Spine Injuries

Rockford Spinal Cord Injury Attorney

Among the worst places on your body to sustain an injury, the spine is very high on the list. Along with your heart and brain, your spine plays a critical role in virtually every function that the body performs. Spinal injuries in Rockford, and other Illinois personal injury and work-related injuries are therefore extremely serious, and anyone injured by the negligence of another or while at work should consider legal action to pursue damages. Get started by reaching out to Rockford personal injury lawyer Paul M. Marriett to schedule a consultation and to learn more about your options.

Many Types of Accidents Lead to Spinal Injuries

The body is a pretty tough instrument, and it requires a significant accident to lead to major spinal damage. Unfortunately, that can occur in a variety of ways, so serious spine injuries are seen in many different forms of accidents in all walks of life. While this list could probably go on for pages, here are some of the most common causes of spinal injuries:

Car Accidents – if you have been involved in a Rockford, Illinois car accident, you may have come away from the event with a spinal injury. The power involved in a car accident, along with the sudden change of direction that can result from a direct impact, often leads to spinal damage. Of course, in addition to the spinal injury, you may have come away from this car accident with many other physical concerns, so getting proper medical care is essential in the aftermath.

Construction Accidents – workplace accidents in an industrial setting are another frequent cause of spinal trauma. This is the case due to the large materials and heavy machinery that are typically in use in such work environments. Negligence is common when one of these accidents occurs, so be sure to consider your legal options if you have been hurt in this way.

Sports-Related Incidents – some sports are prone to the potential for spinal injuries, such as those that involve players repeatedly crashing into each other or moving at a high rate of speed. Football is notorious for its inherent dangers, but there are also plenty of action sports that can lead to this kind of trauma, such as auto racing, waterskiing, skateboarding, and others.

Falling Injuries – a fall from a sufficient height can lead to a serious spinal injury, and that height doesn’t need to be as lofty as you might believe. Even a relatively short fall can result in spinal trauma if the victim lands the wrong way and compresses the spine suddenly. A fall is not always due to a mistake made by the injured individual, so it’s important to work through this kind of situation to see what party may have truly been at fault.

Whatever the circumstances happened to be around the spinal injury suffered by you or a loved one, our office will be happy to review the situation with you to determine if legal action is justified.

The Long-Term Implications

The specific long-term impacts of a spinal injury are going to depend entirely on the details of each case. Sometimes, the victim will be able to rehab fully, and the damage will be limited to things like medical bills and time away from work. Those cases are still serious, make no mistake, but they might allow the victim to get back close to full health after some hard work and great medical care.

That’s not always the outcome, sadly, and some spinal injury victims will never be able to recover fully. Paralysis is always a risk when the spine is injured, and anyone who loses motor function in some or all of their limbs is going to have to adjust to an entirely new way of life. It can also be difficult to know exactly how a spinal injury is going to affect life in the long run when you are only days or weeks removed from the accident.

Back, neck, and spine injuries resulting from personal injury and car crashes are among the most serious and debilitating injuries anyone can suffer through. These injuries can range from herniated discs, to paralysis, and can lead to severe ongoing pain, disability, and even death. Not only can these injuries have long-term consequences but they can also profoundly affect a person’s ability to work and carry out everyday activities.

What kind of injuries?

Spine injuries resulting from work related injuries or personal injury/car crash situations can range from mild to severe. The most common types of injuries include:

Fractures – a fracture occurs when a vertebra or other bone in the spine is broken, which can cause pain, limited mobility, and instability of the spine.

Herniated Disk Injury – a herniated disk refers to a problem with one of the rubbery cushions (disks) between the individual bones (vertebrae) that stack up to make your spine. A slipped disc occurs when some of the cushion pushes through a tear in it’s tougher exterior. These injuries can be debilitating, and recovery can be a long road. Often, slipped disk injuries result in pain and suffering, unmanageable medical bills, months of physical therapy, and sometimes surgery. If you or a loved one has suffered a herniated disc as a result of an accident, it is important to speak with an experienced attorney right away.

Symptoms of Disk Herniation

• Arm and/or neck pain
• Numbness or tingling
• Physical weakness

Causes of Herniated Discs

• Slip-and-fall accidents
• Motor vehicle accidents
• Nursing home abuse
• Mass transit accidents
• Pedestrian accidents

**Herniated discs may be diagnosed by a physician though CT scan or MRI.

Paralysis – paralysis is a serious condition that occurs when the spinal cord is damaged and the ability to move certain parts of the body is lost. Paralysis can be complete (cannot move at all) or incomplete (can still move some parts of the body).

Recovery periods can be from a few weeks to permanent lifelong impacts to the injured person. These permanency issues can range from chronic pain, loss of sensation, and these will certainly coincide with emotional and mental trauma associated with the life changing consequences of such an impact to anyone’s health.

Seeking the Right Damages

If you have never before pursued a personal injury case, you may not be familiar with the kinds of damages that are sometimes available to victims. Some of the damages are relatively obvious in terms of the financial compensation that is warranted, while others may not be so obvious at first.

A partial list of what you may be able to fight for includes the following:

Lost Wages – it is nearly certain that the victim of a spinal injury won’t be able to work for at least a period of time, if not permanently. Seeking damages to compensate for lost wages while in the recovery period will allow the victim to keep paying bills and avoid financial distress along with the physical distress they have experienced.

Medical Costs – this is a big one, given the likely size of your medical bills after being treated for a serious spinal injury. It’s easy to see how costs for medical care could rise into the six- or even seven-figures, so seeking damages from the responsible party is an essential part of staying away from financial ruin.

Home Modifications – in the case of partial or complete paralysis, there will need to be work done to the victim’s home in order to make it suitable for their new reality. This is another potentially big expense that the victim should not have to bear alone.

Pain & Suffering – beyond the measurable costs tied to a spinal injury, there is also the emotional toll and the loss of quality of life that arise in this kind of case. In the process of seeking damages from the party at fault in your case, you might be able to secure additional compensation for the pain and suffering that you have endured.

Contact A Rockford Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer For Help

A spinal injury to you or a loved one is very likely to change life significantly moving forward. Those changes could include mobility struggles, an inability to work, and a general decline in quality of life. The Law Office of Paul M. Marriett would be happy to speak with you in a free consultation to learn more about your situation and help you understand the types of compensation that may be available. Reach out today to a top rated and reviewed personal injury attorney in Rockford, IL to  learn more, you can call or text message us 24/7/365 at 815-391-0089, reach us securely through our home page, or email Paul directly at paul@marriettlegal.com for assistance.