Brain and Spinal Cord.Org is happy to assist you in your search for the right law firm to handle your spinal cord injury cases. If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury due to the criminal action or negligence of someone else you are legally entitled to compensation for your medical expenses and other expenses that occur as a result of the injury.
Finding a lawyer can be difficult, especially when you are under emotional strain because of a recent spinal cord injury or perhaps even the loss of a loved one due to such an injury. When it comes to winning personal injury suits, knowledge and experience can make the difference between winning appropriate compensation or coming away empty-handed. An knowledgeable spinal cord injury lawyer will guide you with compassion and understanding through the compensation seeking process and will be best qualified to get you an adequate amount of compensation.
If you need a recommendation for a spinal cord injury attorney, please fill out the form below or call: 1-877-216-6020. The experts at Brain and Spinal Cord.Org will help you find a lawyer for your particular case.
Why Seek Legal Action?
Spinal cord injury causes many people in United States to become disabled. It is estimated that annually there are 12,000 new cases of spinal cord injury in this country. This estimate does not include the number of people who die from a spinal cord injury at the scene of an accident. Approximately 255,702 Americans are currently living with a spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injuries can be complete, causing complete paralysis or incomplete, causing partial paralysis. People with a spinal cord injury will continue to need medical care and various forms of personal assistance throughout their lives.
Spinal cord injury is most prevalent in males, with 77.8 percent of cases occurring in males. The average age at injury is 39.5 years. Recently the number of older people suffering spinal cord injuries seems to have increased; approximately 11.5 percent of spinal cord injuries occur in people over age 60.
The medical costs and other expenses incurred when a spinal cord injury is suffered are enormous. A partially paralyzed person may incur over $100,000 in expenses during the first year after the injury, while a person with complete paralysis (quadriplegia) may incur over $400,000 during the first year.
Vehicle accidents account for 42 percent of all spinal cord injuries. Falls account for 27.1 percent and violence for 15.3 percent. Sports accidents account for 7.4 percent and 8.1 percent of spinal cord injuries are due to unknown causes.
Accidents may sometimes be unavoidable, but too often they are due to someone’s negligence. Sadly, many accidents could have been prevented with a little attention to safety concerns. Reckless driving and disregard for workplace safety on the part of employers are two examples of negligent behavior that can lead to a spinal cord injury.
If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury because of someone’s neglect, an experienced attorney can help you receive financial compensation to cover the sometimes overwhelming expenses involved. Many expenses occur while caring for a person with a spinal cord injury; some of which you may not even realize at first. Financial compensation awarded in a court of law is aimed at covering these expenses:
• Hospitalization
• Medical care throughout the person’s life
• Caregivers at home
• Rehabilitation
• Counseling and Psychiatric care
• Lost wages
• Expenses not covered by existing health insurance
• Travel expenses for medical care
• Various support services for the injured person’s family
• Funeral expenses
A qualified spinal cord injury lawyer will help you get compensation for these expenses and others related to your injury. If you are considering seeking compensation, be sure to keep all receipts for expenses related to your injury, as well as all of your medical records. The lawyer will need these to base the case on.
Many people worry that they will have to spend hours in court if they file a personal injury or wrongful death suit, but the lawyer will take care of most of this. Your primary role when you file such a suit is to give your attorney detailed, accurate information. He or she will handle the rest of the case.
Types of Lawsuits
You can file two types of lawsuits in a spinal cord injury case: personal injury and wrongful death. A personal injury case generally requires that the person who has received the injury file the suit, but in some cases, your family may be able to file suit if you are not able to do so.
The family of a spinal cord injury victim who died from the injury can file a wrongful death suit. Compensation in a case such as this will generally cover lost wages, hospitalization, and funeral expenses. A financial award for pain and suffering experienced by the family may also be included.
Keep in mind that statutes governing spinal cord injury lawsuits vary from state to state. Each state has its own statute of limitations—the length of time allowed for suit to be filed after a spinal cord injury has occurred. A qualified spinal cord injury attorney will guide you through all the rules applying to your state. Even if you feel that you are not ready to file a suit, consult a qualified lawyer as soon as possible so that you will know your options.