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Spinal injuries are some of the most complicated injuries to recover from and for many, to live with the rest of their lives. Some may recover completely. But others deal with life long complications. You could face coping with chronic skeletal or nerve pain, or worse, you could be faced with a lifetime of partial, or complete, paralysis.
Some spinal injuries have no fault to attribute, save for natural or degenerative cause. However, if you are dealing with a spinal injury resulting from someone’s negligence or deliberate act, you need a New York spinal cord injury lawyer who will put your best interests first and fight for your quality of life. When your accident is caused by inattentive or willful misconduct, navigating the system on your own to make sure justice is served can be a complex-nerve wracking process. The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center states that more than 57 percent of those with spinal injuries were employed at the time of their injuries. Less than 12 percent will return to work a year later; that is about 39,480,000 people out of the entire population of the United States. The cost of ongoing care can add up over the course of your lifetime.
The spine is the “highway” along which nerve signals travel throughout the human body. Compress, contuse, or even sever that “highway” and that can impede your ability to move and function normally. Where your spinal injury occurs can impact your recovery time and quality of life. The higher up on the spinal column the injury, the more potentially severe and long-lasting the effects of a spinal cord injury may be.
There are two types of spinal cord injuries: complete and incomplete. Incomplete spinal injuries range from contusions to a partial severing of the spinal cord. Complete spinal injuries indicate a total severing of the spinal cord, with a complete loss of movement below the injury site. When an injury happens between vertebrae C1-C4, a patient may need assistance communicating, breathing, moving, or performing basic bodily functions on their own. Perhaps the most famous example of a quadripeligic is the actor, the late Christopher Reeve, who was paralyzed in a horse riding accident in 1995. He died nine years later in 2004 from ongoing complications from his accident.
Based out of New York City, Moshes Law has a staff of qualified attorneys with extensive experience in both the state and federal court systems. Our attorneys are licensed to practice in New York, New Jersey, Washington DC, and Florida, with particular emphasis in New York and the New York City area.
Victims suffering from spinal injuries need an experienced attorney in their corner to fight for their right to care and compensation, especially if long term or lifelong care is needed if the victim has trouble caring for themselves. How exactly can a spinal cord injury lawyer help you?
We spare no time and expense when it comes to resources to make sure you get everything you deserve. This includes utilizing experts in many areas to maximize the chances with your case:
This leaves you worry-free and able to concentrate on your recovery while we do all the footwork and heavy lifting.
The severity and complexity of the case dictate the best course of action in handling a spinal cord injury case. Insurance companies and other defendants know the cost of recovery and care could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more than a million dollars. They will do what they can to limit or lowball any payout to victims. In those cases, sometimes the best strategy is to see your case through to trial.
The process for compensation starts with hiring the right New York spinal cord injury lawyer.
1. Hire a qualified spinal injury lawyer in NY. They ask you questions and go over the details of your case to help you determine exactly what your case needs to get started.
2. Case research begins. This is the stage of the case where you’re spinal injury attorney will start gathering and looking into the specifics of your case and consult with experts. This stage will help determine the avenues of recovery and compensation best for you.
3. Talk with insurance companies involved in the claim.
4. Decide on settlement out of court or going to trial.
Nationwide, there are more than 10,000 new spinal injury cases every year. The injuries range from nerve damage that people live with varying degrees of impairment and functionality to complete quadriplegia (loss of feeling and movement in both arms and legs).
Bike accidents have the potential to be more serious than car accidents. The weight and size of a person is much smaller than even the average small car. A bike rider does not have the same covering protection as a person riding inside a car. Also, bike helmets do not shield a person’s neck and back, leaving them open and unprotected. As with car accidents, if your accident is caused by a negligent party, they can be held culpable in your accident.
Slip and fall accidents can easily damage the spine. Older people are particularly vulnerable as their balance and mobility may not be what it was in their youth. Potential areas of liability include areas with wet or other slippery spots, stair falls, improperly secured cords, mats, or carpets, among other things.
Spinal injuries can be sustained during sports activities, especially high contact sports like football, swimming and diving. Areas of liability include insufficient training and equipment maintenance.
Spinal injuries can be sustained during sports activities, especially high contact sports like football, swimming and diving. Areas of liability include insufficient training and equipment maintenance.
You can also potentially sustain spinal injuries during the committing of acts of violence: fights, shootings, among other things. These are much easier to assign liability as they are not accidents but willful, intentional acts by another person or persons.
A spinal injury attorney can go after the liable party in a spinal injury case anytime, especially if it looks like you may face months or years of recovery and loss of the way and quality of life to which you were accustomed. There are time limitations in many states though in which you can pursue a liable party for personal injury. In New York, the statute of limitations to pursue a personal injury case is three years.
There is no “average total cost” for a spinal cord injury. The cost of treatment and recovery vary greatly, and from case to case. Many more severe spinal injury cases can be worth over one million with the right attorney working for you.
Some of the larger cases in New York have netted the following settlements or jury awards:
Damages fall into two categories: economic and non-economic damages. Types of compensation include lost wages, current and anticipated medical expenses, and pain and suffering.
Emergency medical expenses include anything for immediate treatment following an accident or intentional act of violence. These include injury stabilization at the scene of the accident, transportation to the hospital, any emergency surgeries and medications to stabilize your condition and alleviate any pain. Certain medical equipment may also be needed for immediate care following a spinal injury.
Around 30% of spinal cord injury victims are hospitalized more than once at some point during the course of their recovery. The average hospital stay is almost three weeks. Commons reasons for hospitalization include bed sores, respiratory, digestive and musculoskeletal maladies.
If the accident or intentional act of violence damages your personal property, like your car, that property loss or damage can be calculated into the total cost of your damages.
Non-economic damages are harder to calculate than more concrete figures like medical care, lost wages, and other purely economic damages. The good news is New York is one of a handful of states that do not limit economic or non-economic damages. Common types of non-economic damages include pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and mental impairment.
There may seem no end in sight to recovery right after a spinal injury. However, having the right spinal injury attorney on your side can help begin to get your life and quality of life back as much as possible.
Our experienced spinal cord injury attorneys want to help you with your spinal injury case. Visit our website at www.mosheslaw.com to set up a free consultation to discuss your case.
A spinal injury is any damage to the spinal cord or vertebrae that affects movement, sensation, or bodily functions. Severe spinal injuries can cause paralysis, loss of mobility, or long-term disability.
A spinal injury lawyer in NYC investigates your accident, gathers medical evidence, calculates lifetime damages, negotiates with insurance companies, and, if necessary, takes your case to trial to ensure you receive maximum compensation.
Most spinal injury lawyers, including our firm, work on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing upfront, and the attorney is only paid if you win your case or receive a settlement.
You may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, rehabilitation, long-term care, lost wages, pain and suffering, and permanent disability. An experienced attorney will calculate both current and future expenses to maximize your recovery.
In New York, most personal injury claims, including spinal injuries, must be filed within three years from the date of the accident. Filing early ensures your legal rights are protected.
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