Suffering a spinal injury is often catastrophic for the injured person and devastating for their family members and friends. Despite months of medical care and rehabilitation, many injury victims have lasting disabilities.
When another person’s careless or negligent actions caused your injuries, there is often an added desire to hold them responsible for the pain and suffering they caused.
Spinal cord injuries are among the most serious and life-altering injuries a person can experience. Whether caused by a car accident, slip and fall, or other traumatic incident, spinal cord injuries can lead to paralysis, chronic pain, and permanent disability. These injuries often require extensive medical treatment, long-term rehabilitation, and can drastically change a person’s quality of life. If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury in Fort Lauderdale, you may be facing overwhelming medical bills, lost income, and emotional distress. At Anidjar & Levine, we are committed to helping you seek justice and recover the compensation you deserve. Our experienced Fort Lauderdale spinal cord injury lawyers will fight tirelessly on your behalf, ensuring you have the resources to focus on your recovery and future.
Spinal cord injury cases are complex and require a thorough understanding of medical and legal issues. At Anidjar & Levine, we will work closely with medical experts to assess the extent of your injuries, gather evidence, and build a strong case to hold the responsible parties accountable. From negotiating with insurance companies to representing you in court, we will handle every aspect of your case, providing compassionate support and aggressive advocacy.
At the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, our personal injury lawyers serving Fort Lauderdale can help you hold the liable party (or parties) responsible for your impairment. We can recover the compensation you deserve for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages.
Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney: is it Affordable?
The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine works on contingency, meaning we don’t get paid unless our clients receive a settlement or court award. This arrangement allows us to go to work for our clients as soon as possible while helping them avoid burdensome upfront costs.
You can speak more with us about your concerns on this matter during a free consultation. Before we start working with a client, we review all agreements to make sure we are on the same page regarding fees.
How can My Family Recover Compensation after a Spinal Cord Injury?
If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal injury because of another party’s negligence, you may be eligible to file for damages. Negligence can lead to spinal cord injuries in a number of ways, from car accidents to medical malpractice to premises liability cases.
Negligence occurs when someone who owes you a duty to keep you safe acts carelessly by mistake or even intentionally. If you suffer injuries due to their actions or inaction, they are financially liable for your medical bills, lost wages, and other accident-related losses.
Proving Negligence in Your Spinal Cord Injury Case
Our Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers serving Fort Lauderdale can review the evidence in your case to see if you can establish a negligence case. Your situation must satisfy four elements to show how the at-fault party is responsible for your injuries and related losses. The elements are:
- Duty of care. The other party must have owed you a duty of care or responsibility of keeping you reasonably safe from harm.
- Breach of duty. The other party failed to keep their duty to keep you safe.
- Causation. Breaching their duty of care caused an accident that brought injury or harm upon you.
- Damages. As a result of the accident you encountered, you suffered damages that are compensatory under the law.
If you can prove all four of these things, then your situation meets the legal definition of negligence.
When to Pursue a Third-Party Liability Claim
For example, if you became a paraplegic because of a car accident, the driver who broke a traffic law and caused the crash is responsible for your injuries. In this case, we would file a third-party liability claim based on the at-fault driver’s auto insurance policy to recover money damages.
We would also present the evidence to prove negligence and demonstrate your losses to the insurance company. We would then negotiate a settlement based on the value of your present and future expenses.
We Can Help if the Insurance Company Rejects Your Claim
Occasionally, the insurance company refuses to negotiate, or other complications arise. If this occurs, we can discuss other options to help you get the payout you need and deserve. This may include filing a personal injury lawsuit in a Florida civil court and having a judge or jury rule on your case and award damages.
Florida has Strict Deadlines for Injury Cases
If we have to file a personal injury action on your behalf, we have four years to do so, per Florida Statutes §95.11(3)(a). We advise clients to file their lawsuits early so that we have time to build a case before the deadline expires. Once it does expire, the chance to recover compensation from the liable parties is lost.
Pursuing Compensation for Spinal Cord Injuries in Fort Lauderdale
Spinal cord injuries can lead to significant financial, physical, and emotional burdens. Pursuing compensation can help alleviate these burdens by covering medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages. Understanding the types of compensation available can ensure that you receive the full financial recovery you deserve.
Medical Expenses and Long-Term Care
One of the most immediate concerns following a spinal cord injury is covering medical expenses. These costs can include emergency room visits, surgeries, hospital stays, physical therapy, and long-term care. Victims of spinal cord injuries may also need adaptive equipment, such as wheelchairs or home modifications, to help manage their condition. Compensation can help cover both the current and future medical expenses associated with the injury.
Lost Wages and Loss of Earning Capacity
A spinal cord injury can prevent you from returning to work, either temporarily or permanently. Compensation for lost wages can help cover the income you’ve already lost during recovery, as well as any future lost income if your injury has affected your ability to work. If the injury has permanently impacted your earning capacity, you may also be entitled to compensation for loss of earning potential.
Pain and Suffering
In addition to economic damages, spinal cord injury victims may be entitled to compensation for non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering. This compensation accounts for the physical pain, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life caused by the injury. Pain and suffering damages are often significant in cases involving severe, life-altering injuries like spinal cord trauma.
Do I need a Lawyer to Help Me File a Fort Lauderdale Spinal Cord Injury Claim?
It can be essential to find a Fort Lauderdale spinal cord injury attorney who can effectively represent your interests, answer any questions you may have, and advise you regarding the legal options that are available to you.
We have the resources necessary to build a strong case in your favor, including calling in expert witnesses who can estimate your future care needs. Let us handle all your legal needs and fight for the compensation you deserve while you focus on completing rehabilitation and recovering as fully as possible.
What are Some of the Most Common Causes of Fort Lauderdale Spinal Cord Injuries?
Spinal cord injuries happen when a violent blow damages the nerves in the spinal cord. This can cause paralysis, loss of feeling, and problems with muscle control. Other spinal injuries can include a herniated or slipped disc or broken vertebrae.
The most common causes of spinal injury are vehicle accidents, which account for 38% of injuries, and falls, which cause 32.3%, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC). Acts of violence—primarily gunshot wounds—cause 14.3% of spinal cord injuries, while 7.8% occur during sports and recreational activities, such as swimming and diving.
As of 2021, about 296,000 people were living with spinal cord injuries in the United States. Every year, there are 17,900 new spinal cord injuries diagnosed in this country.
Spinal cord injuries can occur in a variety of situations, many of which are preventable and result from someone else’s negligence. Understanding the common causes of spinal cord injuries can help you identify the responsible parties and pursue a claim for compensation.
Car Accidents
Car accidents are a leading cause of spinal cord injuries in Fort Lauderdale. The force of a collision can cause severe trauma to the spine, leading to fractures, dislocations, or damage to the spinal cord itself. Whether the accident was caused by speeding, distracted driving, or reckless behavior, victims of spinal cord injuries may be entitled to compensation from the at-fault driver or their insurance company.
Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents can result in serious spinal injuries, particularly in older adults. These accidents often occur due to hazardous conditions, such as wet floors, uneven surfaces, or poor lighting. Property owners have a legal duty to maintain safe premises for visitors. If a slip and fall accident is caused by a property owner’s negligence, the victim may have a valid claim for compensation.
Workplace Accidents
Workplace accidents, especially in construction, manufacturing, or jobs that involve heavy machinery, can lead to spinal cord injuries. Workers who suffer these injuries may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, which cover medical bills and lost wages. In some cases, a third-party claim may be possible if another party’s negligence contributed to the accident.
Types of Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries can range in severity, with some resulting in temporary limitations while others cause permanent paralysis. Understanding the different types of spinal cord injuries can help you and your attorney assess the full extent of your injury and seek appropriate compensation.
Complete vs. Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries
- Complete spinal cord injuries: These injuries result in a total loss of function and sensation below the level of the injury. Victims may experience paralysis in the lower body (paraplegia) or both the upper and lower body (quadriplegia).
- Incomplete spinal cord injuries: With incomplete injuries, the spinal cord is only partially damaged, meaning the victim may retain some function and sensation below the injury level. Rehabilitation and physical therapy may help improve mobility and function in some cases.
Paralysis and Long-Term Effects
The severity and location of the spinal cord injury determine the extent of paralysis and long-term effects. Injuries higher up on the spinal cord tend to result in more severe consequences:
- Paraplegia: Loss of movement and sensation in the legs and lower body.
- Quadriplegia: Loss of movement and sensation in both the arms and legs.
Spinal cord injuries often require extensive medical treatment, including surgeries, rehabilitation, and adaptive equipment to improve mobility. The cost of long-term care can be astronomical, which is why securing compensation is essential for the injured party’s future.
How does Spinal Cord Injuries affect the Lives of Fort Lauderdale Victims and their Families?
The expenses associated with spinal injuries are extremely high. Hospital stays include an average of 11 days in an acute care unit and more than a month of inpatient rehabilitation, according to the NSCISC. Less than 1% of spinal cord injury victims experience complete neurological recovery before they leave the hospital, meaning there is therapy and ongoing care required for more than 99% of people with spinal cord injuries.
In addition, many people who experience a spinal cord injury suffer from a lasting disability. They are not able to return to work and require lifelong nursing care. Those who do recover sometimes require months or years of painful, tough rehabilitation. Even minor injuries can damage nerves and result in years of chronic pain.
Why the Location of a Spinal Injury is Important
In spinal cord injuries, the severity of an injury depends in part on where it occurs on the spine. When the lower spinal cord suffers an injury, the person is more likely to become a paraplegic and therefore unable to move their legs and the rest of their lower body.
When the upper portion of the spinal cord suffers an injury, there is a greater chance that the victim becomes a quadriplegic. This means all four limbs are adversely affected. They may struggle to breathe on their own, feed themselves, and complete self-care activities. This can greatly affect the quality of life and level of disability following an injury.
How can I Contact a Spinal Cord Injury Attorney’s Office?
To discuss your potential claim or lawsuit regarding a Fort Lauderdale spinal cord injury, call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today. We offer free case evaluations.
We Can Help.
