A spinal cord injury can be a devastating event, irrevocably changing your life as well as those of your family members and friends. Unfortunately, spinal cord injuries are not as rare as they should be. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, nearly 17,700 new cases of spinal cord injuries happen each year in the United States. If you or a loved one have experienced a spinal cord injury, a dedicated DuPage County spinal cord injury lawyer could ensure you do not have to struggle with it alone.
Spinal cord injuries not only could reduce life expectancy for those who have incurred one but can also lead to staggering medical costs. An adept catastrophic injury attorney could examine the factors surrounding accident and work to demonstrate how another individual’s negligent actions caused the injury.
Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries
410 Illinois Compiled Statutes 515/1(c) states that a “spinal cord injury” is an injury that typically occurs when some sort of sudden trauma results in the fracture of spinal vertebrae or partial or complete severing of the spinal cord. Car crashes and falling accidents are the two leading causes of spinal cord injuries in the United States, but other potential sources include medical mistakes, gunshot wounds or knife stabs, boating accidents, electrocution, and defective consumer products.
Symptoms associated with spinal cord injuries most often include numbness or a loss of sensation in parts of the body, weakened motor capacity, paralysis, and bowel or bladder dysfunction. With proper and swift medical attention, the odds of recovery for those with a spinal cord injury may increase significantly, but delayed treatment may lead to these symptoms being permanent. It is common for the costs of current and future medical care to exhaust an injured person’s finances, however, a caring DuPage County spinal cord injury lawyer could assist in pursuing important compensation from a liable party.
Legal Restitution in Spinal Cord Injury Cases
In many cases, the time the law allows to make a personal injury claim begins to run once the injury has occurred. This is not always the case, however, as in some situations, the injury may not be obvious until some time has passed. Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the statute of limitations to file a personal injury claim is two years from either the date the injury occurred or the date the injured plaintiff discovered—or reasonably should have been aware of—their injury.
Due to the potential seriousness of spinal cord injuries, there can be a great deal of financial cost attached to treatment and recovery. DuPage County residents who suffer from such injuries may face years or even a lifetime of ongoing medical bills and the loss of potential income. Additionally, spinal cord injuries can result in a great deal of physical and emotional pain as well as the loss of enjoyment in life.
Spinal cord injuries are often the result of situations for which someone else can be held liable. If the injury occurred as a result of someone else’s failure to act reasonably or from another person’s intentional act, the injured victim of their action or inaction may have reason to retain to file a spinal cord injury attorney in DuPage County and seek damages through a personal injury claim.
Speak with a DuPage County Spinal Cord Injury Attorney
The effects of a spinal cord injury often change the course of someone’s life and can often be devastating in both the short and long terms. If you suffered a spinal cord injury caused by the negligence of another person, you should strongly consider filing suit to seek the financial restitution you may be owed.
No one who has undergone a spinal cord injury should have to go through this process alone. Contact a DuPage County spinal cord injury lawyer today to find the assistance and expertise you may need to achieve a positive outcome in your case.