Brain & Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers in Detroit, MI

Understanding Spinal Cord Injuries

When you are determining whether to file a personal injury case for a spinal cord injury, it is helpful to know about the types of accidents where these injuries happen, as well as common symptoms.

Common Causes

Common causes of spinal cord injuries include car accidents, assaults, fights gone wrong, and illnesses. These types of accidents can result in a serious injury to the spinal cord, which almost always has an extremely damaging effect on the victim’s life.

Common Symptoms

The victim will most likely suffer in multiple ways after the accident. The common symptoms of a spinal cord injury include:

• Pain

• Stinging

• Loss of sensation in certain body parts

• An inability to move

• Loss of bladder control

• Loss of bowel control

• Spasms

Long-Term Effects: Spinal Cord Injuries

The long-term effects of spinal cord injuries can change the life of the victim and their family members forever. Spinal cord injuries range in severity and depend on the area of the injury. For example, the higher up an injury is on the spinal cord, the worse the damage may be.

Incomplete vs. Complete Spinal Injury

Spinal cord injuries are categorized as either incomplete or complete. A person who suffered an incomplete spinal cord injury may still be able to wiggle their finger or feel part of their arm. A complete spinal cord injury is typically a permanent injury where the victim can no longer feel anything at all in the affected area. Some surgeries may help with complete spinal cord injuries, but they are not always successful.

Understanding Common Brain Injuries

According to the CDC, people most commonly get a traumatic brain injury from a fall, a firearm-related injury, a motor vehicle crash, or an assault. One of these accidents can change a person’s life forever.

The common symptoms of a traumatic brain injury are:

• Pain

• Changes in behavior

• Changes in concentration

• Changes in emotions

• Changes in memory

A victim of a traumatic brain injury may develop more than one type of injury. They may suffer from serious blood clots in their brain or injuries due to lack of oxygen to the brain.

Long-Term Effects: Brain Injuries

A traumatic brain injury may leave an individual with symptoms for the rest of their life. Headaches and pain may result from any type of TBI. More severe injuries may cause someone to struggle with their motor skills and have to re-learn activities such as brushing their hair or even walking. A traumatic brain injury that causes a person to lose their memory has devastating life-long effects on not only the individual but their family as well.

Proving Negligence

Holding the person who caused the accident responsible is key to stopping them from ever causing an accident like this again. It’s also important to hold them responsible so that you can seek the funds you need to recover. Proving negligence is critical to this process.

Duty of Care and Breach of Duty

By Michigan law, in many cases, one person (such as a driver or an employer) owes a duty of care (to other drivers or to their employees, for example). That duty of care requires them to act with reasonable diligence.

When the person responsible for the accident does not fulfill their obligation, then there has been a breach of duty and they have acted with negligence. For example, if a driver did not stop at a red light and caused an accident, then they breached their duty.

Filing a Claim When a Loved One Is Incapacitated

It is possible to file a claim on behalf of a loved one who was incapacitated. Keep in mind that the process can be complex. A skilled personal injury lawyer can help you seek justice for your loved one with a permanent injury.

Possible Compensation

Nothing will ever take away the pain and trauma of suffering a serious brain injury or spinal cord injury. However, it may be possible to receive compensation for the losses incurred due to the accident. Compensation, known as damages, includes economic losses such as medical bills, vehicle repair bills, and lost income from missed time at work. The court may also award funds for noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering, as well as loss of companionship.