The spinal cord is the long, cylindrical system of nerves that stretches from the base of your neck to your lower back. The spine plays a crucial role in every aspect of your life. It allows your brain to control the rest of your body, and it will enable your brain to respond when your skin receives stimulation. Due to its importance, the effects of a spinal injury can be impactful. When you sustain a spinal injury due to the negligence of another person, a catastrophic injury attorney may be able to help you hold them accountable.
If you or a loved one were severely injured to the negligence of another, a Columbia, MO spinal cord injury lawyer could assist with your case. You may be eligible to seek compensation for your damages. Typically, the road to recovering compensation leads to a civil lawsuit.
At the AW Smith Law Firm, we are dedicated to helping injured individuals seek justice for their injuries. Speak to our skilled legal team to learn more about how we can help your case.
Injuries to the spinal cord can affect the body in ways most other wounds do not. These spinal injuries can impact every aspect of your life, including parts of the body that are not adjacent to the spine. Pursuing a lawsuit based on these injuries can be complicated. An injury victim may benefit from the assistance of a Columbia spinal cord injury attorney that has a strong understanding of both spinal health and injury lawsuits. Some of the body functions affected by spinal damage include:
One of the most devastating effects of a spinal injury is spinal shock. Spinal shock results in the loss of feeling or control of the body below the injured part of the spine. While these injuries can heal in some cases, severe spinal shock is permanent.
The spine has a vital role in regulating the body’s breathing. The muscles responsible for breathing do so based on signals they receive from the brain. The diaphragm and the muscles surrounding the lungs can atrophy following certain spinal injuries.
The body’s ability to regulate temperature is only possible thanks to the spinal cord. When a spinal cord is damaged, the body may not be able to respond to increased temperatures by sweating or raising goosebumps.
When signals from the brain cannot reach the heart, it can impact an injury victim’s heart rate or blood pressure. When a spinal injury interferes with the signals regulating these functions, a victim’s heart rate and blood pressure can drop dramatically. The effect on blood pressure and heart rate is known as neurogenic shock.
Spinal cord injuries are often completely debilitating and require lengthy and expensive recovery processes that may place extreme financial strain upon the injured party. When a person suffers a serious spinal cord injury in an accident caused by a third party’s negligence, they have a legal right to file a claim for financial compensation. To do so, an injured person should seek the assistance of a qualified legal professional in the Columbia area who has experience handling these types of cases and is familiar with the local court system.
To achieve a successful outcome in a spinal cord injury claim, the plaintiff and their attorney must clearly establish the third party’s negligence and show how that negligence caused their harm. If negligence is proven, an injured person may be eligible to recover economic damages to cover the costs of their medical and rehabilitative care and any ongoing treatments, lost wages from missed time at work, and the costs associated with everyday activities they can no longer complete on their own. The plaintiff may also be able to recover non-economic damages for their pain and suffering.
Any delay in the filing of a spinal cord injury lawsuit can be detrimental to an injury victim’s claim. Missouri, like all states, has adopted a statute of limitations for personal injury cases. The statue bars any lawsuit to be filed after a certain amount of time. The purpose of the statute of limitations is to prevent lengthy delays in serious injury claims.
In the State of Missouri, the statute of limitations for a spinal cord injury is five years from the date of the injury. If the plaintiff fails to file the lawsuit before the statute expires, the court has the right to dismiss an injury claim. An experienced Columbia spinal cord injury attorney can assist with filing the lawsuit within the designated deadline.
If you sustained a spinal cord injury, the financial cost of treatment might be more than you can bear. If your injury is a result of another person’s negligence, you have the right to seek compensation for those financial costs. A Columbia spinal cord injury lawyer can help you seek compensation for your injuries and damages. Call the AW Smith Law Firm today to learn about your legal options.
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