Approximately 30,000 individuals in the U.S. live with spinal cord injuries, which can cause pain, mobility challenges, and difficulty in finding employment. Preventable accidents, including motor vehicle accidents, cause a significant percentage of spinal cord injuries. When spinal cord injuries result in paralysis, victims can incur significant ongoing medical expenses and other financial damages.
If you or your loved one have experienced a spinal cord injury caused by another person’s negligence or recklessness, speaking to an attorney as soon as possible is crucial. You may be entitled to compensation through a personal injury lawsuit or insurance claim. The New York personal injury attorneys at Dell & Dean, PLLC, are prepared to help victims of spinal cord injuries recover the compensation they deserve.
Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cords carry messages to and from our brains to the rest of our bodies for the purpose of controlling movement and bodily functions. The spinal cord includes vertebrae along with thousands of nerves. Acute trauma to the spinal cord can cause it to tear or become bruised. The vertebrae can fracture or compress the spinal cord, causing extreme pain and permanent injury.
Unfortunately, the spinal cord cannot heal on its own. When it becomes bruised or torn, it cannot repair itself. When a person’s spinal cord is subjected to blunt force trauma, the spinal cord can become irreparably injured. Some of the most common causes of spinal cord injuries include the following:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Accidents in the workplace
- Defective medical devices
- Surgical mistakes
Types of Paralysis
There are four forms of paralysis, all caused by brain or spinal cord injuries. Monoplegia affects a single limb, such as a leg or arm. It’s usually caused by legalized muscle or nerve damage and is common after a brain injury or stroke. Hemiplegia causes paralysis in one side of a portion of the body, either the right or left side. It can cause muscle weakness and then escalate to the total loss of motor function.
Paraplegia causes the loss of function in the lower half of a person’s body, including the legs. This can affect a person’s walking ability and sexual and bowel functioning. The most extensive and debilitating form of paralysis is called quadriplegia, which affects a person’s entire body from the neck down, including the torso and all four limbs. Quadriplegia occurs in approximately 60 percent of cases. Paraplegia and quadriplegia are permanent, although patients may be able to improve some of their functionality with rehabilitation.
The Long-Term Effects of Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis
Spinal cord injuries can cause devastating, painful, long-term effects. Chronic pain is a common long-term effect of spinal cord injuries. A person’s pain can be so severe it becomes debilitating. Spinal cord injuries can also cause a permanent loss of sensation, strength, and function below the site of the spinal cord injury. Incontinence can also occur, resulting in an increased risk of infection. Patients can also suffer from osteoporosis, respiratory issues, endocrine changes, and gastrointestinal issues. Other long-term effects can include:
- Pressure ulcers
- Autonomic dysreflexia
- Sexual dysfunction
- Gait disturbances
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Soft-tissue contractures
- Social difficulties
- Disability
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Spinal Cord Injury in New York?
Victims of spinal cord accidents must prove liability to recover compensation through a personal injury or insurance claim. With the help of an attorney, victims must prove the at-fault party failed to use reasonable care under the circumstances to prevent injury to others. Additionally, victims must prove the at-fault party’s negligence or recklessness directly caused the accident, resulting in their spinal cord injuries. Depending on the facts in your specific case, one or more of the following parties may be liable for your injuries:
- Motor vehicle drivers
- Property owners
- Manufacturers of defective vehicles or equipment
- Supervisors of recreational activities or children’s sports
- Government agencies
- Criminal assailants
- Negligent employers
- Medical professionals, including doctors and nurses
Pursuing Compensation After a Spinal Cord Injury
Under New York laws, victims can receive compensation for spinal cord injuries caused by another party’s negligence. Victims can pursue economic and non-economic damages to make them “whole” again in the eyes of the law. Specifically, victims with spinal cord injuries can pursue the following types of damages:
- The cost of all medical care
- Corrective surgeries
- Rehabilitation
- Ambulance fees and hospital bills
- Lost wages
- Loss of future earning capacity for those who can’t return to work
- Pain and suffering
- Other types of emotional distress
- Vocational therapy
- Adaptive medical equipment, including wheelchairs, walkers, and other assistive devices
- Costs related to in-home nursing care
Victims who’ve become paralyzed because of their spinal cord injuries may have millions of dollars in medical expenses over their lifetime. According to the Christopher & Dana Reeves Foundation, the estimated lifetime costs associated with a severe spinal cord injury can exceed $2.5 million. At Dell & Dean, PLLC, our personal injury attorneys regularly work with medical and financial experts to carefully estimate all future expenses associated with our client’s injuries. After determining the full value of your claim, we will begin aggressively pursuing a favorable outcome through a settlement or court verdict.
Contact Our Spinal Cord Injury Attorney in New York & Long Island
Victims of spinal cord injuries generally only have three years from the date of the accident that caused their injuries to file a personal injury lawsuit. The sooner you reach out to an experienced personal injury attorney, the sooner your attorney can investigate your case, gather facts, interview witnesses, and negotiate a favorable settlement. Don’t hesitate to contact Dell & Dean, PLLC to schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney in New York.
Dell & Dean, PLLC, represents clients throughout Nassau County, Suffolk County, and Garden City on Long Island, as well as the boroughs of New York: Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Manhattan, and the Bronx.
