Spinal cord injuries are some of the most devastating injuries anyone can suffer. Many people suffer from permanent injuries, lasting disabilities, and even lost independence. Spinal cord injuries often limit mobility, and many people never return to work after this type of catastrophic accident.
If you or your loved one suffered a spinal cord injury because of someone’s negligence, you have the right to hold them liable for your medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. At the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, we can file a claim for you while you focus on rehabilitation and recovery. We offer free complimentary case evaluation so you can learn how a Port St. Lucie spinal cord injury lawyer can help.
What Can Spinal Cord Injury Victims Receive With a Lawyer’s Help?
Our Port St. Lucie personal injury lawyers are experienced in determining the value of a case and working to obtain it for our clients. In spinal cord injury cases, compensation could cover:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Past and future lost income
- Reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of consortium
- Emotional distress
With such a significant injury, it can be easy to focus on the most expensive, most immediate consequences of your treatment and losses. However, even out-of-pocket expenses and small costs can be included. We know how quickly the cost of a spinal cord injury can add up, and we don’t leave anything out in our calculation of your case.
Lifelong Costs Should Be Included
Spinal cord injuries can be life-changing. Your compensation should be as well to keep up with the costs over the long term, such as:
- Medical equipment
- Home modifications
- Vehicle modifications
- At-home care
- Therapies
- Prescription medication
- Follow-up care
Depending on your level of injury, you could require help in everyday tasks or need to modify your home and car to allow you to move better with your medical equipment. Spinal cord injuries also carry additional risks and complications that could require re-hospitalization or ongoing therapies.
We don’t just address the initial injury in our pursuit of your compensation. Your future matters to us, and we will make sure it matters to the party who injured you.
What Role Does Negligence Play In A Spinal Cord Injury Claim?
Spinal cord injuries occur in a variety of ways, and we can often trace them back to the negligent actions of another party. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), 38.6% of spinal cord injuries occur in car crashes, while 32.2% are from falls. Other common causes include gunshot wounds and other acts of violence, which account for 14%, and sports injuries, which cause 7.8% of spinal cord injuries.
Negligence can factor into all of these accident types. For instance, someone could be liable if your injury was caused by:
- Impaired, distracted, drowsy, or aggressive driving
- Failure to yield
- Improper turns
- Premises maintenance failures
- Faulty equipment or products
- Assault or security failures
Because we have experience dealing with almost every type of negligence accident, we can help you understand the role another party’s carelessness played in causing your spinal cord injuries. We can explain your legal options and help you hold the responsible party or parties liable for your injuries.
Who Is Liable for Negligence in a Spinal Cord Injury Case?
Our team can investigate your case to determine who can be held responsible for your spinal cord injury and expenses. Depending on the type of accident, we may consider:
- Drivers
- Trucking companies
- Rideshares or taxi companies
- Product manufacturers
- Property owners
- Businesses
- Athletic coaches
- Third parties
- Government entities
A liable party may try to avoid responsibility by claiming you signed a waiver or attempting to shift blame to someone else. The latter could become especially complicated if more than one party played a role in your accident.
Don’t let this worry you. Leave it to us to investigate the circumstances, review any paperwork you signed, and compile evidence of negligence.
How Do Spinal Cord Injuries Affect the Lives of Victims and Their Families?
When an accident causes damage to the nerves in the spinal column, the results can vary from numbness and tingling to complete paralysis. Many spinal cord injuries cause lasting disability.
The severity of this disability depends heavily on where along the spinal cord they sustained the injury. Injury victims often suffer paralysis and other ill effects from the level of the injury and below. This means a lower back injury may cause paraplegia, while a neck injury could lead to quadriplegia.
People with injuries high on the spinal cord can also have problems breathing on their own, feeding themselves, and maneuvering a motorized wheelchair. Frequently, those who suffer from this type of injury cannot return to work and require in-home nursing care for the rest of their lives.
Less Severe Injuries Are Still Debilitating and Deserve Compensation
Sometimes, an accident injures the spinal cord but does not completely sever it or otherwise destroy the nerve function. While these victims fare better, they often still suffer from nerve damage and chronic pain. Don’t let anyone attempt to downplay your condition, your pain, or your right to full damages.
Families Are Also Affected and Need Help
When a family member suffers a spinal cord injury, the entire household may feel the negative effects. Spouses and children may assume caregiving roles and miss out on the quality of life they once enjoyed. They often struggle with depression or other emotional concerns, while the financial stresses of paying for care can weigh heavily on partners and parents.
We take into account your family situation and dependents. Damages can help cover lifestyle changes, as well as compensate you for shifts in your relationships, such as loss of consortium (spousal intimacy). This accident didn’t just happen to you. Our spinal cord injury attorneys won’t forget that.
Why Are Spinal Cord Injuries so Expensive to Treat, and Will That Affect My Case?
Spinal cord injuries are among the most costly injuries to treat because they require extensive hospitalization, surgery to stabilize the spine, specialized equipment for therapy and rehabilitation, devices to help caregivers lift and turn patients, and wheelchairs and other adaptive equipment.
Unfortunately, high-priced cases sometimes face the greatest pushback from insurers and negligent parties. While serious injuries are hard to refute, the big price tag incentivizes the other party to attempt to cut down costs as much as possible. They may try to reduce your damages wherever you can.
Nonetheless, our attorneys can help you face these high treatment costs by holding the liable party responsible for compensation. We won’t stand for attempts to nickel and dime you when you have suffered such a tragedy.
How Can I File a Claim for Compensation?
Understanding which laws apply to your spinal cord injury case requires a thorough knowledge of the many ways negligence can occur. Different laws apply if the injury occurred because of a car accident than if it happened because of a truck accident, a medical malpractice action, a defective product, or even a slip and fall.
We can quickly determine what caused your injuries, collect the necessary evidence to build a strong case, and navigate the complex claims process to demand fair compensation from the at-fault party.
For example, imagine you suffered a spinal cord injury in a slip and fall and are now wheelchair-bound. Under Florida’s premises liability laws, the property owner is liable for your injuries. In this case, we would file a third-party liability claim with their homeowner’s insurance policy to get the compensation you need to cover your medical care, lost wages, and future medical needs. To win this claim, we would present evidence that shows:
- You were a welcome guest on the property;
- The property owner knew about the hazard but failed to warn you; and
- The full range of your losses because of your injuries.
In most cases, we can negotiate a settlement based on your economic losses and expenses, future care costs, and pain and suffering damages. Occasionally, the insurance company denies your claim or refuses a fair offer. When this happens, we can file a personal injury lawsuit and go before a judge or jury to determine your compensation.
Do I Need a Lawyer to Help Me File a Claim?
Your best chance at recovering full compensation for your injury is to have one of our knowledgeable lawyers at your side. With the right lawyer, you can feel confident you are getting the most out of your claim while still focusing on your rehabilitation and adapting to new challenges.
We can call in expert witnesses to help us understand your future care needs and the cost of that care. We can also work with specialists to help us determine how much you might lose in wages and benefits if you cannot return to work. With our resources, we can secure a wealth of evidence to prove your claim and document your losses.
We have handled dozens of spinal cord injury cases in South Florida. We know what it takes to successfully file and negotiate these complicated claims. We will fight aggressively for the justice you deserve and ensure your rights remain protected throughout the process.
Contact The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine for a Free Case Evaluation
You can reach an attorney from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today. We offer complimentary consultations so we can explain what ourPort St. Lucie injury lawyers can do.
We Can Help.
