Damages in Spinal Cord Injury Cases: Seeking Compensation
At Younker Hyde Macfarlane, PLLC, we fight for the rights of injury victims throughout the state of Utah. This diligent legal representation is especially crucial for catastrophic injuries such as those that affect the spine. Lawyers in spinal cord injury lawsuits will seek damages to cover medical expenses and other losses, helping accident victims and their loved ones face the many challenges in the years ahead. Let's consider these matters in a bit more detail right now.
Why Spinal Cord Injuries Are So Serious
Any kind of damage to your spinal cord can have major repercussions to your mobility and overall quality of life. While this account for slipped discs and nerve damage, this is especially true of injuries that irreversibly damage the spinal cord. These severe injuries can lead to lasting disability that severely limits movement and the actions that you can perform.
Paraplegia and Quadriplegia: How They Affect Victims
Paraplegia and quadriplegia are two kinds of severe spinal cord injuries that affect mobility and range of motion.
- Paraplegia refers to the loss of sensation and mobility in the lower extremities. This is caused by major injuries to the lower spine or middle portion of the spine. Paraplegics are wheelchair bound for the rest of their lives, and often require assistance doing basic tasks around the home.
- Quadriplegia refers to the loss of sensation and mobility in all of the extremities. This is caused by major injuries to the upper portion of the spine, notably the neck. Quadriplegics will also be bound to wheelchairs for the remainder of lives, and they will require significant assistance accomplishing normal tasks around the home. Because of the nature of the injury, quadriplegics will also require special respirators to control their breathing and constant medical monitoring.
For both paraplegics and quadriplegics, they will experience major changes to their overall ability to enjoy their lives. When seeking compensation in major spinal cord injuries, we will consider both compensatory damages and punitive damages.
Compensatory Damages Following Spinal Cord Injuries
When it comes to compensatory damages following a spinal cord injury, our lawyers will assist you with the cost of medical care, physical rehabilitation, long-term medical assistance and monitoring, and other costs associated with your health and wellness.
Given how these kinds of injuries change mobility, they affect a person's career and career opportunities. That's why it's also important for damages to account for lost earnings in the present, lost future earnings, and other significant monetary or material changes to a person's daily life that are the result of the spinal cord injury.
Punitive Damages Following Spinal Cord Injuries
In addition to compensatory damages, punitive damages will be sought that will cover matters above and beyond mere material losses. The circumstances of your accident and injury will determine the amount sought for punitive damages; similar legal cases from the past may also help determine a reasonable amount to be sought. In general, the more negligent and tragic the incident, the higher the punitive damages are likely to be.
We Will Work Closely with You and Your Loved Ones
Our lawyers know just how heartbreaking and difficult these kinds of accidents can be, which is why we will work closely with spine injury victims and their loved ones. We will fight hard for you and help you continue to live with dignity in the face of the challenges ahead.
Schedule a Consultation with Our Personal Injury Lawyers
Our legal team is here for you following serious injuries or accidents. To discuss your case with legal experts, contact our team of personal injury lawyers today. We at Younker Hyde Macfarlane, PLLC will help you fight for the compensation that you deserve.