Bellevue Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
The costs of a spinal cord injury can be overwhelming, both with respect to the initial injury and the costs of ongoing medical care. For most American families, these costs are simply out of reach.
When another’s negligence results in a catastrophic accident that leads to spinal cord injuries, there may be grounds for a claim. By holding others responsible for their negligence actions, you may be able to recoup some of their financial losses that stem from your injuries.
A lawyer in Bellevue may be able to answer your questions about potential spinal cord injury claims that you may have and enable you to pursue any available claims. Our dedicated injury lawyers at Inkelaar Law can help you find your next step forward.
What Constitutes a Spinal Cord Injury
The brain and the spinal cord make up the central nervous system (CNS). Which controls and coordinates movement and sensation throughout the body. When there is a sudden blow to the spinal cord, a fracture or dislocation of vertebrae can occur. This can crush or destroy the nerve cells that facilitate communication between the brain and the spinal cord. Spinal cord injuries essentially stop this communication from occurring below the site of the injury. Which results in a partial or total loss of movement, depending on the severity of the injury.
Injuries that occur high on the spinal cord, or the cervical region of the spine, may result in quadriplegia. This is a type of paralysis that affects individuals from the neck down, including their arms, torso, and legs. Paraplegia is a different form of paralysis resulting from a lower spinal cord injury, which primarily affects the torso and legs.
Aside from paralysis, a spinal cord injury can result in widespread bodily dysfunction. This dysfunction may affect bladder and bowel control, the respiratory system, the circulatory system, muscle tone, and skin sensation. The severity of a spinal cord injury also may lead to depression and other mental health issues triggered by the extreme change in the person’s quality of life. Due to the severity of spinal cord injuries, an injury attorney in Bellevue may be able to help seek compensation for these losses.
Accidents Leading to These Injuries
Many different types of accidents caused by negligence can lead to spinal cord injuries. These can include:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Sports accidents
- Shootings
- Medical malpractice
- Slip and fall accidents
When these injuries occur as a result of another’s negligent, careless, or reckless behavior. A lawyer may be able to advise you about a potential spinal cord injury lawsuit in Bellevue.
Compensation Available in Bellevue
Spinal cord injuries often require significant medical costs at the time they occur to stabilize victims. However, spinal cord injuries typically create the permanent impairment or dysfunction of various bodily systems, which requires ongoing care. Paralysis also is likely to necessitate modifications to a home to make it wheelchair accessible and significant personal care, perhaps even on a 24-hour basis.
All of the expenses are potentially recoverable in a personal injury claim. You also may be able to seek damages for lost wages and loss of future earnings in the event that your injuries render you completely disabled and unable to perform the duties of your former job.
Finally, the emotional and mental trauma of these catastrophic injuries can be overwhelming, which could necessitate mental health treatment. This is another potentially compensable expense in a claim for damages.
How an Attorney Can Help with a Spinal Cord Injury Claim in Bellevue
Spinal cord injuries are likely to be catastrophic on many levels for you and your family. These pressures can be unbearable and result in even more strain that injury victims already may be experiencing.
While no amount of compensation can fully restore you to your previous conditions. It may help alleviate at least some of the financial pressures of living with a spinal cord injury. With the assistance of a Bellevue injury lawyer, you may be able to hold individuals accountable for their negligent behavior that caused your spinal cord injury. Call Inkelaar Law today to get started on your claim.