Cincinnati Neck Injury Attorneys Serving All of Ohio
More than 17,000 people suffer spinal cord injuries every year. Spinal cord injuries are defined as any injury to any part of the spinal cord or nerves at the end of the spinal canal that results in reduced mobility, whether it is temporary or permanent. A sudden blow or cut to the spine can cause a traumatic spinal cord injury, which often results in a permanent loss of strength, sensation, and function below the injury site. Our spinal cord personal injury attorneys in Cincinnati, Ohio know how to handle this type of devastating personal injury and will fight to get you the compensation you deserve.
Today, more than 1.2 million Americans struggle with daily life because of full or partial paralysis from an SCI. The overwhelming majority of spinal cord injury victims are male – four out of five, in fact. In recent years, the average age of victims has trended upward: from 29 years old in 1970 to 42 in 2017. Motor vehicle accidents are the most common cause of spinal cord injuries, followed by sports-related injuries (which account for more of these injuries in children and teenagers), falls, and acts of violence. Victims of spinal cord injuries suffer serious physical, emotional, and financial damages, especially if they have to endure the results of the injury for the rest of their lives.
If you need help, please contact a Cincinnati spinal cord personal injury attorney at Burg Simpson today by calling us at (513) 852-5600 or filling out a free case evaluation form here.
How Spinal Cord Injuries Are Treated
Many people think of a spinal cord injury as a severed spinal cord, but the reality for most victims is the cord remains intact and is simply bruised. Motor vehicle accidents, worksite incidents, sports injuries, and falls can all lead to severe injuries and the need for a spinal injury lawyer. All of these types of injury can cause temporary or permanent paraplegia or quadriplegia, which may mean the victim will require lifelong care.
Although there is no cure for traumatic spinal cord injuries, research is rapidly progressing in testing surgical and drug therapies. Complex drug treatments to slow the progression of paralysis, decompression surgery, nerve cell transplantation, and nerve regeneration are all being explored thoroughly as ways to improve the condition of these injuries. Common treatments can include drugs to treat symptoms and surgery on the spine itself. In some cases, doctors may be able to recover some of the patient’s motor function and sensation with a combination of physical therapy and simply waiting for the effects of the injury to recede.
Serious Injuries Require Experienced Spinal Cord Personal Injury Attorneys in Cincinnati
The costs of medical or rehabilitative treatment put significant strain on spinal cord injury victims and their families. In fact, paralysis-related issues cost the health care system billions of dollars every year. Spinal cord injuries on their own cost the system about $40.5 billion per year, which is more than a 300 percent increase in about 20 years – up from $9.7 billion in 1998.
As a result, people living a life with paralysis or any type of spinal cord injury are often unable to attain or keep health insurance that sufficiently covers the complex secondary or chronic conditions that commonly accompany paralysis. A spinal cord injury is much more than a one-time incident because related secondary events can cause further health complications. The original injury damages or kills nerves in the spine, but hours or possibly days after, a torrent of other events can occur, such as a loss of oxygen and a release of toxic chemicals at the injury site, making spinal cord injuries even more complex to treat effectively. It is imperative you contact a Cincinnati spinal cord personal injury attorney for help before it’s too late.
At Burg Simpson, we often represent victims who have suffered severe, life-altering injuries, and we understand what it takes to convince a jury to award damages for these injuries. We have the experience and resources to get you the compensation and support that you need.
Types of Damage Claims for Spinal Cord Injury in Ohio and Kentucky
Whether an injury occurred because of a motor vehicle accident, medical malpractice, a defective product, or a work-related incident, you need a law firm like Burg Simpson that has Cincinnati spinal cord injury lawyers who are capable of handling complex lawsuits and recovering the compensation you deserve. Spinal cord injuries can lead to damages for:
- Disability: These damages are determined by medical testimony; a doctor must examine a plaintiff claiming permanent disability and establish that claim objectively.
- Disfigurement: When an accident has left someone deformed, typically from scarring, the victim may be entitled to damages for any mental suffering as a result.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: This is classified as a diminished ability to enjoy the day-to-day activities of life.
- Loss of income: This may include both the wages lost during recovery, as well as any potential future income loss as the result of a spinal cord injury.
- Medical expenses: This refers to bills and expenses for medical services such as doctors, hospital stays, emergency room visits, ambulance fees, and nursing services. This also includes future medical expenses, if the victim will need ongoing medical care.
- Mental distress: This can consist of mental or emotional suffering connected to the spinal cord injury; these damages can include fright, terror, apprehension, nervousness, anxiety, worry, humiliation, mortification, feelings of lost dignity, embarrassment, grief, and shock.
- Pain and suffering: This is an award for past (and future) physical pain as the result of the injury. It’s typically determined by the nature of the injury, the certainty of future pain, its severity, and how long the plaintiff is expected to be in pain.
Damages are split into two categories: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages are intended to compensate for financial losses, which can include quantifiable things such as loss of current and potential earnings, medical bills, and other expenses, and loss of employment or other business opportunities.
Non-economic damages are compensation for more subjective, non-financial losses, including emotional trauma, pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and other non-tangible losses.
Finally, there are punitive damages, which refers to damages awarded as a deterrent and imposed as punishment. Punitive damages are not viewed as either economic or non-economic because they can be awarded in addition to those forms of compensation. Call us now at (513) 852-5600 to discuss the details of your potential case.
Additional Health Concerns for Spinal Cord Injury Victims
Most severe injuries, especially spinal cord injuries, have devastating effects that extend far beyond the initial injury and medical costs. Spinal cord injuries may lead to a number of complications known as secondary conditions, such as:
- Autonomic dysreflexia: A possibly life-threatening condition triggered by an irritant below the site of the SCI. Symptoms include high blood pressure, severe headaches, flushed face, sweating above the level of the injury, goosebumps below the injury, nasal congestion, nausea, and a slow pulse.
- Deep vein thrombosis: This condition is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep in the body, usually in the lower leg or thigh.
- Sepsis: Also known as blood poisoning, sepsis is a life-threatening condition, and spinal cord injury victims are particularly vulnerable because of the body’s hampered ability to defend itself. Symptoms typically include fever, infection, and elevated heart and respiratory rates.
- Side effects of paralysis: These aftereffects include loss of bladder and bowel control, respiratory health issues, and spasticity, which can vary from mild muscle stiffness to extreme, random leg movement.
In addition, there is the emotional toll SCIs can take on victims, which may lead to serious mental health conditions. Secondary conditions are just one of the many reasons it’s crucial to reach out to an experienced Cincinnati personal injury lawyer as soon as possible following a severe injury such as a spinal cord injury. An attorney can help you establish what damages you may be able to claim and help you recover them from the party responsible. Fill out a free Case Evaluation form to get started with your case now. We do not charge for your consultation and there is no obligation.
How Ohio and Kentucky Handle Partial Fault in Spinal Cord Injury Cases
Most states – and courts – recognize the legal concept of comparative negligence, which allows an injured party to recover damages even if their actions contributed to their injuries. The specifics of how this concept is applied varies by state. For example, in Ohio comparative fault uses a 50 percent threshold. In other words, if a jury finds that a defendant was at least 50% at fault, the plaintiff can recover damages. If, however, the plaintiff is found to be more than 50% or more at fault, then they are barred from recovering any damages. Kentucky handles this differently. Kentucky is one of 12 “pure comparative negligence” states, which means there isn’t a limit on the percentage a plaintiff can be at fault in personal injury cases and still be rewarded damages. In Kentucky, even if the plaintiff was 90% at fault, they can still recover 10% of their damages.
If you or a family member have been seriously injured or killed in accident or suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury, you will need an experienced personal injury lawyer to represent you. Burg Simpson has the experience and resources to help you recover the damages you deserve for your injuries and losses.
Contact a Cincinnati Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Today
Burg Simpson represents spinal cord injury victims nationwide. Our Cincinnati personal injury attorneys have in-depth knowledge of spinal cord injury lawsuits, and our firm has the resources to handle highly complex cases. To learn more about spinal cord injuries, call our personal injury attorneys at (513) 852-5600 or fill out our online Case Evaluation form now to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.
