What Compensation Can You Recover for a Spinal Cord Injury Accident?
The amount of compensation you will receive depends on the unique losses you have experienced and will continue to experience because of the accident and your injuries. However, in general, SCI victims qualify to recover the following losses in a personal injury claim:
- Current and future medical bills, including ambulance transportation, emergency room care, diagnostic tests, medications, surgeries, rehabilitation, medical devices, and ongoing care
- Current lost wages, as well as lost future earning capacity if you cannot return to work
- Home modifications to maintain your mobility after suffering paralysis, such as wheelchair ramps, wider doorways, etc.
- The purchase of a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, if applicable
- Pain and suffering and all other non-economic harm you have suffered and will suffer because of the accident and your injuries
Your Prattville SCI attorney will ensure your settlement request accounts for all your financial and non-financial losses, fighting for maximum compensation on your behalf.
The Importance of Seeking Medical Care After an SCI Accident
According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 18,000 traumatic SCI cases occur each year in the United States. Spinal cord injuries can be either complete (resulting in loss of all feeling and function below the injury site) or incomplete (resulting in partial loss of feeling and function below the injury site), and the severity of the injury will vary depending on the specific location of the damage.
You should seek immediate medical treatment if you experience any of the following SCI symptoms after an accident:
- Extreme pain or pressure in your back, neck, or head
- Weakness, loss of coordination, or lack of balance
- Numbness or tingling
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Difficulty breathing
Calling 911 to get emergency medical help immediately after an SCI may improve the victim’s chances of recovery and decrease the risk of complications or secondary injuries. It can also protect their potential future personal injury claim by creating a paper trail connecting their injuries to the accident.
Other Important Steps to Take After Suffering an SCI
While seeking medical care is the most important thing to do after an accident resulting in a spinal cord injury, our Prattville attorneys also recommend that you:
- Report the accident to applicable authorities (such as the police for a car accident, a store manager for a slip and fall, or your employer for a work-related accident) and request a copy of any resulting accident report
- If possible, ask someone else to take photos of the accident scene and any dangerous conditions that caused it on your cell phone
- Ask eyewitnesses for their contact information so your Prattville SCI lawyer can interview them later
- Keep copies of all your medical bills and records
- Avoid speaking to the at-fault party’s insurance company before meeting with a lawyer
- Don’t post on social media about the accident or your SCI
- Contact a personal injury law firm for a free case review as soon as possible
According to AL Code § 6-2-38, victims generally only have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit in Alabama, so it’s important to get started on your claim quickly.
Contact Our Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer in Prattville to Start Working on Your Claim Today
We want to learn how your accident and spinal cord injury have affected your life and explain how we can help. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you won’t have to pay anything upfront or out of pocket to hire our Prattville spinal cord injury lawyer.
Contact our legal team at the Law Office of Dwayne L. Brown today for your free consultation. We are available 24/7 to take your call.
