injury may exceed the highest estimates of medical costs.
The recurring annual costs of chronic spinal cord injury are a significant burden on health care systems. While the actual numbers are relatively unknown, these costs can easily amount to millions of dollars. Patients also face the financial hardship of lost wages and medical equipment.