A spinal cord injury could be a life-changer. Severe injuries can lead to permanent changes in body functions and require costly treatment. If your spinal cord injury was caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation.
Struggling with the mental, emotional, and social consequences of a spinal cord injury is tough enough without trying to find money to cover medical bills. By working with an experienced personal injury lawyer, it’s possible to claim compensation for your damages.
If you’ve suffered a spinal cord injury, a Birmingham spinal cord injury lawyer from Morris Bart law firm can help you get the money you deserve. To learn more, please contact us at any convenient time.
What Damages Can I Claim after a Spinal Cord Injury in Birmingham?
Almost 18,000 spinal cord injuries occur in the United States every year. If your injury was caused by someone’s negligence, you may be entitled to significant compensation. The damages you may be able to claim include:
- Medical expenses – you can seek compensation for all medical expenses you have to cover when treating your injury, including the costs of future treatment and therapy.
- Lost wages and earning capacity – you can get compensated for the wages you lost while getting treatment for the injury as well as wages you may lose in the future due to the possible inability to work full-time.
- Pain and suffering – spinal cord injuries (SCIs) can cause long-term physical problems like chronic pain, respiratory complications, osteoporosis, poor temperature regulation, and much more. The pain and suffering induced by these consequences can be financially compensated.
- Emotional suffering – a severe SCI and its physical consequences could cause serious distress and lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems. A victim can be compensated for this – a victim’s spouse can also claim damages in case the SCI alters the partner’s ability to manage the household or provide financial support.
Wrongful Death
If your loved one dies after sustaining a spinal cord injury, you can claim wrongful death damages that include:
- Lost wages
- Lost companionship
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Pre-death medical bills
- Loss of inheritance
While it may seem obvious that you are entitled to these damages, proving some of them can be complicated. For example, the extent of mental anguish or loss of companionship can be hard to determine. A spinal cord injury lawyer in Birmingham can help gather evidence and secure experts’ testimonies to increase your chances of obtaining fair compensation.
For a free legal consultation with a Spinal Cord Injury lawyer serving Birmingham, call (205) 380-4158
Proving Who Is Responsible for Your Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injuries usually occur because of negligent actions taken by:
- Traffic participants – car accidents can result in injuries to drivers, passengers, pedestrians, motorcyclists, and innocent bystanders. The driver at fault for an accident will be responsible for covering damages but only if you can prove their liability.
- Business owners – slip and fall accidents often result in spinal cord injuries. When they occur in hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, and other properties, the owner may be responsible.
- Employers – if the injury occurred due to an employer’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. To seek recovery, you need to prove that the injury happened at work.
- Healthcare professionals – if a healthcare professional provided poor care that resulted in your injury or made an existing condition worse, you can be entitled to significant compensation. Insurance companies that work with hospitals always fight hard to avoid liability.
Whoever is responsible for your spinal cord injury, to get compensated, you need to prove their 100% liability.
Contributory Negligence
Alabama is a contributory negligence state. It means that if the court decides that you are partially at fault for an incident that caused your SCI, you aren’t entitled to any damages.
That’s why proving 100% negligence is integral to receiving compensation. Doing it without a personal injury attorney could be nearly impossible.
Important: In Alabama, contributory negligence only applies to persons over 14 years of age.
Why You Should Consider Hiring a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer in Birmingham, AL
When you are suffering from the consequences of a spinal cord injury, dealing with legal issues can be problematic and highly stressful. Since Alabama is a contributory negligence state, it’s enough for the defendant to prove that you are 1% responsible for the accident to win the case. A Birmingham spinal cord injury attorney can:
- Evaluate your case and give you an idea of how likely you are to be compensated
- Help gather evidence, obtain witness testimonies, and secure experts’ opinions
- Determine and prove liability
- File your personal injury lawsuit in civil court
- Negotiate a reasonable settlement
- Provide litigation services if necessary
The earlier you contact a lawyer after suffering an injury, the more chances you’ll have to win the case. Even when you are awarded a settlement, it doesn’t mean you immediately gain access to it. Defendants may not be able or willing to give up the money. If this happens, a spinal cord injury attorney in Birmingham can help you recover your compensation.
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Contact a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer in Birmingham, AL Today
Taking care of personal injury claims while you are taking care of your health can be complicated. Meanwhile, without professional assistance, winning a spinal cord injury case is tough, especially when facing liability issues.
By working with a Birmingham, AI spinal cord injury attorney from Morris Bart, you don’t just improve your chances of getting a sizable compensation, you gain time to focus on your health without worrying about legal struggles. If you’ve suffered a spinal cord injury, don’t hesitate to contact us for a free case evaluation.
Questions?Call (205) 380-4158
to find a Morris Bart office near you.
