A spinal cord injury can have life-altering effects. Pennsylvania’s personal injury protection (PIP) coverage will pay for expenses related to injuries up to policy limits. However, a spinal cord injury could result in your medical costs and other damages exceeding your policy limits. Depending on your type of auto insurance, you might be able to sue the other driver for damages.
Since a spinal cord injury can be debilitating, you should know what to do if you have one following an accident. Listed below are steps you can take if you have an accident-related spinal cord injury.
Get Medical Treatment Right Away for Your Spinal Cord Injury
Whenever you suffer any type of injury in a car accident, you should get medical treatment right away. A spinal cord injury might not be readily apparent or could take several hours or even days to fully manifest.
The sooner that you get medical treatment, the sooner you can begin recovering from your injury. Getting medical treatment also establishes that your injury was caused from the accident, which could help in a later legal claim.
Get a Specialist’s Diagnosis
A medical specialist can provide you with a detailed report of your injury and its cause. A car accident might seem like an obvious cause for a spinal cord injury, but an insurer might say it occurred due to your work or other activities to avoid paying a claim. Your car accident attorney can help you use the diagnosis and report to show that the accident is the cause of your injury.
The specialist can also help provide you with the best assessment of the impacts your injury will spinal cord injury and whether or not you will suffer long-term harm, such as paralysis.
Speak With a Car Accident Lawyer
It is always wise to speak with an experienced car accident lawyer whenever suffering from a car accident injury. Your attorney can help you navigate Pennsylvania’s laws and help you hold the at-fault motorist accountable.
Spinal cord injuries can be costly to treat and have lingering effects that might be permanent. You might suffer a relatively minor injury, such as a slipped or herniated disc, or a more serious injury, like a fractured vertebrae.
A spinal injury might cause a temporary or permanent disability. Such catastrophic injuries might enable you to sue the other driver for damages that your insurance does not cover.
Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyers at McCann Dillon Jaffe & Lamb, LLC Can Give You Legal Advice if You Have an Accident-Related Spinal Cord Injury
If you recently suffered a spinal cord injury from a car accident, one of our experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyers at McCann Dillon Jaffe & Lamb, LLC can help. Call us at 215-569-8488 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. Located in Philadelphia and Abington, Pennsylvania, as well as Wilmington, Delaware, we serve clients throughout the surrounding areas.