Are There Different Types of Spinal Cord Injuries?
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine,1 there are two main kinds of spinal cord injuries (SCIs): complete and incomplete. In an incomplete injury, the victim retains some function below the site of the injury. For example, a person with an incomplete injury, a victim may retain some feeling or movement in one side of the body than the other. In a complete spinal cord injury, victims have no sensation or movement below the site of the injury.
What is the Prognosis for a Spinal Cord Injury Victim?
The prognosis for spinal cord injuries depends largely on the severity of the injury. Generally speaking, the outlook is much better for victims who have sustained an incomplete SCI. On the other hand, currently, recovery from a complete spinal cord injury is unlikely, although recent advances in medicine using stem cells2 indicate that this soon may change.
How Much Will I Be Able to Recover for my Spinal Cord Injury?
There is no way to determine how much a spinal cord injury victim will recover without undertaking a thorough evaluation of his or her case. That being said because spinal cord injuries often result in profound and long-term problems, they tend to result in substantial compensation when they are the result of negligence. Some examples of the losses that are often compensable in a spinal cord injury case include the following:
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering
- Lost income
- Medical expenses
- Loss of quality of life
It is important to keep in mind that spinal cord injury victims are often entitled to future damages in addition to damages they have already incurred. In these cases, it is often necessary to retain experts who can determine the amount of income a person would have made over the course of his or her career, extrapolate medical expenses, and place a value on the pain and suffering a victim will experience in the future.
Call Abels & Annes, P.C. Today to Speak to a Chicago Spinal Cord Injury Attorney
If you have sustained a spinal cord injury in an accident that you believe was caused by the negligence of another person, you should have your case reviewed by an attorney as soon as possible. To schedule a free consultation with one of our Chicago SCI lawyers, call Abels & Annes, P.C. today at 312-924-7575 or contact us online.
