Car accidents happen on a daily basis. Though many people may have the ability to walk away from those accidents without serious harm, others are not so lucky. In fact, your loved one may have suffered a catastrophic injury that left his or her life changed forever.
Because you love the injured person, you may be gaining information on the injury, possible treatment options and maybe even routes for seeking compensation for the damage caused by the accident. If your loved one suffered a spinal cord injury as the result of a crash caused by someone else’s negligence, gaining such information is wise.
An array of difficulties
You likely already know that your loved one will face many hardships due to the spinal cord injury. However, you may not know that the risks for other serious health conditions can increase due to this type of injury. Your loved one could be facing the potential for any of these additional health issues:
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Bladder and bowel dysfunction
- Blood clots
- Pressure ulcers
- Cardiovascular disease
- Pneumonia
Additionally, your loved one will likely face chronic pain as a result of the injury. Reports indicate that approximately 94% of individuals who have suffered spinal cord injuries experience chronic pain. Though the intensity of the pain may decrease over time, it can still have lasting effects on daily activities and your loved one’s emotional state.
The costs of the injury
Though the injury will cost your loved one the ability to carry out life as he or she did before, it can also come with substantial monetary burdens. In the first year after the injury, accumulated costs could reach between $320,000 to $985,000. Over the course of his or her lifetime, it is not out of the realm of possibility to spend $5 million on treatment and other related expenses.
You undoubtedly do not want your loved one to suffer unnecessarily, whether it be from physical pain or emotional turmoil. As a result, you may want to help your loved one find answers to questions that may be plaguing him or her. In particular, it may be important to gain information on potentially holding the other driver involved in the crash liable for the resulting damages. In efforts to gain reliable insight into your loved one’s particular case, enlisting the help of a Rhode Island attorney may be wise.
