When you are in an accident, your life can change in a matter of seconds and you have no choice in the matter. You may receive injuries that require complete modifications from the way you used to live your daily life.

This is always frustrating, stressful, and very difficult to handle, but when those injuries are to your spinal cord, the effects can be even harder to deal with.

Accidents that result in spinal cord injuries often end up in court. The injured victim rightly wants the perpetrator to take accountability for their actions. These lawsuits are different than your average personal injury case, though.

Here are five facts to keep in mind if you have a spinal cord personal injury case.

5 Facts About Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuits

1. Spinal cord injuries are almost always due to traumatic occurrences. They may have happened from an injury or a blow to the spine, but the injuries are almost always due to an impact, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center.

Some of the most common causes of spinal cord injuries are motor vehicle accidents – which are responsible for almost half of these types of injuries, – falls, sports activities, and acts of violence.

2. Many spinal cord injuries are due to someone else’s negligence. Although the consequences have to be faced by the victim, the actions were usually caused by someone being careless. However, when the victim takes their case to court, they have to prove that their injuries were caused as a direct result of the defendant’s negligence, which is why they almost always call an attorney before attempting to proceed by themselves through their lawsuit.

3. Other injuries are due to a product, not a person. Defective products are responsible for many spinal cord injuries, as well. These can be anything from airbags deployed incorrectly to broken equipment causing a fall. Again, these types of cases require a direct correlation between the faulty equipment and the spinal cord injury.

4. In some cases, the damages were contributed to by the victim’s own actions. A common defense in a spinal cord injury is that the victim actually caused the damage. For example, if the injured party was drinking alcoholic beverages, the defense may be that they were acting carelessly, which would negate the defendant’s liability. An expert attorney can lead the victim through this minefield carefully.

5. Spinal cord injury compensation includes more than monetary awards. To compensate for the damages caused in the accident, a spinal cord award can include medical expenses (past, present, and predicted future), compensation for rehabilitation and assistive devices, and even changes that need to be made to the injured party’s home, such as ramps or elevators.

Spinal Cord Personal Injury Cases Need Expert Assistance

If you were injured in a personal injury accident and received damages to your spinal cord, you may be entitled to more benefits than the insurance company is telling you about. Instead of going it alone, talk to a knowledgeable attorney to help you get the compensation you deserve for your injury.