The spinal cord serves as the route for messages between the brain and the rest of the body. Any trauma to your spinal cord has a significant impact on your bodily functions, so an injury of this nature can be complicated and expensive. Spinal cord injuries can be life-altering, both professionally and personally. You may lose your income and independence due to your condition. If the negligent conduct of another person caused your accident, you could consider reaching out to an Elgin spinal cord injury lawyer for advice. A skilled personal injury attorney could hold negligent parties accountable for their actions by seeking damages to compensate you for your medical expenses and suffering.
Spinal Cord Trauma Injuries
Damage to the spinal cord directly affects certain systems in the body, such as movement, coordination, and sensation. The site of the spinal cord injury determines how severe the resulting impairment will be. Generally, limited mobility, sensation, and paralysis will occur in all parts of the body below the impact on the spine.
An injury could cause complete or partial severing of the spinal cord and compression or fracture of vertebrae along the spinal cord. In any case, spinal cord damage is often permanent and substantially disabling.
Some common spinal cord injuries are paraplegia and quadriplegia. Individuals with paraplegia have a loss of function below their waists, whereas individuals with quadriplegia have impaired function below their chest or neck area.
What Type of Accidents Lead to SCIs in Elgin?
Negligent behavior by others is a common cause of spinal cord injuries (SCI), which can arise from a variety of scenarios. Motor vehicle accidents are a typical cause of these injuries. However, there are many other incidents that could cause an SCI, such as:
- Assaults
- Shootings
- Workplace accidents
- Sports or recreational accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Slip and falls
When the negligent or careless conduct of a third party causes a catastrophic accident resulting in an SCI, Elgin injury victims have legal recourse. A local spinal cord injury representative can evaluate the circumstances that led to the accident and determine the potential liability of all parties involved.
Proving Negligence in Spinal Cord Injury Claims
Most spinal cord injury claims arise from the negligent actions of third parties, whether they are individuals, companies, or both. Most of these parties owe a reasonable duty of care to act in a way that keeps those around them safe in most situations. For instance, drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists have a responsibility to the occupants of other vehicles around them to follow traffic laws.
However, if drivers choose to speed, fail to stop at a stop sign, or drive while under the influence of alcohol, they may cause an accident that leads to devastating injuries to others. If the victims would not have been injured but for the negligent actions of the other person, then the drivers may face liability for the resulting injuries.
To successfully prove an injury claim based on negligence, the injured parties must show that their injuries happened as a direct result of the negligent or careless behavior. These injury victims also must show that they incurred damages due to injuries, such as medical expenses, lost wages, and more.
Call an Elgin Spinal Cord Injury Attorney for Legal Advice
Spinal cord injuries can be physically, emotionally, and economically draining on you and your family. As you struggle to adapt to these life-altering changes, an Elgin spinal cord injury lawyer could help you take the steps needed to file your claim for compensation. Legal counsel can deal with insurance companies, work to get your medical bills paid, and bring any legal claims on your behalf.
When you are going through a challenging situation, you need to rely on a knowledgeable attorney for advice. As you fight your way back from your injuries, legal representation from the Law Offices of R.F. Wittmeyer, Ltd. can go a long way toward getting you the compensation that you need. Call today to get started.
