Spinal cord injuries are some of the most severe you can experience in an accident. They can leave you with mobility issues, as well as pain that could impact the rest of your life. If the injury was the result of an accident that someone else caused, one option you may have is to file a spinal cord injury lawsuit.
The complexity of these cases means that you should never pursue them without legal representation. Aside from managing all of the legal aspects of the case, a spinal cord injury attorney knows how to accurately calculate just how seriously these injuries can impact your life. Their help may make a difference in the compensation you can receive.
Medical Expenses
Spinal cord injuries generally require a significant amount of treatment. Injuries that lead to tetraplegia, for example, will require ongoing occupational and rehabilitative therapy.
One of the biggest challenges that spinal cord injuries present is that most don’t fully heal. You could be left with disabilities that require nursing assistance for the rest of your life, which is a serious ongoing expense.
If you need to make changes to your home or vehicle to accommodate disabilities, those are medical expenses, too. As such, they have to be covered by the compensation you receive.
Lost Wages and Reduced Earning Capacity
Spinal cord injuries will require taking time away from work to recover. You’ll miss out on the income you would have made if the accident had never occurred. As part of your compensation, you can claim lost salaries, commissions, contracts, and any other losses you sustained.
In the most severe instances, you may not be able to return to work in the same capacity or at all. If that’s what you’re going through, your spinal cord injury attorney will fight for compensation that covers your loss of earning potential. They will calculate what you would have made over your career and make that number part of your claim.
Emotional Impact
Spinal cord injuries can leave you battling chronic pain and emotional suffering, and you deserve compensation for this kind of loss as well. Something to remember is that developing depression because of a spinal cord injury is very common. In the first year after suffering one of these injuries, up to 40% experience depression.
Others can develop post-traumatic stress disorder, especially after severe car accidents. All of these conditions impact your quality of life. Your lawyer will look at how much the injury has changed your daily life as they come up with a total for the emotional losses you’ve suffered.
The Role of Expert Testimony
Expert testimonies are very important in spinal cord injury lawsuits. Medical professionals can help establish how severe the injury is and the amount of treatment that it will require.
Mental health professionals can also testify on how the injury has affected your mental health. When establishing non-economic losses, like pain and suffering, having this information is essential.
Negotiating With Insurance Companies
One of the most important things that your lawyer can do is to negotiate with the insurance companies involved. Keep in mind that insurers are always searching for ways to keep from paying you what you deserve, so they can try all manner of tactics to get you to drop the claim or accept a low offer.
Your lawyer knows what your case is worth and how much help you deserve. They will aggressively negotiate to get you the highest possible compensation via a settlement. If that isn’t possible, your attorney can take the case to court and fight for you there.
FAQ
What Are the Most Frequent Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries?
Spinal cord injuries can result from car accidents, especially those involving high speeds, as well as slipping and falling accidents. If you’re struck by a very heavy object, that can also lead to a spinal cord injury.
How Much Does Hiring a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Cost?
Spinal cord injury lawyers, like other personal injury attorneys, don’t charge upfront fees. They get paid if you do, taking a percentage of your financial recovery. Make sure to ask about what the exact percentage is since that can vary.
Do I Have to Prove That Negligence Caused the Accident?
Personal injury claims require showing that the other party’s negligent or wrongful conduct resulted in your losses. In instances where negligence is the right legal theory, your lawyer must show that the other party owed you a duty of care that they failed to uphold. If their actions resulted in your injuries, that behavior is considered negligence.
Are Spinal Cord Injuries Always Permanent?
Spinal cord injuries are often, though not always, permanent. That's the case because the nerves in your spinal cord don’t regenerate in the same way as nerves in other areas of the body do.
Trusting Experienced Texas Lawyers With Your Claim
If you’ve sustained a spinal cord injury in an accident that someone else caused, it’s essential that you hire experienced attorneys to represent you. These cases are particularly complex because of the significant compensatory amounts you need to cover your losses.
At Ramsey Law Group, our team of Texas spinal cord injury attorneys have decades of experience helping people throughout the state who have suffered injuries because of another party’s negligence or misconduct. We can take care of the entire claims process for you so that you have one less thing to worry about.
Contact Ramsey Law Group to schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys.