The recovery process for a spinal cord injury is typically lengthy. People with these injuries might require extensive medical treatment and long-term care, such as surgery and physical therapy.
Rehabilitation from spinal cord injuries can take months or years. Sometimes, full rehabilitation is not possible. The treatment process typically includes surgery, physical therapy, and medication. Often, physical therapy is the most time-consuming part of the rehabilitation process for spinal cord injury victims. Lengthy rehabilitation might impact you financially because of the cost of treatment and your inability to return to work. To minimize the economic impact of lengthy recovery from a spinal cord injury, you can file a lawsuit against the person that caused your injuries.
To speak with our Philadelphia spinal cord injury lawyers, call The Reiff Law Firm now at (215) 709-6940 and schedule your free and confidential case review today.
How Long Until You Will Recover from a Spinal Cord Injury?
Spinal cord injuries vary in severity, meaning recovery time varies as well. For some with these injuries, rehabilitation might take several months. For others, recovery might happen over the course of several years. For others still, full recovery might never happen.
With incomplete spinal cord injuries, victims may be able to regain function over certain extremities within a matter of months. This is typically only possible through intensive rehabilitation and surgeries. For more serious injuries, recovery might take substantially longer.
More severe injuries, like complete spinal cord injuries, are sometimes impossible to totally recover from. This is because permanent nerve damage might be done, forever impeding movement in specific areas of the body.
Early intervention is crucial to speed up recovery from spinal cord injuries. Spinal compression might worsen some injuries, leading to additional complications that slow rehabilitation efforts. In addition to early intervention, intentional engagement in your treatment plan is essential for the quickest recovery.
If you experienced complications during surgery from medical malpractice, you might be unable to differentiate that from general recovery problems. Others might not recover from injuries before the statute of limitations to bring a personal injury claim elapses. Our Philadelphia personal injury lawyers can help you file a lawsuit while you are rehabilitating from an injury so that you can recover compensation. Depending on your state, the filing deadline may be one to six years from the date of the initial injury.
What Kinds of Treatment Are Part of the Rehab Process for Spinal Cord Injuries?
In many instances, considerable rehabilitation efforts are necessary to recover and heal from a spinal cord injury. Depending on a victim’s specific injuries, their treatment plan might include surgery, physical therapy, and medication.
Surgery
Often, immediate surgery is necessary to treat spinal cord injuries. For example, injury victims with herniated discs might require surgery to alleviate compression or bone fragments. Surgery does not necessarily mean that a victim will be able to avoid certain complications from spinal cord injuries, like paralysis. However, surgery might help to prevent spinal cord injuries from worsening or causing additional issues. Surgery is typically the first type of medical intervention necessary to treat spinal cord injuries. Some victims might require several surgeries, all with different recovery times.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is often part of the rehabilitation process for spinal cord injuries. This form of treatment may be most successful for those dealing with incomplete spinal cord injuries. Physical therapy might bring different results for others with complete spinal cord injuries, because they have sustained permanent damage to the nerves along the spine. Physical therapy might be required for several years for severe spinal cord injuries. Some people with these injuries might need to engage in physical therapy for the rest of their lives.
Medication
Your doctor may prescribe you various medications as you rehabilitate from a spinal cord injury. These might include pain relief medications when recovering from surgery. Doctors might also prescribe patients corticosteroids, which can minimize the risk of spinal cord injuries worsening before surgery can take place. You might also be prescribed muscle relaxants or other medications specific to your situation. For example, depression is common for people recovering from spinal cord injuries, meaning your doctor might prescribe you antidepressants as you rehabilitate.
What Are the Effects of a Lengthy Rehab for Spinal Cord Injuries?
Because rehabilitation for spinal cord injuries is often lengthy, it may have a considerable financial impact on victims. To counteract these economic effects, victims can seek compensation via a lawsuit if a negligent party caused their spinal cord injuries.
Severe spinal cord injuries are often the result of serious accidents. For example, workplace, auto, and slip and fall accidents are some of the top causes of spinal cord injuries. This means that a negligent party might be responsible for your injuries, enabling you to file a lawsuit for compensation.
Bringing a case is often necessary for people recovering from spinal cord injuries. That is because the cost is typically extreme. Spinal cord surgeries and physical therapy can be expensive, causing victims financial difficulties. While recovering from a spinal cord injury, you may be unable to work and earn an income. A lengthy recovery may mean you are without income for a long period of time. These serious injuries also often cause significant pain and suffering to victims, as spinal cord injuries can considerably impact a person’s ability to engage in daily tasks or take care of themselves.
Such economic and non-economic damages are compensable through a lawsuit. After identifying the person responsible for causing your injuries, you can sue them for damages. If a negligent doctor worsens your spinal cord injury because of misdiagnosis or negligence during surgery, you may be able to file a medical malpractice claim to recover damages.
Ask Our Lawyers About Your Spinal Cord Injury Case Today
Call The Reiff Law Firm now at (215) 709-6940 to schedule a free case evaluation with our spinal cord injury lawyers today.
