Spinal cord injuries after a car accident can cause the victim to suffer temporary or permanent paralysis. These severe injuries have life-long consequences, both for the injury victims and for their loved ones. Recent data from the Christopher and Dane Reeve Foundation shows the average lifetime cost of a spinal cord injury is close to $5 million.
Taking legal action is your first step to reclaiming control after a spinal cord injury. This post will explain more about the considerations for spinal cord injury claims, and help you navigate the process of suing the individual responsible for the injuries.
Categories of Spinal Cord Injury
The type of spinal cord injury the car accident victim suffers and the impact on their daily life have a significant role in the eventual settlement or judgment. Below are the ways medical professionals assess and categorize spinal cord injury:
By Location:
- Thoracic Spine
Your thoracic spine extends from the upper back to the slightly below the navel.
- Lumbar Spine
The lumbar spine is a section of your lower back extending to the area above your buttocks.
- Cervical Spine
The cervical spine begins at the neck and goes from the bottom of the skull to the area level with your shoulders.
- Sacral Spine
The sacral spine connects the nerve roots surrounding your spinal column to your tailbone.
By Severity
A spinal injury is considered incomplete or complete by doctors.
Incomplete
An incomplete spinal cord injury only affects some parts of the spine and the surrounding nerves. The injury victim with an incomplete spinal cord injury may retain the ability to control their legs while experiencing some level of paralysis.
Complete
Doctors categorize spinal cord injuries as complete when the injury victim loses all sensation in the lower part of their body below the spinal cord injury.
By Segment
The spinal cord has 31 segments representing the 31 pairs of spinal nerves – 8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 sacral, 5 lumbar, and 1 coccygeal. Doctors use letters and numbers to represent the location of a spinal cord injury after a car accident. The letter represents the section of the spine and the number indicates the segment and affected nerves.
The most severe injuries are those impacting the cervical spine, and segments 1-to-5. For example, an injury to the C2 to C5 section can cause paralysis of the breathing muscles, the arms, and the legs.
The Role of Your Medical Team in a Spinal Cord Injury Case
The injury victim’s medical team, including those who completed emergency care in the days and weeks after the accident and their current physicians, plays an integral role in catastrophic injury cases. Coordinating with your car accident attorney, the victim’s medical team will help:
- Document the stages of your treatment
The complexity of spinal cord injuries and the life-altering impact they can have on victims requires careful documentation from spinal care specialists. The doctors will explain how the force of the initial car accident impact caused the injury to the area of the spine and provide their prognosis.
- Explain the limitations caused by the injury
Upon diagnosis, the medical team will coordinate with the victim’s lawyers to explain the limitations imposed by the injury to the insurance company in settlement negotiations. The doctors will explain how the injury has reached maximum medical recovery and what this means for the victim’s future personal life and career.
- Outlining Treatment and Care Costs
Doctors and their administrative team can also help outline spinal injury treatment care costs. They can explain the accommodations the victim will require in their home and the potential lifestyle changes that the spinal cord injury victims face.
The Role of Car Accident Lawyers in Spinal Cord Injury Cases
Car accident lawyers will be the victim’s most ardent advocate after an accident-related spinal cord injury. Lawyers can help with the following:
Investigating the Accident
Car accident lawyers gather evidence, including police reports, medical records, witness statements, and expert testimony. They assess the full extent of damages and coordinate their investigation with the findings of the medical team when evaluating long-term medical complications and significant financial implications.
Access to a Network of Spinal Care Experts
The leading car accident lawyers have networks of neurosurgeons specializing in diagnosing and treating spinal injuries. They and their client can rely on the victim to inform expert testimony and document injury treatment and its results.
Emotional and Practical Support
After their loved one suffers a devastating injury, families require emotional and practical support from their legal team. The leading car accident attorneys lead with compassion for the clients and communities they serve and help provide practical advice beyond their legal expertise while connecting victims and their loved ones with mental health support in their North Carolina city.
Navigating the Legal Case
Experienced car accident lawyers understand the intricate legal landscape of spinal cord injury claims. They will:
- Proactively communicate with insurance companies
Lawyer keep their clients’ cases moving forward, helping prevent insurance companies from delaying a settlement.
- Aggressively negotiate settlements
When insurance companies put forward derisory offers, car accident lawyers can use their negotiation skills to present higher counter-offers for settlements that recognize the totality of the impact on the victim.
- Represent the victim’s interests in court if litigation becomes necessary
The best car accident lawyers for spinal cord injuries are trial lawyers, with proven experience representing victims and their families in the North Carolina courts.
Lakota Denton is one of the state’s leading car accident trial attorneys, and insurance companies recognize his reputation by presenting higher initial settlements to minimize the potential of a drawn-out trial.
Your Local North Carolina Lawyer for Spinal Cord Injury Cases
Lakota Denton is North Carolina’s foremost attorney for spinal cord car accident injury cases. His local reputation in Asheville speaks to his leadership within the community and unrelenting focus on ensuring justice for car accident victims and their families.
Call Lakota Denton’s downtown Asheville office via (828) 333-5996 on your schedule, when you’re ready to discuss your family’s case. Your call is free of charge, and if you would like an in-person consultation Lakota can meet you at a location of your choosing.