Car accidents are a leading cause of neck and back trauma. Spinal injuries can cost a veritable fortune to treat, and many patients cannot return to work while they recover. Due to exorbitant healthcare bills and lost wages, many accident victims fall into overwhelming debt.
Don’t let this happen to you. Learn about some common signs of a spinal injury and how to help if someone suffers a spinal injury in a car accident. If you suffered a neck or back injury due to a negligent driver, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses.
What Are Common Symptoms of Spinal Injuries?
As the Cleveland Clinic explains, the spinal cord is a column of nerves that send and receive messages from the brain. Because your spinal cord plays such an integral role in many of your body’s functions, a spinal injury can cause a range of symptoms.
If you were in a car accident or suffered a blow to your back, you may experience:
- Slow reflexes
- Muscle spasms
- Numbness or tingling in the limbs
- Inability to control your bladder
- Loss of movement in the limbs
- Severe pain
- Breathing problems
Visit your doctor immediately if you notice any of these symptoms. Only a doctor can diagnose and treat a spinal injury.
For a free legal consultation, call 800-537-8185
How Common Are Spinal Injuries?
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, an estimated 17,000 new cases of spinal injuries are reported in the United States every year. There are currently 282,000 people in this country who are living with the effects of a spinal cord injury.
What Should You Do If Someone Suffers a Spinal Injury after a Car Accident?
It is not always easy to tell if a person has sustained a spinal cord injury. However, you should be concerned if:
- The victim cannot feel his or her limbs
- The victim complains about back pain
- The victim cannot move his or her neck
- There is an obvious wound to the neck, back, or head
How to Help Someone Who Suffered a Spinal Injury
If you witness a car crash or another accident and suspect someone has suffered a spinal injury, it’s essential that you act accordingly to avoid further injury. Promptly follow these five steps:
- Call 911 and request emergency medical assistance
- Keep the victim as still as possible
- If the person is unresponsive, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)—but do not lift the head from the neck
- If the person is wearing a helmet, do not remove it
- Turn the person onto his or her side to prevent choking
The 911 dispatcher may walk you through how to administer CPR or if there are any other steps you should take until paramedics arrive.
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Can You Sue After a Car Accident Resulting in a Spinal Injury?
Depending on the losses you sustain, you may seek financial recovery through an auto insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit. If you were injured in a collision that resulted in a spinal injury, you may be able to sue a negligent driver.
A personal injury lawyer in Birmingham, AL may be able to help you seek the following types of compensation:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical care
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Wrongful death benefits
If the driver who caused your wreck was violating the law at the time of the accident or behaving in a reckless manner, you may also be awarded punitive damages. A lawyer can evaluate your case to determine if you have grounds to file a claim.
What Is the Average Settlement for a Spinal Injury?
Due to the damaging effects of a neck or back injury, a personal injury lawsuit for a spinal injury may result in a significant settlement. Settlements for spinal injuries generally range between $10,000 and $1,000,000.
Every case is different and the settlement you may expect will largely depend on your injuries and your recovery. You may be left injured for months or years. If you are permanently disabled, your settlement should reflect this.
How Long After an Accident Can You Sue for Personal Injury?
According to Al. Code. Sec. 6-2-38, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases in Alabama is just two years. If you do not initiate your personal injury case within this time, your case will be time-barred. You mustn’t delay because a spinal injury could leave you disabled long-term.
Contact a Birmingham Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you were injured by a negligent driver in Alabama, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills and other damages. A Birmingham personal injury attorney from Morris Bart & Associates, LLC can help you fight for maximum compensation.
Our firm has been representing the injured for more than 40 years. Call 24/7 to schedule a free case review. Our law firm works on a contingency basis so you pay nothing unless we win your case.
Questions?Call 800-537-8185
to find a Morris Bart office near you.
