How to Start a Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuit
Those suffering from spinal cord injuries can experience pain, medical expenses, and changes in their quality of life. If a spinal cord injury occurs because of another person’s actions, it may be time to consider legal action.
A spinal cord injury lawsuit can help victims recover for their pain and suffering and other expenses they have and will experience because of their injury. The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center reports that spinal cord injuries are commonly caused by:
- Falls
- Shootings, fights or other violent acts,
- Medical procedures
- Sports activities; and
- Car accidents
The spinal cord is the important bundle of nerves contained in the spinal column that allow us to tell our body what to do. The nerves carry messages from the brain to the body, so any damage can carry serious consequences for a person’s motor skills. Paraplegia and quadriplegia are both extreme examples of spinal cord injuries.
Those who experience spinal cord injuries can suffer major health problems, including breathing problems, incontinence, sexual function, paralysis, and pain, for the rest of their life. They may also be unable to work and continue the same lifestyle that they enjoyed before the injury. Additional and continuing medical expenses are also common for those that suffer spinal cord injuries. Further, the injured person’s loved ones may have to take on their support and care and they may be unable to do things together that they previously enjoyed.
When a spinal cord injury is the result of a preventable act or action, the injured person and/or their family can consider legal action to hold the party at fault responsible for the damage they caused. Spinal cord injury lawsuits include:
- Negligence, when a person is injured because of the action or even inaction of another. Car accidents are often caused by the negligence of others.
- Defective products, when a person is injured because of the dangerous condition of a product they used. Product designers, manufacturers, and distributors can be held responsible for spinal cord injuries caused by defects in the products they produce and sell.
- Medical malpractice, when a patient is injured by a doctor who is not exercising the appropriate standard of care.
Spinal cord injury lawsuits can be complex and include both legal and medical components. Those who are hit with spinal cord injury lawsuits respond by saying that the injured party contributed to the accident or situation that caused their injury. Defendants also argue that the injured party accepted the risk of spinal cord injuries. For example, if a person was engaged in a dangerous activity, like contact sports, the defendant may argue that they knew there was the potential for a spinal cord injury.
An experienced attorney can help obtain compensation in a spinal cord injury lawsuit. Generally, compensation in a lawsuit includes a monetary award for all of the losses and damages caused by the accident and injury. In a spinal cord injury lawsuit, compensation can include money for medical care, assistive devices, like wheelchairs, and for future care.
If you or a loved one experienced a spinal cord injury, contact the experienced attorneys at Bradley/Grombacher.
