A spinal cord injury (SCI) is likely to change your life. Because of an SCI, many aspects of your life may be impaired. From working your day job to going on outings with your friends and family, your life may unfortunately never be the same.
If you suffered a spinal cord injury from an accident, you can hire a personal injury lawyer to help you recover compensation as you adjust to a more challenging life.
At Florin|Roebig, our team of well-equipped personal injury lawyers can hold the responsible parties liable for causing your injury. Although we can’t change the devastating injury that occured, we can help you collect compensation to help pay for medical expenses and more.
Types Of Spinal Cord Injuries
A spinal cord injury occurs from a sudden or traumatic blow. Once there is impact to the spine, it may fracture or dislocate the vertebrae. The damage from a spinal cord injury occurs as soon as the bone fragments, ligaments, or disc material tear into the tissue of the spinal cord.
This can lead to nerve damage and destroy axons, which are the cells responsible for communicating between the spinal cord, brain, and the rest of the body. Some spinal cord injuries may allow a complete recovery, while others result in paralysis.
Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries
An incomplete spinal cord injury means that the spinal cord’s ability to send signals to and from the brain isn’t beyond hope. People with these injuries can still perform some motor or sensory movement below the area of the injury.
Complete Spinal Cord Injuries
A complete spinal cord injury means there is no sensory or motor movement below the area of the injury. Someone who survives a complete SCI is likely to have severe medical complications, from chronic pain to bladder/bowel dysfunction and an increased risk for heart and respiratory problems.
How successfully a person recovers from a complete spinal cord injury depends on how they handle these issues each day. The person will likely require surgery, but may live out the rest of their days in total paralysis.
Common Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuits
Both types of spinal cord injuries can be devastating and are likely to drive up medical costs. To recover compensation for your injury, you can file a personal injury lawsuit against any negligent or liable parties who played a role in the accident.
Medical Malpractice Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuits
Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor or other healthcare provider injures a patient as a result of a negligent act or omission. Negligence in medical malpractice lawsuits could be the result of treatment, diagnosis, aftercare, or how the health of the patient was managed.
To file a spinal cord injury medical malpractice lawsuit, your claim must include the following:
- your doctor violated a standard of medical care
- a spinal cord injury was caused by negligence
- the spinal cord injury resulted in damages
Even if the doctor violated a standard of medical care, this alone isn’t enough to file a lawsuit. The claim must also show that the patient would have avoided the injury if it wasn’t for the doctor’s negligence. Finally, the patient must show that the injury caused damages, which unfortunately would not be difficult for a spinal cord injury.
Motor Vehicle Accident Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuits
Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of spinal trauma and injuries. If you suffered a spinal cord injury in a car accident that was caused by another person’s negligent action or failure to act, then you can likely sue that person for damages.
Like medical malpractice lawsuits, motor vehicle accident lawsuits will also try to prove negligence.
To bolster your claim, a lawyer can help you collect evidence from the scene by:
- examining the crash site
- talking to witnesses
- locating traffic cam footage if possible
- evaluating any information collected from insurance companies
- hiring accident recreationists or other car accident experts
Product Liability Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuits
A product liability lawsuit may be filed after a car accident if the spinal cord injury was caused by a part in the car or the car itself. These lawsuits will hold automotive manufacturers liable for producing a defective product.
In many states, there are strict liability laws that hold manufacturers responsible for making cars that have defective products. Your lawyer will not need to prove negligence, but simply show there was a defect and this defect caused your spinal cord injury.
Product liability lawsuits may also apply to amusement park injuries. If a ride, or part of a ride, was defective, then strict liability laws can hold the manufacturer responsible for your SCI.
A lawyer can help you examine the company’s manufacturing process that led to a defective part or process. Product liability cases can be complex because you’ll have to figure out who manufactured the product, why it was defective, and how it caused the spinal cord injury.
What Happens If I Get A Spinal Cord Injury At Work?
A spinal cord injury can occur anywhere, including at the workplace. If you were injured at the workplace, you can likely file a worker’s compensation claim. Worker’s compensation can help victims pay for lost wages and medical expenses.
Once you file for worker’s compensation, you can only hold a third-party liable for negligence in your injury, like the owner of the business where you worked construction.
Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuit Damages
Any lawsuit filed on behalf of a spinal cord injury will seek to collect damages, or compensation, for the injury and losses you suffered.
Damages that can be recovered in a spinal cord injury lawsuit include:
- medical bills and expenses
- lost wages
- overall pain and suffering
- loss of consortium (damages awarded to family members)
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Reasons To Hire A Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
A spinal cord injury could mean you lose the ability to control your body. As a result, you’ll need to rely on the support of others. This can put undue strain on the relationships with the people you love most.
By hiring a qualified personal injury lawyer, you can get the assistance you need to better manage your new life. From quality medical care to support in the community, a lawyer can help you receive financial compensation so you don’t have to worry about paying for your day-to-day adjustments.
Quality Medical Care
Medical procedures are expensive. Without proper finances or comprehensive healthcare insurance, you may be forced to receive sub-par medical assistance and care. If you sue for your injuries, however, then you can recover damages that can help you pay for expensive medical or rehabilitative procedures or services.
Personal injury lawyers with a history of filing SCI-related lawsuits can also likely recommend the top physicians in your area. An SCI requires the best medical attention, and filing a lawsuit can guide you on the path towards quality medical care.
Family Assistance And Support
It could be that your family depended on you before the accident. With an SCI, you may not be able to perform the duties you once did, including making money at your job or supporting your family in other ways.
With a spinal cord injury lawsuit, a qualified lawyer can support you and your family by:
- helping you collect money to invest in their future
- coordinating with and paying for in-home caregivers with the money you recieve
- recovering compensation to pay for the best medical care, increasing your chances of recovery and putting your family members’ minds at ease
- recovering compensation to pay for supportive family services like childcare, therapy, groceries, and more
Community Advocacy Support
If you move forward with a spinal cord injury lawsuit, you’ll develop connections with experts in the SCI community. A qualified lawyer has likely worked with the SCI community and can refer you to SCI survivor support group meetings, SCI educational sessions, expert medical professionals, and other community resources that can enhance your recovery.
Holding Negligent Parties Responsible
If you’re considering a spinal cord injury lawsuit, then the unfortunate fact is that someone made a mistake or was negligent. Whether it was medical malpractice or an accident at an amusement park, it can be frustrating to know your life-changing injuries could have been avoided.
By hiring a lawyer, you can seek the only justice available to you: compensation. This isn’t greed, but rather the best way for you to recover the finances you need to live a healthy and fulfilling life. Someone who played a role in your injuries should be held accountable for their actions and contribute to your recovery efforts.
Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers Serving The U.S.
As a mult-state law firm, our team of experienced personal injury lawyers are well-suited to handle your case. Dealing with a spinal cord injury is an incredible burden to your life and well-being, and a lawyer can ensure you don’t have to worry about the legal process.
We’re experts at filing personal injury lawsuits and have the knowledge and experience you need to recover financial compensation for your injury.
At Florin|Roebig, our team of spinal cord injury lawyers includes:
- Wil H. Florin, B.C.S.
- Tommy D. Roebig, B.C.S.
- Chase P. Florin, B.C.S.
- Shaun M. Cummings
- Luca G. Esposito
- Chad K. Florin, M.B.A., LL.M.
- Nicholas S. Costantino
- Michael A. Ossi, O.C.
- Lawrence J. Najem, O.C.
- Andrew M. Leone, O.C.
- Nollys R. Solarte, O.C.
We Are Nationally Awarded Lawyers
Contact Florin|Roebig To File A Spinal Cord Injury Claim Today
You may feel lucky to have survived a catastrophic accident, but you’re now likely faced with new daily challenges that make everything harder. While receiving compensation won’t change the prognosis of your injury, you can likely better recover by taking legal action.
At Florin|Roebig, we offer free case evaluations to assess your claim. If you’re unsure if a lawsuit is worth your time and effort, then our free case evaluation can help you make an informed decision. To learn more about your legal options, or to begin your free case evaluation, please contact the offices of Florin|Roebig today.
