Getting into a serious car accident or getting struck by a vehicle when you're walking or on a bicycle can result in serious injuries. Sometimes, injuries can be simple and likely to heal with time, like broken bones. Other times, the injuries can last for the rest of your life. In cases where you experience damage to your spinal cord, without intensive treatment, the results of the injury may last forever. If you or someone you love suffered spinal cord injuries as the result of a motor vehicle accident, pedestrian accident or biking accident, you need to speak with an experienced New York personal injury attorney.
Navigating the interstice between health insurance coverage and motor vehicle coverage is difficult in the best of situations. When you're dealing with a serious spinal injury, it can be even harder to deal with long phone calls, lots of paperwork and the frustration that comes from delayed claims. A personal injury attorney can help you negotiate with insurance companies, from reviewing settlements to pushing for the coverage of a treatment which offers you a better prognosis. Trying to handle it on your own could end up being a very expensive mistake.
Spinal cord injuries can cause a lot of different issues
There are a number of ways your spinal cord can be damaged in an accident. Sometimes, the spinal cord is partially cut, nicked or pinched as the result of blunt force trauma or penetrating injuries. Other times, when your back is broken or a penetrating injury is severe, the injury to your spinal cord could result in a complete severance of your spinal cord. In the case of partial spinal cord injuries, treatments and surgeries could help you recover sensation and mobility in the affected parts of your body. In cases of total spinal cord injuries, you will generally experience permanent loss of feeling and function.
Typically, the areas of your body affected are at or below the location of the spinal cord injury. Many times, injuries fall in the mid-back, resulting in a loss of the use of someone's legs. In cases where the damage is in the neck, however, the victim could lose the function of all four of their limbs. This paralysis can impact your ability to care for yourself or continue to work in your career. You may need to update your home to make it wheelchair accessible, which can be quite expensive. Combine that with lost wages and medical bills, and you could experience real financial hardship.
An attorney can help you recover after a spinal cord injury
If you were not at fault in the accident, your attorney can help you hold the responsible party liable in a court of law. You can explore options, such as suing a bar that overserved a drunk driver who hit you, or the manufacturer of faulty vehicle components that contributed to your accident. Working with an experienced New York personal injury attorney is your best option after sustaining a spinal cord injury in a car accident.
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