Despite safety precautions and care, car accidents occur. In many cases, they are simply fender benders that result in no injuries and some property damage. However, in other cases, car crashes result in tragic spinal injuries. These types of injuries often alter a person’s life forever.
Our Maryland attorneys for spinal injuries sustained in a crash understand the pain and mental anguish associated with recovering from or dealing with spinal damage. When another driver’s carelessness or recklessness causes your injury, they should be held accountable for the harm they inflicted. At Rice, Murtha & Psoras, we are dedicated to assisting those who suffered devastating spinal injuries. Call (410) 694-7291 to schedule a free consultation.
Spinal Column and Spinal Cord Injuries in Maryland Car Accidents
Any car accident could result in a spinal cord injury – whether it is a catastrophic crash or a minor fender bender. When your back is subjected to a sudden force, your spinal cord is liable to be damaged.
Your spinal cord is the primary medium to transmit information from your brain to the rest of your body. Your spinal column protects this collection of nerves. Made up of vertebrae bones, muscles, and tendons, your spinal column is also subject to injuries in a car crash. Any damage to these protective bones and muscles could result in severe pain and constrict your ability to move as well as harm your extremely sensitive spinal cord.
An injury to your spinal cord or spinal column could result in mild to severe pain, a chronic condition, or a permanent disability. If you have suffered a back injury because of another motorist’s negligence, our Maryland spinal injury attorney will fight for your proper compensation.
Types of Spinal Injuries in a Maryland Car Crash
The severity of a spinal injury is often dependent on where the injury occurs. When the damage is to the upper section of the spinal column, there is a likelihood of a more significant injury. Spinal injuries are classified as either complete or incomplete, depending on the extent of the damage to the spinal cord and the range of motion and feeling below the injured area. In most severe cases, an accident victim will be facing life-altering medical consequences and extreme financial strain.
When a spinal injury is incomplete, it means that the system of nerves is still partially functioning. Your brain is managing to get signals through your spinal cord to other parts of your body. A crash victim might be able to feel a slight sensation in their arm or wiggle their toes. However, a complete injury means that there is no feeling below the damaged area. In some rare situations, surgery might be able to relieve some of the nerve damage. the type of injury you suffer will significantly impact the medical care and physical outlook for the rest of your life. Our experienced Maryland spinal injury attorney will help you seek monetary compensation through a personal injury lawsuit to pay for your medical costs and treatment.
Suing a Driver for Spinal Injuries in a Crash in Maryland
If you have suffered a spinal injury in a car accident, you are entitled to seek recovery for your medical costs and financial losses through a personal injury lawsuit. However, to prevail in court, you will have to establish that another party’s negligence harmed you.
Negligence is a critical factor in any personal injury claim, including cases involving spinal damage suffered in a car crash. Our seasoned Maryland car accident attorney will have to prove four separate elements to establish negligence.
Duty of Care
First, there must have been a duty of care. Legally, a duty of care refers to the responsibility that one person has to another. In a car accident case, every motorist on Maryland roads has a duty, or obligation, to every other driver to operate their vehicle safely. In nearly every car crash lawsuit, establishing a duty of care is not difficult.
Breach of Duty
The next element that must be proved is that there was a breach of the duty of care. In many lawsuits, this is the most challenging aspect of proving negligence. the driver’s behavior had to deviate from what a reasonable person would have done under the same circumstances. For instance, driving 100 miles per hour while drunk on a stretch of road with a 35 mile an hour speed limit is something no reasonable person would do. However, when an accident is caused by changing lanes, the breach is not as readily apparent. Our Maryland spinal injury attorney will have to rely on the physical evidence, witness testimony, and sometimes reconstruct the accident to demonstrate that the at-fault driver’s conduct constituted a breach of the legal duty of care.
Causation
The breach of duty must have caused your injury. If you suffered a back injury after being rear-ended by a drunk driver, then it is likely that their conduct caused your injury. the attorneys and staff of Rice, Murtha & Psoras will use your medical records, expert testimony, police reports, and physical evidence from the scene of the accident to try and connect your injury to the crash and the negligent behavior of the other driver.
Actual Damages
While it may seem evident, you do not have the basis of a personal injury lawsuit in Maryland unless you suffered actual harm. If you were in a car accident and were not injured, then no matter how reckless the other driver was, you have no damages to recover. However, if you suffered a spinal injury, you will need medical treatment and physical therapy. Furthermore, you will probably experience emotional distress and a significant financial strain. You are entitled to recovery for every one of these losses in a personal injury claim.
Call Our Maryland Attorney for Spinal Injuries Sustained in a Crash for a Free Consultation
Any injury sustained in a car accident is painful. However, if you or a loved one suffered a spinal injury, the consequences are often devastating. From chronic pain to permanent paralysis, spinal damage will impact every aspect of your life. If you were harmed because of another driver’s negligence, contact our Maryland personal injury attorney for spinal injuries sustained in a crash. Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291 to schedule a free appointment and review your legal options.