Will Surgery Expenses Be Covered in My North Carolina Personal Injury Claim?

Getting injured in an accident can cause all kinds of temporary hardships during the recovery period. Although many injuries heal with treatment and rest, a lot of injured victims need to have surgery in order to heal the injuries they have. It is not uncommon, especially in severe injuries, for the victim to have to undergo more than one surgery to repair the injury they have sustained. If you have been seriously injured in an accident it is important to have a North Carolina personal injury attorney advocating for you.

Common Injuries

There are several types of injuries that victims suffer from accidents that often require surgery. These include:

Brain Injury: When a victim with a brain injury develops intracranial pressure that is caused by swelling or bleeding, surgery may be needed to repair skull fractures, remove blood clots, and more.

Burns: When a victim sustains a serious burn in an accident, they are often required to undergo surgery to help repair the damage. This can include skin grafts and procedures that remove and replace the burned skin. These procedures can be extremely painful, and victims are also very susceptible to dangerous infections.

Compound Fractures: When a victim suffers a fracture, healing usually involves keeping the bone immobilized, such as in a cast. But when a compound or multiple fractures require surgery to set the bone and insert pins to keep it in place while it heals. In situations where the bone has been crushed or shattered and cannot be healed, the only choice might be amputation.

Soft Tissue Tears: When an accident has caused tears to ligaments, muscles, and tendons, treatment often requires surgery to repair the tears and other damage that may have been done. Recovery from this type of surgery can be long and extensive.

Spinal Cord Injury: When a victim suffers a spinal cord injury, they may need surgery to relieve any pressure, remove disc fragments or bone fragments, stabilize the injured area of the spine, fuse parts of the spine, or insert a medical device that could help the spine to heal

Recovery Time

Surgery can be traumatic on a body, and even more difficult for a victim who is already physically traumatized by their injuries. The time it can take to recover from surgery can be long and difficult, even without complications. Recovery usually includes:

  • The time the victim is in the hospital for monitoring after the surgery
  • Pain and swelling
  • Medication
  • Medical supplies
  • Follow-up appointments
  • Rest from daily activities and chores
  • Rest from work

Complications

There are risks of complications that any surgical patient may deal with. These can include:

  • Reactions to the anesthesia
  • Internal bleeding
  • Blood clots
  • Infections

Any of these complications can result in extending the recovery time even longer.

Contact a North Carolina Injury Attorney

When a victim has been injured in an accident caused by another party, North Carolina law allows for victims to pursue damages in a personal injury claim. The law says that the victim is entitled to financial compensation for medical expenses, loss of income, pain and suffering, emotional anguish, and more. Undergoing painful procedures and extended recovery time are also factors that a North Carolina personal injury attorney can include in the victim’s lawsuit.

If you have been injured, call Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp to schedule a free consultation and find out how we can help.

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