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Monroe, NC Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
If you suffer a spinal cord injury in Monroe, NC, you need to rely on the proactive, compassionate, and dedicated team of lawyers of Dewey, Ramsay, and Hunt. The serious complications of a spinal injury can lead to a life of many hardships and emotional pain on top of your physical ailments. You may be entitled to compensation for your losses if someone’s oversight or recklessness caused your spinal cord injury. With the right legal representation, you can seek accountability and obtain a financial award that will help cover your medical expenses.
Dewey, Ramsay, and Hunt, P.A. has a committed and dedicated team of experience-driven attorneys known as fierce legal advocates who will work relentlessly to hold the responsible parties accountable for your loss. If you are looking for an accomplished team of lawyers with a strong track record of financial awards, look to the compassionate attorneys of Dewey, Ramsay & Hunt, P.A. for legal representation you can trust.
To learn more about how we can help, contact our law offices at (704) 377-3737.
Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI)
While there are multiple causes for spinal cord injuries (SCIs), at the root of most of these injuries is a type of human error or accident. Some common causes of spine injuries include:
- Accidental slip and fall accidents
- Work accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Physician and hospital errors (medical malpractice)
- Motor vehicle accidents (including trucks, car, and bus accidents)
- Other accidents
You may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against the person or entity responsible for your accident. Your spinal injury lawyers of Dewey, Ramsay & Hunt, P.A. can evaluate the events surrounding your claim to determine what causes of action you may be able to pursue in order to obtain compensation.
Filing a Lawsuit for a Spinal Cord Injury in North Carolina
Adjusting to a spinal cord injury and the new challenges caused by physical impairments, your financial strain probably doesn’t seem to ease as you face concerns over mounting medical bills, lost wages, and planning for everyday expenses. The term spinal cord refers to the part of the spine where all major nerves branch outward through small openings in each vertebra. As they spread through the body into smaller nerves, sensation and movement are relayed through the system. An injury to the spinal cord, such as a cut or damaged nerve, can leave the victim with the loss of a wide number of functions While a bruised or pinched spinal cord may cause either temporary or permanent nerve damage, a severed spinal cord will cause permanent damage.
The devastating effects of permanent nerve damage becomes part of the daily routine since eating, bathing, and dressing become challenging tasks, especially in the beginning. In addition to causing loss of sensation and mobility, an injury to the spinal cord may also cause a range of serious problems with the lower or upper back, the neck, and any of the muscles and nerves in the area. The effects of a spinal cord injury depend on where the injury is located:
- Quadriplegia: If the spinal cord damage occurs in the neck area, this can cause paralysis in the entire body.
- Paraplegia: When the spinal cord is damaged lower in the back, paralysis is usually from the neck down. Most victims of paraplegia are confined to a wheelchair, requiring living assistance and rehabilitation, particularly during the adjustment process after the loss of mobility.
Symptoms may include pain, loss of feeling, weakness in limbs, diminished organ function, muscle problems, heart and blood pressure issues, digestive problems, and sexual dysfunction. Severe depression is one of the most common side effects of SCI. According to Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center, 1 in 5 people with SCI are depressed. Someone with SCI has to seek help for depression because it has other consequences; it can make the pain worse, make sleep difficult, and have a whole host of other consequences you’ll need to address.
Types of Financial Compensation for Losses
The medical care, rehabilitation, and healthcare expenses for someone who has suffered a spinal cord injury can create intense financial burdens for the victim and his or her family. With the legal representation of a qualified lawyer, you can recover compensation for past, present, and future losses. There are caps on certain types of recovery that make the proper calculation of recoverable losses very important. For example, North Carolina places a cap of $500,000 in medical malpractice cases. However, you can recover additional losses depending on the type of case with an attorney who understands how to calculate and seek adequate financial remedies. Your financial recovery may include a calculation by valuation professionals of the following losses:
- Cost of physical rehabilitation (present and ongoing)
- Loss of earning potential
- Loss of companionship or consortium
- Lost wages (past, present, and future)
- Medical expenses and healthcare costs
- Physical pain and mental suffering
- Permanent disability
- Loss of quality of life
To schedule a free consultation with one of our qualified attorneys, contact our law offices at (704) 377-3737