Spinal cord injuries are some of the most serious and scary injuries that workers in California can get on the job. A serious spinal cord injury can cause paralysis, coma, and even death. It can also limit a person’s ability to function, lower their quality of life, and cause constant pain. The spine is both important and fragile. Even a small injury to the spine can keep a person from doing their job for weeks or months. If an employee hurts their back badly, they might not be able to work for months, years, or even forever.
How Do Injuries To The Spinal Cord Happen?
Spinal cord injuries can happen in many ways, both at work and while doing work-related tasks outside of the office. Most spinal cord injuries are caused by sudden hits or other traumatic events. Gaylord and Nantais experienced workers’ comp injury lawyers help injured California workers get compensation for spinal cord injuries caused by things like:
- Accidents on the road, including those on or near the job site or while doing work-related tasks like making deliveries
- Slips, trips, and falls at the workplace or on a construction site
- Falls from support beams, stairways, or other high places, such as when scaffolding, ladders, stairs, or elevators that are broken or unsafe collapse or stop working.
- Machines and other products that don’t work
- Accidents caused by things that fly, roll, or fall
- Accidents caused by things that fly, roll, or fall violent acts at the workplace
Spinal Cord Injuries Compensation
Victims of spinal cord injuries in California are entitled to compensation for injuries caused by the negligent behavior of another individual or business. Compensation includes:
- Reimbursement for past medical costs incurred because of the injury.
- Compensation for future medical costs incurred because of the injury.
- Wages lost while the injured person recovers.
- Loss of future earnings potential if the injury discourages the victim from going back to work or discourages the victim from earning the same wages.
- The expense of dealing with the injury.
- When a victim is unable to live independently, the cost of institutional care is incurred.
- Pain, suffering, mental anguish, and a loss of happiness in life are all possible outcomes.
Different Types of Severe Spinal Injury
Every injured worker will have varying degrees of injury, varying symptom severity, and varying rates of recovery.
- Cervical spine injuries – These can cause numbness from the neck down.
- Thoracic spine injuries – This injury may cause chest and upper back numbness.
- Lumbar spine injuries – It causes lower spine damage.
- Sacral spine injuries – Paralysis and leg weakness may occur.
- Coccygeal spine injuries – These causes numbness near the tailbone area.
Some of the most frequent signs and symptoms of a spinal cord injury are:
- Paralysis
- Problems with Coordination
- Numbness
- Tingling/Weakness
- Pain and shortness of breath
- Involuntary Bladder or Bowel Movements
Call us for help with a spinal cord injury claim at work
If you were hurt on the job in California and need help getting quick and complete workers’ compensation benefits, call Gaylord and Nantais at (562) 561-2669 to speak with a workers’ compensation lawyer.
