If your accidental spinal cord injury is caused by someone’s negligence, you may want to file a personal injury claim to help you recover from those injuries. Nevertheless, you may want to know how your specific injury will affect the compensation you can receive under a personal injury claim in Nevada.
Usually, a personal injury claim includes compensation for three main factors: medical expenditures due to injury, which can be very expensive after spinal cord injury, wages lost if you are unable to return to work after the accident, and the injury suffered by pain and suffering. To determine the full impact of your spinal cord injury, including the impact on your life, insurance companies will usually assess your injury.
It is estimated by the National SCI Statistical Center that approximately 17,810 new spinal cord injuries occur each year. Nearly 80% of newly injured patients are men. The two top causes of spinal cord injuries are vehicle accidents and falls. Many patients have endured the consequences of these injuries for decades.
Every spinal cord injury looks a little different. Even the smallest details of your injury and recovery will affect the amount of compensation you can receive for these injuries. Although your medicinal bill is the basis for your claim, you also want compensation for the long-term effects of spinal cord injury on your life-loss of independence, and the activities you once loved. How does the insurance company estimate your spinal cord injury and your right to compensation? All these elements will come into work.
How Much Will You Heal Over Time?
Complete spinal cord injury is usually irreversible; However, some people with spinal cord injury may improve over time. If you have a spinal cord injury, the insurance company will work with your doctor to assess the persistence of these injuries and how they will affect other aspects of your life.
Usually, your doctor cannot fully predict how much you will recover before a certain point in time after the accident. In fact, after a spinal cord injury, your doctor may take 6 months or more to predict how you will recover and how much activity you will regain. Your lawyer may suggest that you wait until this time before you formally file a personal injury claim in Nevada.
How Much Were You Disabled by Your Spinal Cord Injuries?
Spinal cord injuries usually result in a major loss of movement and functionality. However, they can cause a variety of diseases, from complete paralysis below the injury site to a slight loss of function, depending on the severity of the injury and the impact it may leave on your body. Impact and disabilities caused by spinal cord injury include:
- Leg paralysis or paraplegia usually occurs when the spinal cord around the waist is injured
- Quadriplegia or paralysis of both legs occurs when spinal cord injury is in the upper part of the spine. Quadriplegia is sometimes called tetraplegia
In some cases, spinal cord injury may mainly affect one side of the body, while in others; it may affect both sides the same way.
Does Your Spinal Cord Injury Negatively Impact Your Overall Life Expectancy?
Severe spinal cord injuries not only cause immediate disability and problems that must be overcome but also cause a wide range of health problems, which can shorten your life expectancy. Over time, the site of damage may lead to organ failure. Sometimes your doctor may suggest that due to the long-term problems you face, spinal cord injury will shorten your overall life expectancy.
Did You Suffer Infections and Complications That Extend the Length of Your Recovery?
Recovering from a spinal cord injury and leaving the hospital is not as easy as learning to use a wheelchair or losing mobility and independence. Long-term infections may cause further disability. Infections and complications cannot be predicted in advance. However, they can cause great long-term pain, which can make your spinal cord injury more difficult. Your recovery may increase the medical expenses associated with your injury, and therefore increase the compensation you deserve.
How Did Your Spinal Cord Injury Impact You Mentally and Emotionally?
Spinal cord injury can change your life forever, preventing you from participating in activities you previously enjoyed or making it difficult for you to take care of yourself. Many patients with spinal cord injury suffer from great psychological distress. Discuss with your lawyer how your spinal cord injury affects your mind and emotions, and how you should expect compensation for the impact. A lawyer can help you analyze how this affects your application.
Get in Touch With a Skilled Attorney for Your Personal Injury Claim in Nevada:
We at the offices of Christian Morris Trial Attorneys will professionally cater to your personal injury claim in Nevada for your spinal cord or related injuries. What are you waiting for? Contact us today.
