Pocatello Spinal Cord Injury Attorney

Your Pocatello spinal cord injury attorneys have been right here at Racine Olson since the 1940s. We understand how spinal cord injuries can occur and how they can change your life. We know that before the accident you felt great. Afterward, you experienced pain, numbness, tingling, and maybe even paralysis. We want to help you with the complex problems that arise as a result of these types of injuries.

A spinal cord is made up of numerous nerves that transport messages from various parts of our body, through our spine, and finally our brain. An injury to the spinal cord occurs when something presses on the cord, bruises it, or in extreme cases, severs the nerves. When something presses on the nerves, it is said to impinge on it. This leads to pain, numbness, and tingling. If the foreign object pushes on the nerve too long, permanent injury can result. If the nerve is completely severed, paralysis occurs.

Damages in a spinal cord injury situation must be dealt with carefully and thoroughly to ensure that the injured person obtains his or her full recovery.

In Idaho, there are jury instructions that generally govern the types of damages that can be recovered. Idaho Jury Instruction 9.01 states that damages are available to a person that suffers a personal injury. Reviewing the various parts of this instruction is informative. It provides that a jury determines the amount of money that will compensate the plaintiff, or injured party, for the injuries suffered.

Non-economic damages that a jury can award are generally referred to as pain and suffering. In this category, the jury is instructed to consider mental pain and suffering that has happened in the past and will be endured in the future. The jury also takes into account how the injury disfigures the injured person and/or impairs his or her ability to perform the activities that she used to enjoy. This means that where there is loss of an ability to participate in hobbies or other enjoyable pastimes, it is compensable.

One can easily see how this would be of great importance where a person has suffered a spinal cord injury. If the person is unable to walk again and enjoy the outdoor activities he or she once did, then the person should recover for these new limitations. If the person is suffering, then that too should be recovered. There are many other such factors that should be considered in asking a jury for money. Your Pocatello spinal cord injury attorneys at Racine Olson know how to help.

Economic damages are the other category that an injured person can recover when they suffer a spinal cord injury. This includes real expenses that are lost such as medical bills, lost wages, future wages that won’t be earned because of the injury, and the cost to satisfy medical bills that might be incurred in the future as a result of the injury. Economic damages are often established by having expert witnesses or treating physicians testify as to what procedures or therapies will be needed as well as why certain medical bills in the past were necessary.

Lost income and lost future wages (loss of earning capacity) is often determined by economists, functional capacity experts, vocational rehabilitation experts, and others. It is important to know the types of experts that are needed in order to maximize the case. At Racine Olson, we know the people that are needed in order to help you at the time you need it the most.

Almost anything can be the cause of a spinal cord injury. It could be a car accident, a slip and fall or a dangerous product. In the case of a car accident even a simple whiplash could cause injury when the head is snapped back and forth. At times it can cause herniated or bulged disks along the spinal cord. This impinges on the spinal cord or nerve roots and can lead to pain, numbness or tingling. Regardless of the type of accident a person has suffered, the most important thing is to immediately be checked out by qualified health care providers.

Racine Olson is experienced with these claims. We know the types of experts that are needed from vocational experts, to economists, to life care planners. We know how to use their expertise to maximize an injured person’s recovery. Let us help you solve the problem. Give us a call whether you live in Boise, Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Twin Falls, or any place in between. Problem Solved.