A spinal cord injury can be life-changing considering that it could mean paralysis below the injury point or even a permanent disability. Apart from being painful, spinal cord injuries also have the potential to alter your quality of life and outlook on life.
If you live in Atlanta, Georgia, and have suffered a spinal cord injury due to another person’s careless actions, you reserve the right to file a claim for compensation under Georgia personal injury laws. However, to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve for injuries and damages sustained, you should consider hiring the services of a professional Atlanta spine injury lawyer.
The Super Lawyer is a top law firm based in Atlanta that specializes in handling personal injury cases which include spinal cord injury claims. Call 404-574-4308 today to schedule a no-obligation, cost-free consultation with our spine injury attorneys for a free case evaluation.
How Much Is a Spinal Cord Injury Worth?
A spinal cord injury refers to any injury that affects or damages any part of a person’s spine or nerves. The spinal cord is a delicate organ that if damaged, could lead to permanent harm to sensation, strength, and motor function below the injury point.
Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) have the potential to affect virtually all aspects of an individual’s life. And since SCIs tend to cause catastrophic and permanent injuries, the courts often award significant amounts of money as compensation. That’s because those affected typically need financial recovery for a variety of damages, including:
Past and Future Medical Costs and Expenses
These include the cost of buying medical equipment like wheelchairs, surgical costs, medical bills, and car/home modifications to accommodate the victim’s disability. Depending on the severity of the injury, the lifelong medical and living expenses of spinal injury victims can be over $2,000,000 to over $4,000,000.
Diminished Quality of Life and Loss of Enjoyment
This is one area in spinal cord injury cases that’s particularly poignant since most SCI victims are left permanently paralyzed. While it is hard to quantify a person’s life-changing losses after suffering a spinal cord injury, it’s worth noting that the courts in Atlanta use specific calculations to determine what a victim should receive for their injuries.
Emotional Distress and Suffering
Emotional harm is frequently present in the face of a spinal cord injury. Since spinal injuries mean accepting your injuries and changing how you live and do things to accommodate your disabilities, the emotional damage they cause is quite severe.
What Are the Most Common Types of Spinal Cord Injuries?
While SCIs have plenty of unique symptoms, the most severe injuries typically involve paralysis and are categorized as:
- Quadriplegia: This is a type of paralysis where the victim loses movement in all four limbs. Their chest muscles may also be affected meaning that they have to use a breathing machine to stay alive.
- Triplegia: This type of paralysis means that the victim has lost movement in both legs and one arm.
- Paraplegia: This type of paralysis means that the victim has lost sensation and movement in both legs.
In most cases, critically-injured individuals will need care 24/7 for the rest of their lives while some can continue living independently albeit with lots of support. As a result, costs can add up beyond vocational training, medical care, home care, and special equipment, with the victim requiring psychological counseling.
Why Should You See a Doctor Right Away After a Back Injury?
If you’ve just sustained a head, neck, or back injury, you should see a doctor right away and have your injury evaluated to check for the possibility of spine damage. With spinal cord injuries, you need to act immediately since they are often not immediately apparent. If not checked and ruled out, a spinal injury could have severe or even fatal consequences.
Taking too long before seeking treatment could exacerbate your injury and could make the recovery process even longer. If you’ve hurt your neck, head, or back in a slip and fall incident or any other accident, seek medical care and attention immediately.
What Are Some of the Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries?
While different types of accidents can lead to SCI, the most common causes include:
- Motor Vehicle Accidents: Car accidents and collisions are at the very top of the list of things that cause spinal cord injuries. During a car accident, your spine could get compressed or crushed, causing serious injuries.
- Falls: Most SCIs sustained by seniors are often the result of a slip and fall. Falls often result in head, back, or neck injuries that cause or lead to severe spinal damage.
- Assaults: Around 13 percent of all SCIs result from stab wounds, gunshots, or violence.
- Sports Accidents: SCIs can also be caused by or sustained during sporting activities, either through the use of defective equipment or negligence.
What Can I Expect to Recover if I Have a Spinal Cord Injury?
If your spinal cord injuries were caused by the negligence or carelessness of another person, you reserve the right to pursue compensation. A spinal cord injuries lawsuit allows you to file and pursue compensation for losses and damages sustained, including:
- Medical expenses for both anticipated and ongoing care expenses
- Earning capacity and lost wages
- Emotional distress, pain, and suffering
- If you lost a loved one and are filing a wrongful death claim, funeral and burial expenses
When handling catastrophic spinal cord injury cases, we, at The Super Lawyer, fight aggressively to ensure that the compensation you receive covers your future medical expenses amongst other things. That way, you can rest assured that you’ll be covered for the rest of your life.
How Is a Spinal Cord Injury Claim Different From Other Personal Injury Claims?
When it comes to claims for compensation, people seeking damages for injuries sustained through a personal injury claim are more likely to recover compensation and move on with their lives. However, that’s often not the case for people who’ve sustained spinal cord injuries.
The injuries most SCI victims sustain often have long-term psychological and physical effects and generally need to be taken care of 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. To make matters worse, the cost of caring for and treating SCI injuries is relatively high.
Is There a Time Limit to File a Spinal Cord Injury Claim?
In Georgia, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury claim, which includes spinal cord injury claims, is two years from the day the injury was discovered or occurred. You must file your claim within this period since once the deadline reaches, you won’t be able to file a claim. Call 404-574-4308 today to get the help and counsel you need from a professional Atlanta spine injury attorney from The Super Lawyer.
What if My Spinal Injury Happened at Work?
If your injury occurred at work or as you performed your duties at work, you’re entitled to receiving workers’ comp. The difference between a workers’ compensation and a personal injury claim is that no determination of fault will be required for you to receive workers’ comp benefits.
If your injury happened while you were at work, it doesn’t matter who was at fault, it’ll still be covered by workers’ comp insurance irrespective of negligence. However, it is worth noting that if your work-related injury was caused by another person or workmate, you reserve the right to pursue both a personal injury lawsuit and a workers’ compensation claim.
Have Your Claim Reviewed by a Professional Atlanta Spine Injury Lawyer
Spine-related injuries are often painful and life-changing. The last thing you need as an SCI victim is unfair compensation that does not cover the cost it takes to change your lifestyle and receive the medical care and treatment you need.
The spine injury attorneys at The Super Lawyer are committed to helping ensure that you recover full compensation for your injuries and damages. We are ready to aggressively fight for your rights and ensure that your needs are honored.
Fill out our contact form or call 404-574-4308 now to schedule a no-obligation consultation and have your case reviewed for free.
