A spinal cord injury doesn’t just change your life—it changes everything for your entire family. Whether you’re facing paralysis, loss of mobility, or chronic pain, the physical, emotional, and financial impact is overwhelming.
Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C. understands the life-altering nature of spinal cord injuries and fights for compensation that reflects the full scope of your losses. Our personal injury lawyers in Naperville have recovered over $100 million for clients since 2002.
When you Choose Charlie, you get spinal cord injury lawyers in Naperville who see the big picture and won’t settle for compensation that only addresses today’s needs while ignoring tomorrow’s reality.
The Life-Changing Impact of Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries are among the most catastrophic injuries a person can suffer. The spinal cord carries messages between your brain and the rest of your body. When it’s damaged, those messages can’t get through, resulting in loss of function below the injury site.
Cervical spine injuries can cause quadriplegia, affecting all four limbs. Thoracic, lumbar, or sacral spine injuries cause paraplegia, affecting the legs and lower body. Complete injuries mean no function below the injury site, while incomplete injuries leave some sensation or movement.
Secondary complications from spinal cord injuries include:
- Loss of bladder and bowel control requiring catheterization and specialized care
- Respiratory problems that increase infection risk
- Pressure sores that develop quickly without proper positioning
- Chronic pain
- Sexual dysfunction and fertility challenges
- Inability to regulate body temperature
Future Medical Costs and Long-Term Care Needs
Spinal cord injuries require extensive, lifelong medical care. Understanding future costs is critical for securing adequate compensation. Insurance companies want to minimize how much you get, but our spinal cord injury attorneys in Naperville work with life care planners who accurately calculate what you’ll need.
The first year after injury is most expensive, often costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. But costs continue every year for life. Medical needs that continue for life include:
- Regular physician visits and specialist consultations with neurologists and physiatrists
- Physical therapy and occupational therapy to maintain function and prevent complications
- Prescription medications for pain, muscle spasms, bladder control, and other issues
- Medical supplies like catheters, leg bags, wound care supplies, and incontinence products
- Wheelchair maintenance, repairs, and eventual replacement every few years
- Treatment for secondary complications like infections, pressure sores, and fractures
How Your Injury Affects Your Family
Spinal cord injuries don’t just affect the injured person—they transform family dynamics and place heavy burdens on loved ones. Understanding this broader impact helps us pursue compensation for your family’s losses. Illinois law recognizes that certain damages extend to family members.
Spouses often transition from partner to primary caregiver. This role change strains even strong marriages. The physical demands of providing care are exhausting. Loss of consortium claims compensate spouses for the loss of companionship, affection, and intimacy that results from catastrophic injuries.
Children are profoundly affected when a parent suffers a spinal cord injury. Young children may not understand why mom or dad can’t play like before. Teenagers may take on adult responsibilities by caring for the injured parent or younger siblings.
Calculating Lost Earning Capacity
For most spinal cord injury survivors, returning to their previous career is impossible. Calculating the value of lost earning capacity requires analyzing what you would have earned over your working lifetime versus what you can earn now.
We start by documenting your pre-injury career trajectory. What was your salary? What raises and promotions were you on track to receive? How many years would you have continued working before retirement? For young workers, this can represent decades of lost income.
Next, we assess your current capabilities. What work, if any, can you perform with your injuries? We consult with vocational rehabilitation experts who evaluate your functional abilities and job prospects. The gap between what you would have earned and what you can earn now is your lost earning capacity.
Why Choose Our Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers in Naperville
At Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C., we understand that spinal cord injury cases are about more than legal claims—they’re about your life and your family’s future. Our 75 years of combined experience mean we’ve handled catastrophic injury cases and know how to achieve results that make a real difference.
We work with a network of medical experts, life care planners, economists, and vocational specialists who help us prove the full value of your case. These experts provide testimony that insurance companies can’t dismiss. Their projections show exactly what you’ll need for the rest of your life.
Our boutique approach means you get personal attention throughout the process. We go to bat for our clients by fighting for compensation that accounts for their entire future, not just current needs. We’re not afraid to take cases to trial when insurance companies won’t offer adequate settlements.
Get Help from a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer in Naperville Today
Spinal cord injuries require compensation that reflects the permanent, life-altering nature of your losses. Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C. has been helping spinal cord injury survivors in Naperville and throughout the Chicago area get the resources they need to rebuild their lives.
Contact us today for a free consultation and let our Naperville spinal cord injury lawyers fight for the compensation your family needs to face the future.
