Few types of injuries are more frightening to experience than those affecting your spinal cord. This bundle of nerves running through the interior of your spine’s vertebrae is the central pathway for your entire central nervous system. Therefore, any damage it sustains can permanently sever communication between your brain and the rest of your body, resulting in partial or total loss of sensation and movement in the affected areas.
Anyone who causes trauma this severe to someone else through reckless or careless misconduct should be held accountable for their irresponsible actions. However, doing so proactively and effectively is often difficult without a capable catastrophic injury attorney’s guidance. From start to finish of your settlement negotiations or civil court case, a dedicated Clermont spinal cord injury lawyer could fight to enforce your rights and demand the restitution you deserve for your harm.
What Factors Affect Spinal Cord Injury Severity?
In general, injuries sustained in the “lumbar” section or the lower part of the “thoracic” section of a person’s spine will cause less widespread damage than injuries closer to their neck in the upper part of the thoracic spine or the uppermost “cervical” spine. This is because injuries that occur farther away from an individual’s brain cut less of the body off from communicating with their brain—for example, injuries to a person’s lumbar spine may result in paraplegia, or paralysis of just their lower limbs and torso, while cervical spine injuries very often result in quadriplegia of their whole body below the neck.
Regardless of where spinal cord trauma occurs, “complete” injuries involving a victim’s spinal cord being completely severed at the injury site are always substantially more severe than “incomplete” injuries involving a person’s spinal cord being slightly torn, twisted, or bruised. As a seasoned attorney in Clermont knows, people who suffer incomplete spinal cord injuries often need intensive medical care but may have some hope of long-term recovery with proper treatment. On the other hand, complete injuries are permanent and cause a total loss of function below the injury site.
Recovering for All Past and Future Damages
A comprehensive civil claim built around a spinal cord injury should account for both economic and non-economic forms of harm, including:
- Costs of emergency medical care
- Expected costs of necessary future medical treatment, including outpatient care like physical therapy and assistive equipment like wheelchairs
- Lost working capacity and income
- Costs of home modifications and other expenses necessary to maximize mobility
- Physical discomfort and pain
- Psychological trauma
- Lost enjoyment of life, including lost consortium
Just as not all spinal cord injuries are the same, not every civil lawsuit will allow recovery for the same types of damages—another reason why working closely with a knowledgeable lawyer in Clermont is vital to a case’s success.
A Tenacious Spinal Cord Injury Attorney in Clermont Could Help
Spinal cord damage can be immensely disruptive to your personal and professional life, even if the physical effects of the damage will heal over time with appropriate medical care. When you suffer permanent harm to your spinal cord, comprehensive civil recovery could make a world of difference in what your life looks like now and for decades to come.
From beginning to end of your case, a compassionate Clermont spinal cord injury lawyer could be an irreplaceable ally fighting on your behalf. Call today for a consultation.
