After an accident, your injuries can have lasting effects on your life and ability to recover. This is especially true of spinal cord injuries, which can damage your motor function and sensation in permanent ways. But how do you calculate a loss like this?
A leading Pennsylvania and New Jersey spinal cord injury lawyer at Rand Spear will know how hard it can be to calculate the value of your settlement and work tirelessly it is to maximize your payout. Failure to seek the full value of your claim can leave you paying out of pocket for the long-term suffering your injuries may cause. If you are struggling to recover following a spinal injury, here is what you need to know about what the average spine injury settlement is worth.
Severity Will Affect Value
While many people are seeking out one specific value for their spine injury settlement, the truth is that many factors can impact your case. Seeking legal representation to calculate this settlement is key because your specific case may be much higher or lower than the average, depending on the specific injuries you suffered. This varies significantly because the amount of spinal cord damage you’ve suffered, from complete to incomplete injuries, can impact the amount of support you need.
Complete Injuries
When you suffer a complete spinal cord injury, it means you have suffered an injury that severs the spinal cord completely, stopping all signals passing between the brain and the body below the point of injury. When this happens, you may have no options for repairing this damage. Modern medicine has not yet been able to completely repair the delicate system that makes up the spinal cord following a complete injury.
This can mean a complete life change, the severity of which may also depend on the location of the injury. Those injured in the lower back may suffer paraplegia, where motor function below the waist is lost, while others suffer a loss at the chest or higher. This can take away your independence and leave you needing round-the-clock care, which can be costly for you at a time when you may be unable to work.
Incomplete Injuries
Incomplete injuries refer to spinal cord damage that does not completely sever the spinal cord. While the damage may impact your motor function and sensation below the point of the injury, it is possible to regain some strength and control following these injuries. You may be able to eventually return to your life as it once was, even.
However, that does not mean it is cheaper or simpler to recover from an incomplete injury. You may need surgeries, for example, to repair the damage done to your spine. You may also need rehabilitative therapy, which helps strengthen your body.
You may also need time away from work to heal. The months or years you spend unable to work may not be a lifetime of disability, like many of those who suffer a complete injury, but it can permanently change your ability status and leave you unable to do many jobs. Because of this, it can be difficult to recover.
Economic Damages for a Spinal Injury
When calculating the value of your spine injury, one of your first factors is the financial costs of your recovery, also called the economic damages. Your economic damages include any losses with a dollar value, both present and future, that are important for your recovery. These are calculated by adding or estimating the current and future expenses you have accrued.
Medical care and lost wages are two of the biggest factors impacting your settlement. You may need multiple surgeries, rehabilitation, physical therapy, and pain management care, and medical care may require time away from work. Any care you receive may impact the value of your claim.
That includes future expenses, like ongoing medical care costs. You may also find yourself unable to work at all or for an undefined amount of time. When this happens, talk to your personal injury lawyer about the estimated time you need away from work to get the most accurate estimate possible.
Non-Economic Damages in Spinal Injury Settlements
When you suffer a serious injury, it is not always all about the financial costs of your settlement and recovery. The pain and suffering you experience, also called non-economic damages, can impact your quality of life even if they do not have a dollar value attached to them. Because these damages can be so complex, however, you may need a lawyer’s guidance to accurately calculate them.
Part of these calculations are based on the severity of your suffering. For example, if you suffered severe pain because of your injuries, you may receive more compensation than someone who did not. Likewise, the severity of the emotional trauma you experienced can impact your claim.
Beyond the severity of your suffering, the impact on your life will also matter. For example, if you suffered a complete spinal injury, you may receive more compensation if your career and life were full of things you are now unable to do. For example, if you were a pro athlete, a severe spine injury may impact your well-being more severely than others.
Calculate Your Claim’s Value with a Spinal Injury Lawyer
When you have suffered a spinal cord injury, your damages can be complex. These are injuries that can have long-term, lasting effects, and what the average spine injury settlement is worth may not tell you much about the value of your recovery. If you are unsure what your claim is worth, you can always Demand Rand.
Rand Spear The Accident Lawyer is here to help you recover from the devastating injuries you have suffered with a settlement that meets your needs. You should never have to settle for less, and our team works hard to get you a settlement that covers the many needs and expenses that accrue for spinal cord injury victims. If you have suffered a spine injury and need help getting compensation for your suffering, reach out for a free consultation by calling or filling out our online contact form.
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