Yes, spinal cord injury levels directly impact damages in Aurora cases because injuries higher on the spine cause more extensive paralysis and require greater lifetime care costs. A cervical injury that leaves you unable to breathe on your own results in dramatically different compensation needs than a lumbar injury affecting only your legs.
Insurance companies often try to minimize spinal cord injury claims by focusing on what you can still do rather than what you’ve lost. If you’ve suffered a spinal cord injury in Aurora, a personal injury lawyer in Aurora can help you understand how injury severity affects your potential recovery.
Understanding Spinal Cord Injury Levels
The spinal cord is divided into regions that control different body functions. Cervical injuries occur in the neck area. Thoracic injuries happen in the upper back. Lumbar injuries occur in the lower back. Sacral injuries affect the lowest part of the spine near the tailbone.
Medical professionals identify injury levels using a letter and number system. Cervical vertebrae are labeled C1 through C8, thoracic vertebrae T1 through T12, and lumbar vertebrae L1 through L5. The injury level refers to the lowest part of the spinal cord that still functions normally. Everything below that level experiences reduced or absent function.
Higher injuries cause more widespread paralysis because they affect more of the body. A C4 injury impacts breathing muscles, arm movement, trunk stability, and leg function. A T10 injury affects trunk muscles and legs but leaves arm function intact. Understanding your specific injury level helps medical experts project your long-term care needs and associated costs.
How Cervical Injuries Affect Compensation
Cervical spinal cord injuries are the most severe and result in the highest damage awards.
C4 Injuries
Injuries above C4 typically require ventilator support because breathing muscles are paralyzed. You’ll need 24-hour nursing care, specialized equipment, and extensive home modifications. Life care plans for high cervical injuries often exceed $5 million to $10 million.
C5 Injuries
C5 injuries allow some shoulder and bicep movement but no wrist or hand function. You might operate a power wheelchair with special controls, but cannot feed yourself or perform personal care. Compensation must cover attendant care for all daily activities, adaptive equipment, and accessible housing.
C6 and C7 Injuries
C6 and C7 injuries provide more independence with arm and wrist function. You might transfer yourself with assistance, use a manual wheelchair on smooth surfaces, and feed yourself with adaptive utensils. However, you still need help with bathing, dressing, and other activities. These injuries require substantial ongoing care that impacts damage calculations.
C8 Injuries
Lower cervical injuries at C8 allow hand function but still result in leg paralysis. You can perform many upper-body tasks independently, but you may need a wheelchair for mobility. Compensation accounts for lost earning capacity, wheelchair-accessible transportation, home modifications, and medical equipment.
Thoracic Injuries and Their Financial Impact
Thoracic spinal cord injuries result in paraplegia with varying levels of trunk control. Higher thoracic injuries at T1 through T6 affect trunk stability and make sitting balance difficult. You need a wheelchair with back support and may require assistance with transfers. While you retain arm and hand function, the loss of trunk muscles limits many activities.
Mid-thoracic injuries at T7 through T9 provide better trunk stability and sitting balance. You can typically transfer independently and propel a manual wheelchair. However, you still face significant medical expenses for pressure ulcer prevention, bowel and bladder management programs, and ongoing physical therapy.
Lower thoracic injuries at T10 through T12 allow good trunk control and sitting balance. You can often live independently with proper home modifications, but still need a wheelchair for mobility. Damage calculations include costs for accessible housing, vehicle modifications, medical equipment, and potential secondary complications like neurogenic bladder.
Lumbar and Sacral Injury Considerations
Lumbar spinal cord injuries primarily affect the legs while preserving trunk and arm function. Higher lumbar injuries may require a wheelchair, while lower injuries might allow walking with braces and crutches. The level of mobility impacts earning capacity, independence, and overall care needs.
Some lumbar injury victims can work in sedentary occupations with proper accommodations. However, you’ve still lost the ability to perform any job requiring standing, walking, or physical labor. Economic damages reflect this reduced employment capacity and potential for lower lifetime earnings.
Sacral injuries often preserve some leg function but affect bowel, bladder, and sexual function. These injuries might seem less severe than higher spinal cord damage, but they create lifelong challenges that impact quality of life.
Medical Evidence That Proves Injury Severity
Compensation depends on thoroughly documenting your injury level and resulting impairments. MRI scans show the exact location of spinal cord damage and help predict functional outcomes. Neurological examinations test sensation and movement at different body levels to determine the injury classification.
Life care plans created by medical experts project your future needs based on injury severity. These detailed reports calculate costs for attendant care, medical equipment, home modifications, and ongoing treatments. Insurance companies cannot easily dismiss evidence from qualified rehabilitation specialists and life care planners.
Functional capacity evaluations demonstrate exactly what activities you can and cannot perform. These assessments show how your injury level limits work abilities, self-care tasks, and daily activities. The evaluations provide concrete evidence of disability that supports economic and non-economic damage claims.
Why Insurance Companies Challenge Injury Severity
Insurance adjusters look for any reason to minimize spinal cord injury claims. They might argue that your spinal cord injury level doesn’t need as much care as recommended. This is why comprehensive medical documentation from the beginning is critical.
Defense attorneys often hire their own medical experts who downplay your limitations. These doctors might testify that you could work in some capacity or that your care needs are excessive. Your attorney must be prepared to challenge biased evaluations with strong evidence from treating physicians and independent specialists.
Contact Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C.
Your spinal cord injury level determines your care needs, limitations, and rightful compensation. If you’ve suffered a spinal cord injury in Aurora, contact Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C. for a free consultation.
We understand how different injury levels impact your life and will fight to recover every dollar you need for proper care. Choose Charlie and get experienced representation that treats you like family, not a case number.
