Sustaining a spinal cord injury after an accident can often be life-changing as these injuries are often permanent as victims rarely fully recover from them. These injuries can be sustained from slip and fall accidents as well as motor vehicle accidents and often involve more than one party being injured. According to The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, over 17,000 spinal cord injuries occur every year in the U.S.
If you’ve been involved in an accident that led to you sustaining a spinal cord injury, don’t hesitate to call The Law Place today. We regularly deal with spinal cord injury cases and have ample experience strengthening claims for our clients. In fact, our attorneys have 75 years of combined experience filing personal injury cases and fighting to ensure our clients win the compensation that they deserve. Many spinal cord injuries require medical attention, and dealing with the financial burdens that usually follow medical bills after receiving medical care can be extremely stressful. Receiving compensation gives claimants peace of mind while they recover from their spine injuries as they no longer have to worry about covering the costs of the expenses that usually follow accidents.
At The Law Place, our clients are our top priority. Therefore, we keep our phone lines open 24/7 so that you can contact us whenever you need to. Call our law firm today at (941) 444-4444 to schedule your free case review with one of our skilled spinal cord injury attorneys.
Types of Spinal Cord Injuries
A spinal cord injury involves damage to the nerves and cells that allow the brain to send signals to the rest of the body. These injuries occur when the spinal cord or the nerves that surround the spinal cord are damaged. Depending on the severity and position of the spinal cord injury, these injuries can lead to permanent damage and result in an individual being paralyzed.
Spinal cord injuries are divided into the following two categories:
- Complete spinal cord injury – When a person sustains a complete spinal injury, they lose all sensory and motor function below where the spine was injured. Complete spinal cord injuries are usually permanent.
- Incomplete spinal cord injury – When a person sustains an incomplete spinal injury, they maintain some sensory and motor function below the spinal cord injury. Incomplete spinal cord injuries are serious. However, sufferers of these injuries have the possibility to fully recover from them and regain motor function after recovery.
Spinal cord damage is extremely serious as severe spinal cord injuries often cause life-changing damage that a person may never fully recover from. Whether you’ve sustained a mild or serious spinal cord injury, we highly recommend seeking legal representation as soon as possible. A spinal cord injury attorney will review the severity of the injuries that you have sustained and calculate how much compensation you may be entitled to as a result. Call us to schedule a free consultation with one of our top spinal cord injury lawyers today.
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How Do I Know If I’ve Sustained a Spinal Cord Injury?
First and foremost, it’s essential that you are seen by a medical professional to confirm whether or not you have sustained a spinal cord injury after your accident. If you’re unsure if you’ve sustained an injury involving your spinal cord, it’s important to recognize some of the main symptoms. Symptoms of spinal cord injuries include:
- Loss of movement or sensation.
- Loss of bladder control.
- Pain or an intense stinging sensation in one or more limbs.
- Difficulty breathing or coughing.
- Severe back pain or pressure in your neck and/or head.
- General feeling of weakness in the body.
- Numbness or tingling in your hands, feet, fingers, or toes.
- Problems with balance and sensation of dizziness.
Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries in Florida
- Auto accidents – Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of spinal cord injuries in Florida. These accidents are often caused by distracted driving, speeding, and driving under the influence. Spinal cord injuries caused by motor vehicle accidents are often serious due to the high speed at which the vehicles were traveling at the time of the collision.
- Slip and fall accident – A person can slip and fall on loose rugs, cables, and objects left in walkways, including boxes and store goods. These accidents can happen outdoors as well as in commercial or private properties. In order to win your spinal cord injury claim, your attorney must prove that the fall occurred due to the property owner’s or business manager’s negligence.
- Violence – Gunshots, knife wounds, and physical assault can all lead to a person sustaining spinal cord damage. If your spinal cord injuries are a result of someone else’s violent acts, then you may be able to recover compensation.
- Medical malpractice – Medical professionals owe their patients a duty of care when providing them with medical care. When this duty of care isn’t met, they can cause further injuries to their patients. When this damage occurs, the patient may be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. Your lawyer will prove that the duty of care breach caused the claimant to incur damages and injuries. For example, if an individual sustains additional damage when undergoing surgery, the surgeon may be held liable for medical malpractice.
Our spinal cord injury attorneys will prove liability and hold negligent parties accountable for their negligence. We’ll file your personal injury claim for you and guide you through the Florida legal process. Call us today for a free consultation and get the compensation that you deserve.
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What Should I Do After Sustaining a Spinal Cord Injury?
If you’ve sustained a spinal cord injury, it’s important to act quickly. A Florida spinal cord injury lawyer can offer advice and guidance on what to do after sustaining a spinal cord injury and inform you on how to file a personal injury claim. After sustaining an injury, we highly recommend following these steps:
- Seek medical attention – If you’ve sustained or suspected that you’ve sustained a spinal cord injury, it’s crucial that you seek medical attention immediately. Even if the injury seems mild, not treating it as soon as possible can lead to further complications in the future. Without the appropriate medical treatment, spinal cord injuries often worsen over time. Also, if you choose not to receive medical care after sustaining an injury, your insurance company may use this against you in order to reduce your final settlement.
- Report the accident – We highly recommend reporting your accident to the relevant authorities. For example, if you’ve been involved in a car accident, you should call the police as soon as possible. A police officer will file an accident report which may be used as evidence to strengthen your spinal cord injury case in the future. The police report will provide information to insurance companies, such as the contact details of those involved as well as eyewitnesses. If you’ve sustained a spinal cord injury as a result of falling on someone’s property, you should report the accident to the property owner or manager.
- Collect evidence – If possible, you should collect evidence at the scene of the accident. For example, if you’ve tripped and fallen over debris, you should take photographs of where you have fallen as well as the object that caused the fall. If you’ve been involved in an auto accident, take photographs of the vehicles involved, the road where the accident occurred, and any signs close to the accident scene. Make a note of the other driver’s license plate and their contact details if possible.
- Contact a spinal cord injury attorney – Spinal cord injury victims who seek legal representation can significantly increase the likelihood of receiving the maximum compensation possible for their case. Your attorney will gather evidence from your medical records, including information provided by x-rays and proof of medical treatment received, like medication and physical therapy. Your lawyer will file your spinal cord injury lawsuit for you and recover compensation for your claim.
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How Much Is a Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuit Worth?
Determining how much your personal injury lawsuit is worth is dependent on several factors. Some factors that can affect the worth of your lawsuit include:
- Severity of the injuries sustained.
- Treatment received.
- The mental trauma caused.
- Length of recovery.
Under Florida Statute 768.81, more than one party involved in an accident can be held liable for the accident occurring. If you are held partially responsible for your accident, then your final settlement may be reduced. For example, if you were using your cell phone while driving your car when the accident happened, you could be held 30% responsible for the collision. Therefore, if you’re awarded $40,000 for your claim, your settlement will be reduced by 30%, meaning you will only be awarded $28,000.
An insurance adjuster may try to hold you liable for the accident in order to reduce the settlement they have to pay you. Therefore, it’s very important to hire a team of experienced personal injury attorneys to fight claims made by the insurance provider and ensure that your case is as strong as possible so that you get fair compensation. Call us today for a free consultation with one of our top attorneys today.
Damages Spinal Cord Injury Victims May Be Able to Claim After an Accident
Damages that can be claimed when filing a spinal cord injury claim include:
- Medical bills – Costly medical expenses often follow those who receive treatment after sustaining a spinal cord injury. Treatment can include physical therapy and surgery, which, although necessary, can be very expensive. A Florida spinal cord injury lawyer can calculate how much you may be entitled to claim in order to cover the medical expenses you have incurred as a result of your accident.
- Lost wages – Accident victims often are unable to work as a result of the injuries they have sustained. Spinal cord injuries can be particularly debilitating, and many need months or years to fully recover from these injuries and return to work. If you have lost income due to your injuries, you may be able to recover your past, present, and future lost wages.
- Damaged property – If you’ve been involved in an accident, it’s likely that you’ve had your property damaged in addition to sustaining injuries. Car accident victims often have to have their vehicles repaired or replaced after a car crash.
- Pain and suffering – A spinal cord injury victim has the right to claim compensation not only for the physical pain they have endured due to their accident but also for the emotional distress they have experienced. If you’ve experienced a significant decrease in quality of life caused by issues such as insomnia, depression, and anxiety, then you may be entitled to compensation.
- Wrongful death – Unfortunately, a serious accident may lead to loss of life. If you’ve lost a loved one due to an accident, we highly recommend seeking legal counsel. You may be able to claim compensation to cover expenses, including burial costs and the hospital bills that the deceased incurred to treat their severe injuries before their death.
Our attorneys at The Law Place are highly experienced legal professionals who have ample experience in Florida law. Sustaining spinal cord damage is serious as it can lead to permanent impairment of bodily functions. Call our law firm today for a free case evaluation and find out how much money you could be awarded for your spinal injuries.
Contact The Law Place
If you’ve sustained spinal cord injury as a result of an accident, don’t hesitate to contact our law firm as soon as possible. Our team of experienced attorneys will establish the liability of the negligent party and build a strong case for your claim so that you get the outcome that you deserve.
At The Law Place, our clients are our top priority. We’ll do whatever it takes so that you get the compensation that you may be owed for the injuries you have sustained in your accident. Most personal injury claims are settled outside of court. However, we won’t hesitate to take further legal action if we believe that your insurance provider isn’t offering a fair settlement.
Our phone lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so we’re always ready to take your call. Call our law firm at (941) 444-4444 to schedule a free consultation with a spinal cord injury attorney today.
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