Spinal Cord Injuries From Motorcycle and Car Accidents: Long-Term Legal Options

A spinal cord injury is one of the worst possible outcomes of a motorcycle or car accident. A severe crash can fully or partially sever the spinal cord, impacting your mobility, sensation, and overall functionality. As a victim, it is crucial that you understand your legal options and know how best to pursue fair compensation.

If you or someone you love has suffered a spinal cord injury because of a careless driver or rider, you have options—but you need to act now and talk to an attorney who is ready to advocate for you. Call Martin & Helms, P.C. to schedule a time to meet with our team.

How spinal cord injuries happen in motorcycle and car accidents

Your spinal cord is responsible for communication between your brain and the rest of your body. During a motorcycle or car accident, the spine is under an enormous amount of pressure. The spine may break, and vertebrae can be fractured, compressed, or dislocated; discs can rupture or herniate. The spinal cord itself can be severed, disrupting communication between the brain and other parts of your body.

Motor vehicle accidents are a common cause of spinal cord trauma, although it can also happen in sports, falls, and workplace accidents. This type of injury is particularly common when a rider or vehicle occupant is thrown from the vehicle. The impact with pavement, guardrails, or other vehicles can cause serious harm to the spinal cord.

Understanding the different levels of spinal cord injuries

Spinal cord injuries can be categorized in several different ways. First, we have to look at the difference between incomplete and complete spinal cord injuries. An incomplete injury is one where some feeling or control of movement remains below the injury level. A complete injury is one where all feeling and ability to control movement are lost below the injury level. This means that nerve signals can no longer pass between the brain and the body below where the injury occurred.

Spinal cord injuries are also categorized by where they occur, or the lowest level that retains normal function. We’ll start with cervical cord injuries. The cervical spine is the topmost part of the spine, so injury to this area can lead to quadriplegia. It affects legs, arms, and the trunk. These are medically complex injuries that often require around-the-clock care and can lead to more severe medical issues.

The thoracic spine makes up the upper back; damage to this area or below can result in paraplegia. Damage to this part of the spinal cord may leave your arms usable, but leaves victims with limited or no use of their chest, abdominal muscles, and legs. Lumbar injuries affect the function of the hips and legs. The sacrum is the triangular bone at the bottom of the spine, and injury here can impact bowel, bladder, and sexual function.

While a cervical injury may have the most significant impact on a victim’s health, independence, and overall quality of life, any spinal cord injury can significantly impact a person’s well-being and ability to work.

The long-term financial impact of a spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injuries often leave families with significant financial losses and stress. We’ll name just a few of the expenses associated with a spinal cord injury:

• Emergency surgeries

• Hospitalization

• Rehabilitation programs

• Physical and occupational therapy

• Prescription medications

• In-home care

• Mobility equipment

• Adaptive equipment

• Adaptive upgrades to the home to allow the patient to stay at home

• Vehicle modifications

• Lost income

• Reduced future earning capacity

For younger accident victims, this injury may result in decades of lost earnings and medical care needs.

It’s also fairly common for families to have to make difficult choices as they navigate this massive change. One or more family members may have to step away from work or decrease their hours in order to provide caregiving assistance. Families may experience an entire overhaul of their familial relationships, financial responsibilities, careers, and daily routines.

Why motorcycle accident victims often face more severe injuries

Motorcyclists often fare the worst when it comes to severe accidents. They are particularly vulnerable to spinal cord injuries because they have nearly no protection in a collision. When a standard passenger vehicle is totaled in a crash, that often means that it absorbed much of the force generated by the accident. Motorcyclists don’t have that protection; at most, they have a helmet, protective eyewear, and riding apparel. They often suffer direct impacts during accidents, so they may suffer severe spinal fractures, paralysis, traumatic brain injuries, or complex orthopedic injuries.

Proving liability in a spinal cord injury accident case

If you want to seek compensation after a severe accident, you’ll need to prove liability. If you are able to prove liability, you may recover damages for:

• Current and future medical expenses

• Lost wages and reduced earning capacity

• Pain and suffering

• Permanent disability damages

• Rehabilitation costs

• Home and vehicle accessibility modifications

• Caregiving needs

In catastrophic injury cases, future damages can make up a significant part of the claim. For example, imagine a 20-year-old who suffers a complete cervical spine injury in a crash. They are left completely unable to work and need around-the-clock care. A fair settlement may reflect 45 years of lost wages, promotions, and raises, as well as decades of nursing care, specialist medical care, and adaptive upgrades.

Proving liability involves demonstrating the cause of the collision, the extent of your injuries, and the other party’s role in everything. You may be able to prove the cause of the collision with vehicle black box data, photos and videos from the crash scene, surveillance footage, and accident reconstruction insights. To prove your losses, you may need medical reports, neurology reports, rehabilitation specialists’ insight, input from vocational experts, and calculations from life-care planners.

Find out how Martin & Helms, P.C. can help you after a spinal injury

A spinal injury can change your life, but fair compensation can give you the support, medical care, and technology you need to adapt to your new normal. Let’s discuss your next steps. Call us now or reach out online.