A serious motorcycle crash can be a life-changing event, especially if it’s a spinal cord injury. Depending on the location and extent of your injury, it may be difficult for you to walk, feed yourself, function normally, and perform tasks that you’re used to doing. Whether you suffer a complete or incomplete spinal cord injury, your life has changed dramatically. You need to understand your rights if you want to file a personal injury claim.
Types of Spinal Cord Injuries After an Iowa Motorcycle Accident
There are two types of spinal cord injuries – complete and incomplete. Complete spinal cord injuries mean that your brain can no longer communicate messages down your spinal cord past the site of the injury. That means wherever the damage is to your spinal cord, you are paralyzed at that site and below.
Incomplete spinal cord injuries mean that your brain can still get messages past the site of injury on the spinal cord, but your motor skills and sensory functions may be damaged. Depending on the location of your injury, you may not be able to care for yourself.
You may not be able to return to work, or the same type of work you were doing before the crash. You may need a nurse or a certified nursing assistant (CNA) to feed, bathe, and take care of you. Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may need to see specialists for months, years, or even the rest of your life.
Settling Your Iowa Motorcycle Accident Claim
Before you decide to settle your Iowa motorcycle crash claim, keep in mind that any future care and medical bills related to that future care need to be factored into a fair settlement. Most insurance companies are only going to write you one check for your settlement. That check needs to cover:
- Past and future medical bills
- Past and future lost wages
- Pain and suffering
If you settle your case before you have healed completely or before you’re as healed as a doctor says you’re going to get, any bills that come in after you settle your case will need to come out of your own pocket.
Don’t Settle Your Motorcycle Crash Case Before Talking With an Iowa Personal Injury Attorney
We don’t recommend settling your case until you have spoken with an Iowa personal injury lawyer. If you have been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, hiring an attorney may be an important step. An experienced attorney won’t be fooled by the insurance companies’ attempts to settle for less than you deserve and will fight hard to get you a fair settlement for your harms and losses.
If you would like to speak with one of our Iowa motorcycle accident attorneys, call RSH Legal today at 1-319-774-1534.