One of the most severe injuries you can suffer is a spinal cord injury. If you’ve experienced such an injury, consulting a spinal cord injury lawyer can be crucial. You may have been injured on a motorcycle, in a car or truck accident, or a job accident after falling at a building site. Regardless of how it happened, damage to the spinal cord will have long-term consequences for your life. You could need regular medical care, you might not be able to work as much as you used to, and your leisure activities may be limited.
At Esquire Law Firm, we are dedicated to assisting our clients in obtaining the compensation they require to face life with a severe spinal cord injury. We help you file a claim or a lawsuit, and we hold the entity responsible for your injuries accountable. You will not be charged with attorney fees until we successfully recover compensation for you. We will provide you with a free consultation, evaluate your case, and advise you on your legal options.
The Impact of Spinal Cord Injuries
The long-term consequences of a spinal cord injury largely depend on the severity of the damage and the degree of impairment. Respiratory issues and the inability to manage bowel and bladder function are two possible consequences. For introductory activities of daily living, those with total paralysis will require personal care help.
Aside from the physical implications of a spinal cord injury, which renders a person unable to walk, or move their arms and hands, and necessitates breathing help and constant medical care, SCI also costs the financial cost. A person who once had a successful job and supported a family is now unable to work, requires daily medical care, and will face medical and living bills totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Compensation You Can Expect From A Spinal Cord Injury
You may need assistance collecting compensation for your injuries after the devastation of a spinal cord injury while you are attempting to figure out what your “new normal” will be. Your medical bills are piling up, you’re unable to work, and your life will never be the same. When your damage was caused by someone else’s negligence, a knowledgeable and caring spinal cord injury lawyer from our law firm is here to fight for your right to compensation. We investigate the accident and build a compelling case for settlement or trial. We will fight for compensation for your continued medical bills, home care, adaptations to your house to accommodate a wheelchair, and any other services that will assist you in your recovery.
We have a good reputation for providing outstanding service to our clients. Please call (623) 343-9956 immediately to book a free consultation if you have sustained a spinal cord injury due to someone else’s negligence.
Why Choose Esquire Law?
Spinal cord injury affects more than just the victim; it also affects the victim’s family, frequently entrusted with providing care and monitoring. Other financial issues, including long-term care and adaptations to the manner and level of life, must be factored in with the numerous medical costs.
We understand the hidden and future costs of treating spinal cord injuries as a team of seasoned lawyers. Depression, problems, the prices of altering a person’s house to accommodate a paralyzed or disabled individual, expensive treatments and drugs, loss of future income, and a variety of other factors can all play a role in your damage claim and should be considered. The insurance company will try to arrange a speedy settlement after a major auto accident or other accident, which may not account for future difficulties or treatments. We can pursue fair and just compensation through discussions or litigation if we work together, ensuring that you and your loved ones are adequately cared for in the future. We represent serious accident victims throughout Arizona. If you or a loved one has experienced a spinal cord injury due to an accident, call us at (623) 343-9956 for a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuits
What is a spinal cord injury?
Damage to the spinal column and nerve endings causes spinal cord injuries. Spinal cord injuries are usually irreversible, limiting the victim’s physical functions, feeling, and strength from the spot of damage to the toes. Swelling at the injury site has been reduced thanks to recent improvements in medical technology, minimizing the severity of injuries when the spinal column is damaged. Many sufferers, however, continue to lose control of their limbs due to total or incomplete injury.
What Are the Symptoms of a Spinal Cord Injury?
The following are common causes of spinal column injuries in the United States:
- Automobile accidents and motorbike crashes have been the primary cause of most spinal cord injuries caused by accidents for decades, accounting for half of all new SCI cases each year.
- Falling: People over the age of 65 are more likely to sustain spinal cord injuries due to falling. Falls in nursing homes account for roughly one-third of all spinal cord injury occurrences.
- Leisure and sports injuries – Every year, one out of every ten spinal column cases is caused by acute blunt force trauma sustained during a recreational or sports activity. Many people become paralyzed, drown, or suffer a head injury during football, soccer, boxing, and others.
- Acts of violence – Each year, about one out of every seven spinal cord injury cases involves a violent confrontation, which commonly involves gunshots and knife wounds.
- Spinal Cord Injuries – Diseases Many medical problems, such as spinal cord inflammation, osteoporosis, arthritis, and cancer, can cause this.
- Alcohol consumption – Alcohol consumption is responsible for around 25% of all spinal column injuries each year.
Being a guy between sixteen and thirty or older than sixty-five is a risk factor for spinal cord damage. Patients with joint or bone problems and those who engage in hazardous conduct are at high risk of spinal cord injury.
Questions to Ask Your Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
What Is the Value of a Compensation Case Involving Spinal Cord Injuries?
Suppose the case involves paralysis or other compromising problems, such as brain damage or neck injuries. In that case, personal injury attorneys may be able to reach an out-of-court settlement for more than $350,000. In vehicle accidents and truck accidents where the victim’s injuries result in tetraplegia (quadriplegia), emotional stress, and a lifetime of financial problems because of the need for round-the-clock care, higher sums of compensation are typically involved. However, the particular circumstances of each case and the severity of the injuries set a high value on the lawsuit’s worth. The defendant’s insurance companies will frequently pay the claim based on the policy limits. The victim will get the total compensation minus attorney fees, medical expenses, court expenditures, and lawsuit costs when a negotiated settlement or a jury award has been obtained. Many Arizona personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, which eliminates the need for the victim to pay any upfront expenses.
Will Everyone with a Spinal Cord Injury Require a Wheelchair?
The spinal cord injury victim will require a wheelchair for movement for the first few months. If they cannot propel themselves, some patients will require a motorized wheelchair for movement. People with paraplegia or lower spinal cord injuries will generally operate a manual chair that is lighter, less expensive, and easier to tote while driving. Other people who have had a spinal injury will use a crutch or a brace to get around and walk limited distances. While a wheelchair may limit a spinal injury victim’s mobility options, other activities such as skiing, flying airplanes, swimming, and driving with adaptive gear are available outside the wheelchair.
What Should I Expect If My Spinal Cord Is Damaged?
When the spinal cord is severely damaged, the patient’s mobility, respiration, and motor abilities are frequently affected. The following are common complications:
- Bladder and bowel control loss: A significant spinal cord injury usually causes bladder and bowel control loss. On the other hand, the kidney keeps sending pee to the bladder for storage. The message carrier that told the brain how to control the bladder was frequently damaged when the spinal cord was severed.
- Skin numbing —The brain can no longer detect any injury to the skin caused by cold, heat, or pressure due to the risk of developing a pressure sore (pressure wound, pressure ulcers, bedsore) when skin sensation is lost. It is necessary to have assistance from others to change positions frequently to maintain optimal skin conditions and avoid skin-related issues.
- Loss of circulatory control — A spinal cord injury can cause various circulatory problems, including orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure) and extremity swelling. Without treatment, circulation issues can lead to pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, or another type of blood clot.
- Injury’s adverse effects — It’s sometimes difficult to breathe or cough without assistance after a spinal cord injury. Any thoracic or cervical spinal cord lesion raises the risk of lung issues, including pneumonia.
- Muscle tone problems —Spinal cord injuries can result in various muscular tone disorders, including a lack of muscle tone (flaccidity), which causes limp muscles, and restricted muscle action (spasticity), which causes uncontrollable tightening.
- Compromised fitness and well-being — People who have had a spinal cord injury may experience muscle atrophy and weight loss. The patient’s limited mobility, on the other hand, may lead to a sedentary lifestyle, raising the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.
- Suffering and pain — While nerve sensation can be lost due to spinal cord injury, some individuals still experience pain, particularly joint muscle pain, due to overusing muscle groups.
- Depression — The stress and stresses of family life and the changes brought on by a spinal cord injury can contribute to depression in the individual, a loved one, or another family member.
Procedure for Filing a Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuit
Due to their injuries, spinal cord injury patients may encounter various legal difficulties, including discrimination. They may wish to contact an attorney about their rights. But how do you choose which lawyer to contact? What are the main steps in filing a lawsuit for a spinal cord injury? All of the answers are discussed below:
Steps to Take in a Spinal Cord Injury Case
It’s important to remember that each spinal cord injury litigation is unique, as are each case’s facts. Your injury, the facts surrounding the case, how the patient is handled, and various other factors will vary on a case-by-case basis. However, there are a few fundamental processes that are frequently repeated:
1. Make an appointment with an Arizona lawyer who specializes in spinal cord injuries.
This is an essential phase in a spinal cord injury case to get the most money for your damage. The focus of your initial appointment with your spinal cord injury lawyer will be ongoing through the facts of your possible case (determining whether negligence was involved). This will entail a lengthy discussion and questions about you or a loved one, their injury, the circumstances, and how the injury has affected their lives.
2. Your Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer should go over the contract with you.
Attorneys will examine your legal counsel contract. A contingency fee arrangement is usual for SCI lawyers, which means that the lawyer does not get paid unless there is a recovery through a trial or a settlement. This will be an opportunity to consider the prospect of recovering your spinal cord injury attorney’s costs from the opposing (negligent) party rather than from the settlement or trial amount you were given.
3. Your SCI attorney will begin their investigation.
The investigation phase of your spinal cord injury case starts once you have signed a contract with your attorney. Your lawyer will endeavor to acquire as much evidence as possible about your topic during this investigation. They’ll also look into all potential sources of compensation, such as individuals, corporations, and insurance policies. Other factors and parties who may be possibly liable for your injuries include the company they work for if they were driving as part of their job and other factors and parties who may be responsible for your damages.
4. The process of communicating with insurance companies begins.
Your spinal cord injury lawyer may send out letters of representation during this time, which entails correspondence with any insurance companies involved in the spinal cord injury claim. This stage of the litigation usually follows a 30-day calendar of back-and-forth contacts between your attorney and the other parties, which can take months to complete.
5. Choosing whether to go to trial or reach a settlement.
Based on their years of expertise and legal knowledge, your Arizona spinal cord injury attorney will act in your best interest and provide legal advice regarding what they believe is your best alternative. Depending on the facts of the case and the circumstances surrounding it, a settlement is sometimes the best option. At the same time, it is to the client’s best advantage to proceed to trial. Your spinal cord injury lawyer should support and act in your best interests whether you go to trial or settle with an insurance company.