How Serious are Spinal Cord Injuries?
A spinal cord injury1 is among the most serious injuries a person can sustain. Because the spinal cord is the bundle of nerves that allows the brain to communicate with the rest of the body, any damage to it can result in serious complications, including paralysis below the site of the injury. Even in less serious cases, victims can experience issues like muscle weakness, limited mobility, numbness or tingling, and severe pain.
What Kinds of Accidents Can Cause Spinal Cord Injuries?
While spinal cord injuries are extremely serious, even fairly common accidents are capable of causing them. Some of the more common types of accidents that have the potential to result in spinal cord injuries include the following:
- Slip and falls
- Car accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Bus accidents
- Boat accidents
- Pool and hot tub accidents
Do Victims Need to Retain an Attorney?
Many spinal cord accident victims wonder whether the need to retain an attorney. In many cases, the at-fault party (or an insurance company) makes what seems like a reasonable settlement offer shortly after the accident, potentially making it appear to victims that legal counsel is unnecessary. Spinal cord injury victims often deal with the effects of their injury for the rest of their lives, and victims need to keep in mind that once they settle is almost impossible reopen a case to obtain additional compensation.
For this reason, it is critical for spinal cord injury victims to calculate and pursue future damages2 in their settlement negotiations. These future damages should include lost income, future medical expenses, and the pain and suffering that victims will continue to experience for the rest of their lives, all of which can be extremely difficult to calculate. As a result, it is strongly recommended for any spinal cord accident victim to retain an attorney familiar with representing people who have sustained catastrophic injuries.
Contact a Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Today to Schedule a Case Evaluation
Spinal cord injury victims can often recover significant compensation from the person or party responsible for their accident. To schedule a free consultation with a Chicago PI lawyer, call Abels & Annes, P.C. today at 312-924-7575 or contact us online.
