How Much is Awarded in Spinal Injury Cases?

Michael Waks

9 years ago

Spinal cord damage is a common result of falls, motor vehicle accidents, and other types of accidents. A spinal cord injury may be a complete or incomplete injury. Damage to the spine is often permanent, but in some cases an injury victim suffers only swelling or temporary damage and is able to make a full recovery.

Because there are many different levels of severity when it comes to spinal cord injuries, each individual victim of an injury will have different levels of loss. When injury victims seek compensation in spinal injury cases, it is important to determine the full extent of the damage that has occurred to the spine.

A victim may be entitled to compensation for past medical bills up to the time of the settlement or court trial, as well as for future treatment expenses. A victim may also receive monetary compensation for other economic and non-financial loss resulting from the spinal cord injury. A Long Beach personal injury attorney can assist clients in analyzing and estimating a reasonable amount of compensation in spinal injury cases, so you should speak with an attorney before settling to make sure the compensation you are receiving is fair in light of your loss.

Compensation in Spinal Injury Cases

Victims of injuries in California should receive full compensation for all medical expenditures. Medical costs alone may total a significant amount of money in cases of permanent spinal cord damage. The Christopher Reeve Foundation indicates that average yearly expenses for a spinal cord injury range from $228,566 to $775,567 for the first year of treatment. A person who suffers injury to the spine at the age of 25 can expect to spend between $681,843 and more than $3 million in treatment costs and other expenditures over the course of his life.

Other costs and damages that a spinal cord victim (or his family members) may obtain compensation for can include:

Income loss. Full paralysis may make it impossible to do any type of work. Any kind of spinal cord injury may limit the work you are able to do. You should be compensated for the difference between what you would have made if the injury had not happened and the lesser amount you will make for the rest of your working life due to the damage to your spine.
Pain and suffering, emotional distress and reduced quality of life. Permanent paralysis due to spinal cord damage can impact the activities you can do and make it impossible to do the things that you once enjoyed. You should be compensated for these losses.
Loss of consortium. Spinal cord damage can make marital relations difficult or impossible. A spouse may be entitled to seek compensation for the loss of this type of companionship when a person is left paralyzed by spinal cord damage.

The actual losses from the spinal cord injury are the major factors that determine what spinal injury cases are worth. However, there may also be other considerations as well.

Factors That May Limit the Economic Recovery in Spinal Injury Cases

If you were partially at fault for your own injuries, your recovery may be reduced. If the person who caused your spinal cord injuries had limited insurance, few assets and a low income, you may be awarded a large judgment but not be able to collect. This means that when you are offered a settlement at insurance policy limits, it may make sense to accept. It also means you should be looking into finding multiple defendants who could share the blame so you can fully recover for all of your losses.

Contact a Long Beach Spinal Cord Attorney for Help with Your Case

“Your Injuries Are Personal to Me”

Because there are so many different considerations, you should talk to a lawyer for help. At the Law Office of Michael D. Waks, I take your injuries personally and I will work hard to get you the full amount of compensation possible for your spinal cord damage.

Call the Law Office of Michael D. Waks at 888-394-1174 or use the convenient online contact form to schedule a free consultation. You are under no obligation and you will never pay any money unless you recover damages for your injuries. I offer bilingual services as part of my comprehensive approach to legal representation and I am available 24/7 to talk to you about your case.

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Michael Waks

Michael Waks is an aggressive advocate for people who have suffered because of someone else’s actions. Michael decided to become a personal injury lawyer when, while clerking at a legal defense firm during law school, he witnessed and was infuriated by asbestos manufacturers spending millions to avoid taking responsibility for the egregious injuries they caused. Immediately after passing the bar, Michael opened his own firm in Long Beach, CA to help the victims of personal injury accidents get every benefit owed them under the law.