A spinal cord injury changes a person's life. Your Idaho Falls Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys have been here at Racine Olson since the 1940s. We've helped our friends and neighbors throughout the community recover from injuries where they suffered spinal cord injuries, regardless of the severity. We can help you with the complex problems that occur as a result of spinal cord injuries.
The Nature of a Spinal Cord InjuryOur spinal cords are made up of many nerves that transport messages to and from our brain. That is, our brain gets messages from our extremities through our spinal cord; and our brain can send messages along these pathways to our extremities. Spinal cord injuries happen when something presses on these nerves, bruises the spinal cord, or in especially severe cases, even severs the spinal cord. When something is pressing against the spinal cord, it is said to be impinging upon it. This results in pain, numbness, or tingling. When the injury to the spinal cord is especially severe, paralysis can result.
What Causes Spinal Cord InjuriesThere can be many different causes of a spinal cord injury. They include such things as simple as a whiplash in a car accident. These things can cause a herniated or bulged disc which impinges on the spinal cord and leads to pain and numbness. Of course, there are the more severe accidents usually caused by high speed or large moving objects that can render a person paralyzed. The most important thing to remember after one of these accidents is to get appropriate medical care. After that, give us a call at Racine Olson.
Available Damages for Spinal Cord Injuries Non-Economic DamagesWhen a spinal cord injury occurs, it is important to ensure that all available damages are presented to a jury so that the injured person can recover all that he or she is entitled to. In Idaho, jury instructions govern the type of evidence that is provided to a jury. In other words, if a person is injured in Idaho Falls, the jury, also from Idaho Falls, would be presented with a jury instruction that stated that things such as pain and suffering, disfigurement, and paralysis could be awarded to fully compensate the plaintiff for his or her injuries. These are known as non-economic damages or general damages. They take into account the mental pain and suffering that a person has as a result of the injury and are intended to compensate the person both for past suffering as well as future suffering.
Obviously, if a person is unable to enjoy the things that he or she used to like doing, such as hiking, fishing, hunting, camping, or riding horses, that person should recover for these new limitations. There are many such factors that should be considered in asking a jury for general or non-economic damages.
Economic DamagesIn addition to non-economic or general damages, there is a category of damages known as economic or special damages. These are losses that a person suffers which are unique to him or her. They include things such as medical bills, lost wages, loss of future earning capacity, and loss of future wages. They could also include the cost of a life care plan to ensure that a person with severe injuries is taken care of over the long term.
Many of these types of damages are determined by an economist, functional capacity expert, or other highly qualified and trained individuals. At Racine Olson, we are aware of the importance of these experts and know how to utilize them to maximize a severely injured person's recovery.
The Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys at Racine Olson know how to maximize an injured person's recovery in this difficult time. We will be happy to help you reach the resolution that you desire. Give us a call. Problem Solved.