Without a doubt, suffering a spinal cord injury can change a Louisiana worker’s life forever. Even achieving as full a recovery as possible interferes with daily life, and an individual may no longer be able to engage in certain activities, including work duties, as he or she did prior to the accident. This makes pursuing compensation under admiralty and maritime law all the more important for those who work in the industry, especially if secondary complications arise.
Secondary complications are medical issues that can, and often do, arise due to a spinal cord injury. Losing feeling in part of the body opens up a patient for other problems. For example, pressure sores are common in SCI patients since they cannot feel the affected area. If these sores become infected, the problem only gets worse. Even those who are temporarily paralyzed could end up with these sore, which are more commonly referred to as bedsores.
A Louisiana worker suffering from an SCI may develop deep vein thrombosis, which is a blood clot that could form in the legs or another deep vein in the body. Again, since an individual suffering from this condition cannot feel when something is wrong, the risk is high. Sufferers may also develop urological or gastrointestinal issues as well. Quick diagnosis and treatment is often necessary for these types of issues in order to not threaten the patient’s life.
This list does not contain all of the secondary complications someone with an SCI could suffer, however. Even individuals who regain feeling at some point could experience serious issues that could follow them the rest of their lives. This makes seeking restitution through admiralty and maritime law by filing claims under either the Jones Act and the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act.
