The emotional and economic devastation that comes with a serious spinal cord injury can be overwhelming. Even with months or years of expensive care and treatment, the victim may never recover from their injuries.
If you sustained a spine injury because of someone else’s negligence, you may have the right to seek fair financial compensation. To file a claim or lawsuit for your injuries, speak to the Law Firm of Anidjar & Levine.
Our compassionate Sunrise personal injury lawyers can help. Call us today to speak with a spinal cord injury lawyer in Sunrise for free about your case.
What are Some Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injury?
The Well Florida Council indicates that car accidents—including head-on collisions, side-impact collisions, and rear-end collisions—cause the majority of spinal cord injuries in our state. Other leading causes include:
- Motorcycle accidents;
- Semi-truck accidents;
- Boating incidents;
- Workplace accidents;
- Slip and fall accidents;
- Assault and weapons-related violence;
- Construction accidents;
- Swimming pool accidents; and
- Falling objects.
No matter how your spinal cord injury occurred, you may be facing extensive medical costs and significant time away from your job. Our attorneys can help you recoup the losses related to your injury.
How do Spinal Cord Injuries Affect the Victims?
The majority of victims suffering a serious spine injury do not recover. Even if the accident does not result in a fatality, the victim loses many years from their life.
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), a 20-year-old victim who experiences a mild injury will lose approximately seven years from their life expectancy. As the severity of the injury increases, the victim’s lifespan decreases. Furthermore, the recovery rate for victims of neurological damage is below 1 percent.
After a spinal cord injury, you may face paraplegia or quadriplegia. That means you will have to make accommodations to deal with your new level of mobility, including purchasing specialized equipment, installing lifts and other devices, and possibly hiring in-home help.
We can help you recover these losses when we file a personal injury claim on your behalf.
What is the Value of My Claim?
The NSCISC reports that medical bills for a spinal cord injury typically exceed $1 million within the first year. Over the duration of your life, that figure may easily top $5 million or more, especially if you require live-in care or must move to a residential care facility.
We will determine the total value of your claim by calculating your current doctor and hospital bills, your lost wages so far, and any other allowable damages.
Next, we will estimate the future costs of your injury, including projected medical care costs, rehabilitation costs, live-in or home care costs, and your lost earning capacity. Your claim may also include pain and suffering and the loss of life’s enjoyment, known as hedonic damages.
Finally, we will determine the legal value of any long-term or permanent disability you sustained and add that to your claim. We will collect the evidence we need to prove the value of your damages and to show that the at-fault party is liable for them.
How will My Lawyer Prove Liability?
If someone’s negligence caused your injury, your legal claim will help to ensure that they pay for their actions. To accomplish this goal, we will build a case to prove negligence.
Duty of Care
First, we must show that the responsible party owed you a duty of care. For example, drivers owe the public a duty of care when operating a motor vehicle on the roadway. This involves obeying traffic laws, not driving when overly tired, and not engaging in reckless behavior behind the wheel.
Breach of Duty
Next, we will provide evidence that responsible party violated their duty of care. For example, if a motorist drove while intoxicated or grossly exceeded the speed limit by drag racing on the highway, they violated their duty of care to other drivers on the road.
Causation
We will also prove that the responsible party’s breach of duty directly led to your accident. For example, if a drunk driver ran a red light and struck your vehicle, we will show that this accident caused your injuries.
Damages
Finally, we will show that your injuries constituted actual damages. We will prove this element by providing proof of your medical bills, lost wages, and future costs.
We will present this evidence to the at-fault party’s insurance company with your claim for compensation. If the at-fault party clearly demonstrated negligence, the insurance company may offer a fair settlement. In some cases, however, we will have to make your case in court, before a judge and jury.
How Can a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Help?
Throughout the claims process, we ensure the protection of your legal rights. We protect you from the insurance company’s lawyers, who will otherwise hound you to accept a low settlement and sign away your legal rights to fair compensation.
Our attorneys work to build a strong case for your claim. In addition to gathering important evidence, we will handle the negotiations with the insurance company and ensure that they treat you fairly and with respect.
This will free you up to focus on your health and your recovery. We handle every step of the process, giving you peace of mind and the necessary resources to pay your bills during the long, difficult recovery process.
Contact the Law Firm of Anidjar & Levine Today for Help with Your Claim.
The sooner you hire an attorney, the better your chances of a favorable outcome in your case. Giving your lawyer an early jump on collecting evidence will contribute to a stronger claim. This will also help to ensure you receive the critical medical treatment that may improve your chances of a full recovery.
In Florida, the compassionate, professional attorneys of the Law Firm of Anidjar & Levine provide aggressive legal representation for personal injury clients and their loved ones. We offer all potential clients a free consultation and case review, to answer your questions and advise you of your legal rights and options.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment or to speak directly with a spinal cord injury lawyer in Sunrise.
We Can Help.
