One of the most important parts of the human body is the spine, which runs up along the middle of the back. The spine plays many important roles including having a major impact on your overall mobility. If your spine is injured in an accident, it could have a major impact on your functionality and overall quality of life. This can include impacting your personal strength, ability to move, and sensations in your limbs. While spinal injuries may seem rare to most people, they are generally more common than someone would think in North Carolina and the rest of the country.
Frequency of Spinal Injuries
A spinal cord injury can be a devastating challenge to deal with. Unfortunately, they can happen frequently. Estimates in recent years have concluded that more than 50 people out of every one million will incur a spinal injury on an annual basis. This equates to more than 17,000 people per year. These numbers could be even higher because it does not count people that may have died in an accident that would have otherwise resulted in a spinal injury.
Causes of Spinal Injuries
Generally speaking, spinal injuries are caused by some form of significant trauma. There are various causes of spinal injuries in particular that continue to be the most common. Some of the most common causes of spinal injuries include the following:
- Vehicle accidents account for more than 38% of total spinal injuries. This includes both standard auto and motorcycle crashes. Motorcycle accidents on their own account for around 6% of total spinal cord injuries. Due to the speeds at which vehicles drive, a significant collision could cause serious harm to someone’s back and spine. Motorcycle accidents can be more serious as you will not have the protection of airbags and other supports within the vehicle.
- Slip and fall accidents are also common causes of spinal injuries. If someone slips unexpectedly and falls on their back, it could cause a lot of trauma to the spine. Slip and fall accidents account for more than 25% of total spin injuries each year.
- Gun violence and other acts of assault are also leading contributors to spine damage. Violence accounts for just over 10% of total spine injuries on an annual basis.
- Other risks that can lead to spinal injuries include diving accidents, participating in sports and other physical activities, and mistakes made during a medical procedure.
Impact of a Spinal Injury
A spinal injury can be a devastating injury to manage. At the same time, it comes with very significant medical complexities and you may need various forms of surgeries and care along the way to manage the injury as well as possible. Depending on the significance and complexity of the injury, as well as the body’s response to any care, the total costs incurred by a spinal injury victim could be as high as $1 million in the first year alone and costs will continue to be high each subsequent year. Depending on the age of the patient, lifetime costs could be several million dollars plus future lost wages. At the same time, you will need to manage through pain and suffering and mental anguish that can come with the significant change in your lifestyle and mobility.
How an Attorney Can Help
If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal injury, the impact on the victim’s life can be significant. Not only can you incur significant medical bills due to the accident, but you will also have ongoing therapy costs, pain and suffering, and may lose the ability to earn an income. Due to this, if your spinal injury was due to the negligence of another party, filing a personal injury lawsuit can be a good option and way to recoup some of your losses.
Your attorney can offer a variety of services to help ensure you are properly represented. This will include offering you a full consultation that will review your case and determine if you have a strong claim. They can then help you build a case, send legal notices to the other parties involved, and handle all negotiations with the other party, their legal representation, and any insurance companies involved.
When you are looking for spinal injury attorneys, speaking with the Sumwalt Anderson Law Firm can be a great idea. The legal team here can offer many services that will help to ensure you are properly protected and represented. This can help ensure you receive the best settlement or judgment possible for your spinal injury.