Understanding the how common spinal cord injuries are in the U.S. can help shed light on the severity of the problem and the need for legal intervention when someone negligently causes another to suffer. Every year in the U.S. there are around 15,000 reported serious spinal cord injuries, with about 10,000 of those people ending up paralyzed. On average, patients stay in rehabilitation for 31 days after their accident and spend between $550,000 and $1,123,000 in their first year of being a paraplegic or quadriplegic.
The estimated number of people currently living with a spinal cord injury in the U.S. is approximately 249,000 to 363,000 people. On average, people who suffer a spinal cord injury are generally between 29 and 43 years of age, with the age at time of injury slightly increasing over time. Nearly 78% of those who suffer a spinal cord injury are male.
As you can imagine, this kind of financial cost can create serious strain on individuals and families, especially when they suffer these injuries as a result of negligence or deliberate disregard for human safety.
Spinal cord injuries fall into two separate categories, complete and incomplete. Complete spinal cord injuries tend to be more serious, and usually means that the entire width of the spine in one area has been affected. This means that the victim won’t have any muscle control or sensation in the damaged area of the spine.
Incomplete spinal cord injuries are still very serious, but the only difference is that they don’t affect the entire width of the spine. Because of this, the victim would still be able to function at a normal level in some areas. They’ll be able to feel and move, but may face other serious limitations, usually on one side of the body.
The leading cause of spinal cord injuries in the United States are car accidents and other motor vehicle crashes. These could be pedestrian accidents, accidents involving a commercial truck, as well as a two-vehicle car accident.
The next leading cause of spinal cord injuries are those suffered as a result of slip and falls.
Oilfield accidents, construction site accidents, and other workplace accidents can also cause spinal cord injuries, especially if these injuries occur after falling from a high place or slipping and hitting your back. In cases of a spinal cord injury at work, the victim may be eligible for workers’ compensation, but in most cases, it’s not enough to cover all of the medical bills, lost wages, and costs associated with such a severe injury.
Other common causes of spinal cord injuries include acts of violence like gunshot wounds and sports and recreation activities.
If the cause of your spinal cord injury is related to the negligence or fault of another person or a company, you may be eligible to get some or all of your bills and costs compensated by filing a personal injury claim.
There are many different ways that a spinal cord injury can be treated, and it varies greatly depending on the specifics of the injury. The most common treatments for spinal cord injuries are medications, surgeries, and physical therapy.
Medications are a common part of the treatment plan for spinal cord injuries. One of those medications commonly used are steroids, which are sometimes used to reduce swelling around the spinal cord that may cause further damage. If a mass is causing the spinal cord problems, these medications may be able to shrink the mass and relieve the victim of some pain. They may even be able to help the victim regain feeling in their extremities by relieving the pressure. Medications are almost never the full treatment for spinal injuries but they are almost at least a part of the treatment.
In most serious spinal injury cases, surgery is required. One common surgery to relieve spinal cord pain is called decompression laminectomy, which removes fluid or tissue that is pressing on a person’s spinal cord. This type of surgery is also used for spinal stenosis and herniated discs, but can provide some relief to other spinal cord injuries as well. Surgery is oftentimes used to remove bones, disc fragments, or other objects from around the spine. They may also use surgery to stabilize the spine by fusing the bones or potentially inserting hardware into the spine.
Bed rest doesn’t seem like it would be an important part of treatment for spinal cord injury, but it can actually help a lot for certain situations. Bed rest can be important to give the spine proper time to heal itself. The spine carries a lot of the body’s weight, so taking pressure of your spine by staying in a horizontal position can be really helpful in recovery. Remaining on your feet after a spinal cord injury can potentially make your injury much worse.
In most cases of spinal cord injury, physical therapy is necessary. Many spinal cord injury patients require intense rehabilitation to regain certain movement and abilities. Sometimes, physical therapy is prescribed in order to help a patient get the extra push they need back to the normal life, and sometimes it’s prescribed to be an all out last effort to save their mobility. Physical therapy is often thought of as helping people learn to walk again, but it is just commonly used to help people regain the ability to feed themselves, use the bathroom, and perform other daily tasks.
In almost all cases, physical therapy is tough, time-consuming, and expensive.
According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),
three of the ten most common safety violations occurred on construction sites in 2015. With lots of heavy machinery, unfinished areas, exposed wires, and moving parts, these sites can be incredibly dangerous if the untrained, the common pedestrian, or the unlucky.
Construction accident cases can be tricky as there can be many different parties involved. For instance, an accident could be the fault of the manufacturer, or improper training, or something else all together. Depending on the accident, employers need to investigate the circumstances of a worker’s injury before they can file a claim. Thus, you’ll want to consult a personal injury lawyer who has experience with construction accident cases.
Hire an experienced attorney to help you navigate the many moving parts involved with your construction accident case. The lawyers at Sand Law have years of experience working with insurance companies and multiple parties and are happy to help you with your case. If you’re located in North Dakota and have recently been injured in a construction accident, contact us online or at 701-609-1510 for more information.
If you have been injured in an oil field accident then it is important to hire a local, trusted law firm that will work tirelessly to enforce your rights. Sand Law, PLLC is a law firm located in the heart of North Dakota’s Bakken Oil Field. With our years of experience and undeniable record, we have become a top firm for workers with oil field injuries.
Our attorneys are respected in the local courts and legal community. Working in oil fields and in the oil drilling industry can be dangerous. That’s why we represent those injured in oil field accidents throughout the Bakken region and all around North Dakota. Choosing an attorney with experience and credibility matters; we have both. Contact Sand Law PLLC’s office today for your free, no obligation consultation with the North Dakota Oil Field Injury Law Firm. If there is no recovery, there is no fee.
Injury cases in the oilfield can be unique. Our office is located in the heart of the Bakken and we see cases everyday that many attorneys would not see in an entire career of practicing in the city. Here is a look at some of the cases we handle:
There are opportunities for workers to sustain oil field injuries virtually anywhere on the site. Oil field workers are vulnerable to catastrophic injuries on the job, including:
North Dakota oil field workers are also susceptible to injuries that are acquired over time, such as repetitive strain injuries or hearing loss. As with acute oil field injuries, it is essential to report your condition to your employer and get medical care as soon as possible.
Depending on the severity of the injury, an oil field worker may be temporarily unable to return to full work duties while recovering or permanently out of commission. Our North Dakota oil field accident attorneys can help you explore your options for compensation for current and future damages, including lost wages.
Accidents involving vehicles are another common source of injuries on North Dakota oil fields. Examples include:
Workers may be crushed underneath a vehicle or between a vehicle and another surface. Additionally, the impact of a vehicle can knock oil field workers off balance. Consequently, they may sustain severe injuries when they fall from an elevated surface or collide with sharp, hard, or hot surfaces.
Oil field workers who suffer injuries on the job may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. To do so, you must demonstrate that the circumstances of the accident fit North Dakota’s standards for workers’ compensation claims. Usually, that just means showing your oil field injuries occurred within the scope of you carrying out your job duties in adherence with safety protocols.
Generally, oil field injuries count as workplace injuries. That means they should be covered under your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance policy. However, that does not automatically mean that a workers’ compensation is the best or only way for you to obtain compensation following a North Dakota oil field accident.
When you are trying to determine what type of claim to file, ask yourself the following questions:
If you answered yes to one or more of those questions, you should speak with a North Dakota oil field injury attorney about the possibility of filing a personal injury claim in addition to or instead of a workers’ compensation claim.
For all personal injury cases, including oil field injuries, liability for negligence must be established. That means the person that caused your injury must have owed you a duty and their breach of that duty caused you damage. Corporations or insurance companies often try to use this legal concept to scare people into thinking they do not have a claim.
DO NOT BE FOOLED. The duty standard used by North Dakota courts applies to almost everyone – including businesses. We all have a duty to act reasonably and if we fail to do so, we are liable for the injuries we cause.
You can establish liability in a claim based on someone’s negligent, reckless, or intentional behavior. Various factors can contribute to liability for North Dakota oil field injuries, including:
Do not be bullied or pressured by the insurance companies into accepting a lower settlement than you deserve or even worse – no settlement at all. Call the North Dakota oil field injury lawyers today to schedule your free consultation.
Compensation options for oil field injuries vary depending on the type of claim you file. For personal injury claims, there are several forms of damages that are broken into two categories: General Damages and Special Damages. Workers’ compensation only addresses economic damages. Here is a breakdown of the damages you may qualify for if you sustained an injury as an oil field worker.
General damages are things that are more difficult to put an exact number on, like how painful your injury was.
Special damages have an exact dollar amount, such as the exact cost of your medical expenses.
North Dakota workers’ comp offers more limited compensation for injured oil field workers. These benefits cover the cost of:
Although determining the value of workers’ compensation benefits should be straightforward given that they address financial losses, insurance companies often try to diminish benefits. A North Dakota oil field injury attorney can assist you with evaluating what your workers’ compensation claim is worth.
Many times yes. Do not be pressured into thinking that workers’ compensation is your only avenue to recoup compensation for an injury or accident that took place at work. In many oil field injury cases, there may be a liable third party. This means that just because your injury happened while on the job – there may be another person or company liable to pay for damages not covered by workers’ compensation, like:
To learn more about what your non-economic damages are worth, discuss your oil field injury case with a Sand Law PLLC personal injury attorney.
The personal injury attorneys at Sand Law, PLLC will guide you through your oil field injury case step-by-step and fight to get you the financial compensation you deserve. The North Dakota oil field accident attorneys at Sand Law handle cases in Stark County, McKenzie County, Williams County, and throughout North Dakota.
We have experience representing hard-working North Dakotans in oilfield injury cases to get them the compensation they deserve. Don’t settle for less than you need and deserve for your injury. You can contact Sand Law today by filling out our online form or by calling us at 701-394-4250.
