California Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
Spinal cord injuries are categorized as “catastrophic” injuries as they often result in permanent impairments and paralysis. The spinal cord can't simply grow back like other body tissues. These serious and lasting disabilities can completely change your life and may result in the need for long-term or lifelong care.
Victims of spinal cord injuries are typically left with permanent disabilities ranging from arm movement problems to total paralysis from the neck down (quadriplegia). It has been estimated that over 12,000 people every year in the United States sustain traumatic spinal cord injuries. By far, vehicle accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injury. In many cases, these types of injuries are the fault of another individual.
If you or someone you love has suffered a spinal cord injury as a result of someone else's negligence in California, you have the right to hold that party liable for your losses and resulting disabilities.
Because spinal cord injuries generally result in very long and expensive treatments, they can ruin the victim's career and quickly become an overwhelming financial burden.
Many victims of spinal cord injuries face a lifetime of medical and rehabilitation expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering. Due to these significant lifetime damages, injury victims need to choose a spinal cord injury lawyer that has the resources, expertise, and a track record of success.
A skilled Los Angeles personal injury lawyer at Injury Justice Law Firm LLP will be able to discuss the facts and circumstances of your case with you, perform a case evaluation, and assist you with obtaining the financial recovery you deserve after your accident.
Our injury law firm has extensive experience with all types of spinal injuries of various complexities, from spine compression to disc herniation. Our legal team specializes in one area of practice – obtaining the maximum just compensation for your injuries.
Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries may occur in any setting and as the result of many different types of incidents caused by another party's negligence or intentional wrongdoing. Some examples of common causes of spinal cord injuries include the following:
- Car crashes
- Commercial truck accidents
- Falls from heights
- Slip and falls
- Wet floors
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Boating accident
- Freeway accident
- Parking lot accident
- Bicycle accidents
- Scooter accident
- Swimming pool accident
- Elevator accident
- Slip and fall in parking lots
- Assaults
- Gym accidents
Spinal cords run from the base of the brain and down the middle of the back, ending above the waist. Spinal cords are a bundle of nerves that sends information between the brain and the rest of the body. It's protected by ring-shaped bones, known as vertebrae that make up the spinal column.
Any traumatic blow to the spinal column could dislocate or fracture the vertebrae, causing damage to the nerves that don't regenerate after an injury. Spinal cord injuries typically involve nerve damage that may result in full or partial paralysis and other limitations, and the full extent of the symptoms will depend on the nature and extent of the damage to your spinal tissue.
Spinal cord injury victims will oftentimes require long periods of rehabilitation and therapy – including vocational or occupational therapy – to achieve a full (or even a partial) recovery. In the most severe spinal cord injury cases, accident victims may never regain movement abilities and may require costly medical equipment or even around-the-clock lifetime care at home or an assisted living facility.
See our blog: Chronic Pain From a Car Accident Injury.
Proving Spinal Cord Injury Claims
To prove a personal injury claim and obtain compensation after a spinal cord injury, the injured victim must demonstrate that the injury occurred as a direct and proximate result of someone else's negligence.
To prove negligence, you must first identify the cause of the accident and provide evidence that your injury was caused because someone who breached a duty of care. This can include dangerous drivers, property or business owners that allow hazardous conditions, companies that sell defective products, among others.
Spinal cord injury cases can sometimes be resolved through a claim filed with the responsible party's auto or property insurance company. However, insurance companies regularly aim to avoid liability and can often be skeptical of the nature and severity of the injury or injuries claimed.
Insurance company adjusters typically look for any reason to downplay the severity of a plaintiff's injuries and, in some cases, to deny coverage altogether. Having representation by an experienced personal injury law firm throughout the insurance process can help you receive a favorable settlement offer whenever possible.
If your claim cannot be resolved through the insurance process, our skilled attorneys will pursue a personal injury case in civil court. We will use every resource we have to gather evidence to support your claims, negotiate a settlement offer, or present your case at trial if needed.
We know how to utilize medical experts and lay witness testimony to prove that another party should be held liable and to maximize the value of your case.
Available Damages in Spinal Cord Injury Cases
Spinal cord injury plaintiffs may be able to claim monetary compensation for some or all of the following types of damages:
- Medical and physical therapy bills
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Past, present, and future pain and suffering
- Future medical procedures
- Past, present, and future emotional distress and mental anguish
- Causally related psychological or psychiatric injuries and treatment (such as for PTSD)
- Loss of companionship, consortium, or spousal support
- Long-term or lifetime care at a nursing home or assisted living facility
We are committed to helping victims of spinal cord injuries receive maximum compensation for the serious, and often permanent and debilitating injuries to the spinal cord. A spinal cord injury may result in loss of function such as mobility or sensation.
Victims of car accidents, pedestrian on vehicle accidents, slip and falls, and construction site accidents frequently suffer from spinal cord injuries. We will carefully evaluate all of your losses to determine the full value of your case.
Contact Our Lawyers for a Consultation
Due to the significant damages that can result from a spinal cord injury, the victim must retain a personal injury attorney with vast experience dealing with spinal cord injury cases. Seriously injured victims could need numerous surgeries, long-term care, or even 24/7 care.
Due to the high cost, even families with excellent medical insurance may not be financially able to afford the best available treatments. If the accident that caused spinal cord injury was due to another person's careless or malicious behavior, victims have a legal right to pursue an injury lawsuit to hold the individual or company responsible for the injury.
These types of injury cases are often complex and require a large financial commitment to prosecute. Victims need to make sure their personal injury law firm has the resources to invest in their injury case.
If you or someone you love has sustained a serious spinal cord injury in any type of accident in California, you have nothing to lose by discussing what happened with our attorneys. We will always seek to recover the full amount of compensation you deserve for your life-changing injuries, so please do not hesitate to call our office for more information about how we can help you.
We have offices in Century City and the San Fernando Valley.
Your case is important to us! Call us right away to speak with our top-rated personal injury attorneys that are passionate about helping the injured and their families:
Rated 10/10 Superb AVVO, Top 2.5% Super-Lawyers, Best Lawyers in the United States. Let us help you get you on your road to recovery and fight to achieve maximum compensation for your and your loved ones. Contact us at 310-734-7974 or use our contact form to request risk-free consultation today.
Related Information: Catastrophic Injuries | Slip and Fall Accidents