Shreveport Injury Lawyer > Blog > Auto Accident > What You Should Know About Spinal Injuries In Distracted Driving Collisions

What You Should Know About Spinal Injuries In Distracted Driving Collisions

Spinal cord injuries can range in severity, but they often are debilitating and can result in lifelong disabilities that can include paralysis. In auto crashes in the Shreveport area, spinal injuries are among the most catastrophic injuries that a person can sustain, and these types of injuries can result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs over a lifetime. Recent estimates suggest that spinal injuries cost, on average, about $336,000 in lifetime costs. While spinal cord injuries can be devastating and can result in extensive financial costs, they can be difficult to detect in the immediate hours after a crash. When an injury is not diagnosed and treated quickly, the injury can worsen and the costs can increase.

Spinal Injuries May Not Be Immediately Obvious Nut Do Require Prompt Treatment

Auto crashes can result in debilitating and paralyzing spinal cord injuries, but there are situations in which the injury might not be immediately apparent and the injured person might delay treatment. According to the Mayo Clinic, after a car crash of any type in which a person may have suffered a head or neck injury, it is critical that the person receives “immediate medical evaluation for a spinal injury.” Indeed, as the Mayo Clinic underscores, “a serious spinal injury isn’t always immediately obvious,” yet “the time between injury and treatment can be critical in determining the extent and severity of complications and the possible extent of expected recovery.”

Comparative Fault Could Affect Your Case If You Delay Medical Treatment

If you delay seeking treatment for a spinal injury after a crash and the injury worsens, your damages award could be reduced by your own portion of fault. It is certainly still worth filing a claim, however, since Louisiana’s comparative fault law allows plaintiffs to recover damages as long as the defendant is even 1 percent at fault.

You Will Likely Have Only One Year to File an Auto Collision Lawsuit

Under Louisiana law, most personal injury lawsuits must be brought within one year from the date of the collision that caused the injury. If you fail to file your lawsuit within that one-year time window, you will end up with a claim that is time-barred by Louisiana law. Once a claim becomes time-barred, the injured plaintiff cannot file a lawsuit and obtain damages. Given that spinal cord injuries frequently require extensive medical care and result in a substantial amount of lost wages, in addition to many other losses for which you may be able to seek compensation, it is critical to get started on your case as soon as possible.

As soon as you have sustained a spinal injury in a distracted driving crash, it is essential to seek advice from a lawyer who can help you to file your claim in a timely manner.

Contact an Auto Crash Lawyer in Shreveport for Assistance

If you have any questions about seeking compensation for a spinal cord injury after a distracted driving crash or another type of traffic collision, you should get in touch with an experienced Shreveport auto collision lawyer at our firm. We will take the steps to obtain the necessary medical records and police reports, as well as other important evidence, that will be used to support your case. Do not hesitate to reach out to Rice & Kendig, LLC for more information.

Sources:

mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/spinal-cord-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20377890

legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=110515

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29923798/

By Rice & Kendig, LLC | Posted on January 10, 2023

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