A Life-Altering Injury For Accident Victims and Their Families
Obtaining compensation for spinal injuries suffered in a car accident is not only important; it is essential for victims and their families. If you have experienced a spinal injury caused by a car accident in Colorado Springs, you and your family’s lives have been turned upside down by one of the most catastrophic injuries a person can sustain.
Spinal injuries are life-altering and can present lifelong challenges for victims and their families. Loved ones must adapt to the new realities and heavy responsibilities of caring for someone whose severe injuries leave them unable to earn a living or care for themselves. The financial burdens of a spinal injury are overwhelming, with multiple surgeries, years of rehabilitation, physical modifications to the home, and a lifetime of other expenses incurred to accommodate the victim’s needs. The emotional and psychological costs to all involved are equally steep. Receiving adequate compensation for spinal injuries is an essential step towards moving forward from a car accident.
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While getting compensation for spinal injuries after a car accident won’t restore a person’s ability to walk, care for themself, or hug a loved one, financial compensation can ease the burdens on the victims and their families after a negligent or reckless driver has shattered their lives. The first step in the battle for compensation is hiring a Colorado Springs personal injury lawyer.
Why Spinal Injuries Are So Devastating
A properly working spinal cord is essential for almost all our physical functioning. The nerves in the spinal column, protected by vertebrae, allow the brain to communicate with the rest of the body. The spinal cord conveys the messages facilitating our movements and transmits all the pleasure or pain our bodies experience.
When the back is seriously injured or broken in a car accident, the bodily functions under the control of the affected area of the spinal cord may stop functioning, leaving the victim unable to move their torso or limbs – a condition known as paralysis. The nature and location of the underlying damage to the spine determine the extent of paralysis, which can take the following forms:
- Paraplegia — paralysis of both legs.
- Tetraplegia (sometimes referred to as quadriplegia) — paralysis of both legs and arms.
- Facial Paralysis — paralysis of facial muscles.
- Hemiplegia — paralysis that affects only one side of the body.
A Tragically Common and Catastrophic Injury
Damage to the back and spine tragically upends and forever changes thousands of Americans’ lives every year. According to the National Spinal Cord Statistical Center (NSCSC), an estimated 302,000 Americans are living with a traumatic spinal cord injury, and approximately 18,000 Americans endure spinal cord injuries each year.
The majority of spinal injuries in the United States are the result of car accidents, accounting for nearly 38% of all spinal injuries. Other causes include falls (30%), violence (14%), sports and other recreational activities (9%), medical errors (5%), and various other factors (4%).
Related: Hiring a Brain Injury Lawyer in Colorado Springs? 5 Questions You Need To Ask.
Maximum Compensation for Spinal Injuries Needed To Cover Astronomical Costs of Care
The psychological toll resulting from a serious spinal cord injury accompanies an equally overwhelming financial burden. The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation reports that individuals with tetraplegia can expect to pay from $769,000 to over $1 million for care in the first year alone. First-year medical costs for those with paraplegia are about $518,000. Injuries that lead to incomplete motor function at any level cost an average of $347,000. After that, annual care costs can still be tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. Receiving compensation for spinal injuries after a car accident can help alleviate some of the costs associated with an injury of this magnitude.
Even spinal injuries that do not result in paralysis can cause long-term problems. For example, car accident victims frequently experience whiplash immediately after a collision (when the head is suddenly jerked backward and forward). The abrupt and unexpected motion can injure the spine, discs between vertebrae, nerves, muscles, and tissues in the neck. The victim may experience headaches, nerve pain, memory problems, sleep disturbances, and general irritability, depending on the severity of the injury. Hiring a Colorado Springs car accident lawyer dramatically improves your chances of receiving compensation for spinal injuries.
Have You Suffered a Spinal Injury In a Car Accident? Let King & Beaty Get You The Compensation You Deserve.
At King & Beaty, our Colorado Springs brain injury and spinal cord injury attorneys work with individuals and families living in the aftermath of a severe spinal cord injury from a car accident. We understand their daily struggles and know the future may sometimes look overwhelming or hopeless. Our mission is to restore that hope by getting our clients the maximum compensation for spinal injuries that can aid their recovery and return a sense of normalcy to their lives. Please contact personal injury lawyers King & Beaty today to arrange for your free initial consultation.
