A spinal cord injury can cause debilitating physical and emotional injuries that can affect a person long after an initial accident. Many survivors need long-term care as a result of their injuries, but worry about how they will afford it. In Wisconsin, individuals can seek compensation for future expenses to help ease the financial burden after a spinal cord injury. The road to fair compensation starts with understanding your legal rights.
What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?
A spinal cord injury damages the bundle of nerves running from the brain down through the spine. The spinal cord transmits signals between the brain and the rest of the body. Trauma to the spinal cord can disrupt communication between the brain and body, leading to significant complications that can last a lifetime.
There are two spinal cord injury categories:
- Incomplete injury – An incomplete spinal cord injury happens when trauma impacts the nerves in the spinal cord, but the nerves can still transmit messages. Incomplete injuries may be temporary and heal over time.
- Complete injury – A complete spinal cord injury occurs when the spinal cord is severed or damaged so severely that it can no longer send signals throughout the body. A complete spinal cord injury causes permanent paralysis.
What Are the Long-Term Effects of Spinal Cord Injury?
A spinal cord injury can lead to serious medical complications and disability. Some of the most common issues stemming from a spinal cord injury include:
- Loss of mobility
- Loss of sensation
- Chronic pain
- Autonomic dysreflexia
- Sexual dysfunction
- Loss of bladder and bowel control
- Respiratory issues
- Issues regulating body temperature
- Increased risk of bedsores and blood clots
- Loss of muscle tone
- Osteoporosis
The considerable gap between a person’s quality of life before and after a spinal cord injury can also take an emotional toll, leading to mental anguish, depression, insomnia, anxiety, and changes in relationships.
How Can Compensation Account for the Long-Term Consequences of a Spinal Cord Injury?
Typical compensation in a successful personal injury claim includes money for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. With catastrophic injuries like a spinal cord injury, accident victims can also pursue compensation for future costs, such as money for continuing medical care, rehabilitation, wheelchairs or assistive devices, and in-home assistance with personal needs.
An individual may also seek compensation for loss of earning capacity if their spinal cord injury prevents them from returning to their previous line of work or prevents them from working at all. Compensation may also be available for emotional distress, loss of consortium, and lost quality of life.
How a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Can Help You Seek Compensation
It can be challenging to evaluate the future costs associated with a spinal cord injury, especially in the early days post-injury. Accepting an initial insurance settlement offer is never in an accident victim’s best interest. Offers made soon after the accident tend to be low and fail to account for the long-term effects of the injury.
An experienced spinal cord injury lawyer can calculate your current losses and future expenses, build a compelling claim, and negotiate for maximum compensation for your injuries. With a proven attorney in your corner, you won’t be pressured into accepting less than you deserve.
Talk to a Wisconsin Spinal Cord Attorney About Your Case Today
If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury, you deserve seasoned advocates who won’t settle for less. At LawtonCates, we’ve been fighting for justice in South Central Wisconsin since 1958—always focused on securing the full compensation our clients truly deserve, not just the quickest payout.
Call or contact us today for a free consultation with a trusted spinal cord injury lawyer.
