Spinal cord injuries are some of the most severe types of injuries that can occur due to someone else’s negligence. They can be debilitating, require extensive medical treatment, and cause you to lose a substantial amount of time from work. In the most serious cases, they can result in permanent disability — or even paralysis — leading to significant economic and non-economic damages. It’s crucial to hold the at-fault party accountable in a personal injury action for the impact your spinal cord injuries had on your life and livelihood.

Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries involve damage to any part of the spine. They occur when a traumatic event severs the nerves that communicate signals up and down the spinal cord. These types of injuries are commonly sustained in accidents, including:

• Motor vehicle collisions
• Truck accidents
• Slips, trips, and falls
• Bicycle accidents
• Motorcycle crashes
• Pedestrian accidents

The impact of a spinal cord injury can be catastrophic. While you may be able to regain function with treatment, full recovery is usually not possible. Nevertheless, there may be options available to help you adapt moving forward.

Types of Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries can occur to the cervical spine (neck), thoracic spine (upper back), lumbar spine (lower back), and sacral spine (the base of the spine above the tailbone). The symptoms of these types of injuries vary, based on the severity and location of the injury. Spinal cord injuries typically present with symptoms such as loss of movement, unexplained muscle spasms, numbness or tingling, pinching sensations in the back, and loss of sensation.

Common types of spinal cord injuries sustained in accidents can include:

• Herniated discs — Herniated discs occur when the center of an intervertebral disc pushes through the outer layer and presses against the nearby nerves.
• Bulging discs — A bulging disc occurs when the outer layer of the disc is weakened, causing the entire disc to press outward into the spinal canal.
• Pinched nerves — A pinched nerve is a condition caused by compression or irritation of the spinal nerve root, leading to pain, numbness, and tingling.
• Fractured vertebrae — A fractured vertebrae happens when one or more of the bones that make up the spine break. There are several types of vertebral fractures, which are classified by the location and severity of the break. These include compression fractures, burst fractures, transverse process fractures, and dislocation.
• Spinal stenosis — Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of the spinal canal caused by pressure on the spinal cord.
• Spondylolysis — Spondylolysis is a small crack between two vertebrae. In most cases, it occurs in the lower lumbar vertebrae, but it can also occur in the cervical vertebrae.

Critically, spinal cord injuries can result in paralysis when the spinal cord is severed and signals from the brain are prevented from reaching the rest of the body. Paralysis can happen immediately upon the impact of the injury or develop slowly over time. There are several different types of paralysis, including:

• Monoplegia — Monoplegia is a type of paralysis that impacts one limb.
• Hemiplegia — Hemiplegia paralysis affects the limbs on one side of the body.
• Diplegia — Diplegia paralysis occurs in the same area on both sides of the body, such as both arms or both legs.
• Paraplegia — Paraplegia is a type of paralysis that affects the limbs in the lower half of the body.
• Quadriplegia — Quadriplegia is the most severe form of paralysis. It affects all limbs and the torso, resulting in little or no movement from the neck down.

If you have suffered serious spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis, you may require lifelong medical treatment and the use of medical assistive devices. You might also need to make modifications to your home or vehicle. In addition, not only do these types of injuries cause a victim to suffer physically — but also, emotionally. By filing a personal injury action, you may be entitled to recover compensation for the harm you endured.

Compensation for Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries often involve high recurring medical costs, surgery expenses, and the costs of ongoing rehabilitation. They can also prevent you from returning to your previous job — or you might not be able to work at all. Victims who have suffered spinal cord injuries also typically experience a considerable amount of physical pain, mental anguish, and emotional distress — as well as loss of quality of life. Due to these factors, the compensation awarded for a spinal cord injury is often significant.

If you can establish that another party’s negligence caused your spinal cord injury, you may be eligible to recover compensation for the following economic and non-economic damages:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Lost wages and future loss of earnings
• Costs of future care, specialized equipment, and ongoing therapy
• Costs of wheelchairs, wheelchair ramps, and modifications to the home
• Out-of-pocket expenses associated with the injury and treatment
• Physical pain and mental suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of enjoyment of life

In limited cases involving egregious conduct, an award of punitive damages may be available to a spinal cord injury victim. These damages are not meant to compensate a victim, but rather, they are intended to punish the defendant and deter others from engaging in similar wrongdoing. Under Alaska law, an award of punitive damages may not exceed the greater of three times the amount of compensatory damages or $500,000.

Contact an Experienced Alaska Personal Injury Attorney

If you have suffered a spinal cord injury due to the negligence of another, it’s essential to have a skillful personal injury attorney by your side to help secure your rightful compensation. Proudly serving accident victims in Anchorage, Soldotna, Kenai, Palmer, Fairbanks, Juneau, Wasilla, and other areas of Alaska, The Trial Guy, Eric Derleth, represents clients for a wide range of personal injury matters, including those involving catastrophic injuries. Call 907-262-9164 to schedule a free consultation at our Anchorage or Soldotna office, or contact us online. Our phone lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.