When a person sustains trauma to their spinal cord or the surrounding tissue and muscle, it can lead to temporary, long-term, or permanent loss of mobility. These catastrophic injuries can have devastating consequences for you and your family.
Fortunately, you could have the legal right to file a lawsuit and collect compensation when you suffered spinal cord damage because of someone else’s negligence. Call a Carpentersville spinal cord injury lawyer from our firm to learn more about your legal options.
Although it can occur in many ways, the most common origin of spinal cord injuries is external trauma. This can result from numerous scenarios, including:
While there is currently no cure for spinal cord injuries, medicine continues to advance. In some instances, it is possible to decrease the damage and symptoms of this type of harm, allowing people who experience spinal cord trauma to live full lives. Patients that seek immediate care from a qualified healthcare professional have the most significant chance of recovery. A Carpentersville spinal cord injury attorney could help injured people ensure they receive the quality of care they need.
Spinal cord injuries fall within two primary groups: complete and incomplete.
When trauma severs the spinal cord completely, the person will lose all feeling, sensation, or ability to control movement below the injury. The damage prevents messaging between the spinal cord and brain entirely. The medical field refers to this as a complete spinal cord injury.
After suffering an incomplete spinal cord injury, a person will have a certain amount of feeling and mobility left because some signals are still getting through. As with the complete injury, the area affected will be below the point of trauma.
Spinal cord damage could affect four areas, and where the trauma occurs will impact the severity of the injury and resulting disability. Cervical spinal cord injuries cause problems above the shoulders, while thoracic injuries affect the abdominal area, upper chest, and mid-back. Lumbar damage affects the hips and legs, and the sacral region causes problems controlling the buttock, pelvic organs, thighs, and hips.
It is not uncommon for an injured party to share a portion of liability for their accident and injuries. According to the 735 Illinois Compiled Statutes § 5/2-1116, the civil court follows the comparative fault rule when it determines both parties share responsibility. If the judge or jury determines an injured person is under 50 percent at fault, they will diminish their settlement reward by the amount of fault they hold.
If the court finds the injured party is more than 50 percent responsible, they will bar them from recovery, which means they would not be eligible to collect any compensation. A spinal cord injury attorney in Carpentersville could answer questions about the comparative fault rule and help estimate an award amount.
An accident leading to a spinal cord injury can affect nearly every part of your life. You will likely miss time from work and require extensive, ongoing medical care.
When someone else’s carelessness causes this kind of damage, you have every right to expect them to cover the cost. Call to speak with a compassionate and knowledgeable Carpentersville spinal cord injury lawyer from Costa Ivone, LLC to get started on reviewing your case.