The most common cause of traumatic spinal cord injury is a broken neck or back (causing damage to the bones of the spine that surround the spinal cord). This often results in damage to the nerves of the spinal cord inside the spinal column. This is known as spinal cord injury.
Traumatic spinal cord injury may be caused by:
Depending on the severity and exact location of the injury to the neck or the spine, the effects of a traumatic spinal cord injury can be wide-ranging and have serious consequences for the individual. Spinal injuries are classified as either complete or incomplete. An incomplete injury means that the ability of the spinal cord to carry messages to the brain is not totally lost, which will result in retaining some nerve functionality below the injury.
An incomplete injury will vary enormously from person to person and will be entirely dependent on the way the spinal cord has been damaged. A complete injury is indicated by a loss of sensation and movement below the level of injury. In the UK 2-3 people, every day become paralysed as a result of spinal cord injury. That is over 700 people each year adding to the 40,000 people living with a disability due to their condition.
The figures for incomplete injuries may indeed be much higher as they don’t take into account those people who have been treated by general hospitals instead of a specialist spinal injury unit. Today advances in medical knowledge and patient management at the scene of an injury mean more people will survive a spinal cord injury. Those surviving spinal cord injuries are likely to have a loss of movement and sensation, which will impact upon day to day life.
For more information on the types of spinal injury, please see our infographic.
TLW’s Care Navigators assist our clients and their families to understand some of the many different choices and challenges that will present themselves following a serious injury. Care Navigators are there to provide support and guidance to clients and their families during the process of recovering from a serious injury.
Our spinal injury solicitors understand that each person’s traumatic spinal cord injury is different, meaning people have a variety of unique and complex rehabilitation needs. We will press for the release of funding at the earliest opportunity from the representatives of those responsible for your spinal injury so that your rehabilitation needs can be assessed and met.
As part of this we may instruct specialist Case Managers to assess your needs and organise and implement the care and spinal cord injury rehab necessary to ensure the best level of care is being provided to allow for the greatest degree of recovery possible.
We accept that obtaining funding from the representatives of those responsible for your spinal injury can occasionally take time, especially if the accident circumstances are complicated and responsibility is contested. As such, we have our very own specialist care/rehabilitation navigators who will work alongside you and your spinal injury solicitor to ensure you are receiving the right care, rehabilitation and support at the right time.
One of the main elements of your spinal cord injury claim is to ensure you ultimately receive the right level of financial compensation to ensure your associated future needs are met. Detailed assessment of your future needs will be undertaken throughout the lifetime of your spinal injury compensation claim with appropriate expert advice being sought.
Following this a detailed schedule will be produced dealing with, amongst other things your future needs in relation to: spinal injury rehab; care, adaptations to your home; aids and equipment; and vehicle requirements. Negotiations with the representatives of those responsible for your injury will follow and an award of compensation will either be agreed between the parties, or ordered by the Court.
The amount of spinal injury compensation will be paid as either a lump sum or a periodical payment. A lump sum, is just that, you will receive all of your compensation at the conclusion of your claim, whereas a periodical payment means a certain percentage of the overall award is kept back with regular payments for life being released to you, much like a salary.
The type of award depends upon individual circumstances and at TLW Solicitors we aim to ensure you receive the best professional advice available to ensure your spinal injury compensation is protected and capable of looking after your future needs.
If you were involved in an accident or incident that wasn’t your fault, and which led to a spinal injury, you may be entitled to claim spinal injury compensation. Living with a spinal injury may mean you need to access finances and pay for care or rehabilitation, property adaptations or compensation for any potential loss of earnings.
Please get in touch with TLW Solicitors for a free, no-obligation discussion by calling 0800 169 5925, email us or complete the callback form.
For more information and support please follow this link to the Spinal Injuries Association website: www.spinal.co.uk
Meet Natalie, who heads up our experienced Personal Injury Claims team. Natalie and her colleagues are on hand to help with your claim.
