What can a worker do after a serious spinal cord injury?

As this blog has discussed on previous occasions, spinal cord injuries are very serious and will usually mean the victim will have a life time of medical rehabilitation and other forms of pain and suffering.

One of the places where Reno, Nevada residents can easily suffer a spinal-cordn injury is at work. While this is particularly true in inherently dangerous workplaces like industrial factories and construction sites, they can happen anywhere. Even a minor fall at a place like an office can, in some cases, cause a spinal cord injury.

As another example, those who work in policing face the risk of suffering a spinal cord injury due to violence. Finally, many people drive in connection with their work, and car accidents are among the most common causes of spinal cord injuries and paralysis.

An injury at work will ordinarily qualify the victim for workers’ compensation benefits. With respect to those workers who suffer from spinal cord injuries, these benefits can be very helpful when it comes to paying medical bills and covering a portion of the worker’s lost wages. However, these benefits will not cover everything, and they won’t cover non-economic damages like pain and suffering, despite this sort of damage being among the most pronounced after a spinal injury.

Fortunately, Nevada workers can, and should, explore whether someone else, other than employer, is also at fault for their work-related spinal cord injury. For instance, if a negligent driver caused the injury, then the worker may be able to sue that driver for additional compensation under a theory called third party liability. This option should be discussed with an experienced personal injury attorney with knowledge of how to handle cases involving a spinal cord injury.