Avoiding Legal Liability from Spinal Cord Injuries in Car Accidents
In the United States, car accidents are one of the leading causes of unintentional death and serious injury. Injuries incurred from motor vehicle crashes can greatly affect the lives of victims – aside from suffering pain and suffering, serious injuries can impair a person’s way of life.
One of the most common injuries sustained in a car accident are spinal cord injuries (SCI). In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as many as 200,000 Americans are living with SCI and as much as 46 percent of these injuries were caused by a motor vehicle accident.
Trauma to the spinal cord can cause neurologic impairments and these can also result to paraplegia or tetraplegia which can permanently disable the victim. SCI also has long term complications such as depression and anxiety.
The CDC reports that spinal cord injuries in car accidents could have been reduced by as much as 60 percent through seatbelt use. However, negligence and driver error plays a huge part in such accidents – statistics show that alcohol is a factor in 25 percent of all spinal cord injuries.
While typically after an accident that resulted to SCI, the victims can sue the liable party through a California car accident attorney in order to be compensated for the economic and non-economic damages, an ounce of prevention is still better than a pound of cure.
In short, to avoid being negligent on the road, here are some road safety tips to avoid personal injury claims because of spinal cord injuries:
- Follow the speed limits and in case of adverse driving conditions (snow, rain, etc), drive at a reasonable speed.
- Always be alert on the road and keep a proper lookout for any hazards or pedestrians.
- Avoid impaired driving such as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol or fatigued or drowsy driving.
- Be vigilant and minimize driving distractions such as chatting with passengers, texting or talking on the phone.
- Keep your vehicle in good working condition to avoid defects or accidents caused by blown tires or faulty brakes.
The CDC also lists down some safety tips to avoid drivers and their passengers from sustaining spinal cord injuries:
- Always wear your seatbelt when operating a motor vehicle.
- Children should be secured in age and weight appropriate child safety seats.
- Children under the age of 12 years old should be placed in the back seat to avoid air bag injuries.
- Never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol and avoid or prevent intoxicated drivers from driving .
While proper treatment and even years of therapy can reverse the effects of a spinal cord injuries, these are too expensive and can affect not only the victim but also the financial stability of his family. So follow the tips above to protect yourself and your family but in the event that you or a loved one suffered from a spinal cord injury, you can always recover what you’ve lost through a car accident attorney.
OFFICE ADDRESS
