Suffering a spinal cord injury can leave you devastated physically, mentally, and financially. In the first year after a spinal cord injury alone, victims who suffer complete paralysis at the neck, which usually includes the hands and arms, may face more than $1 million in medical treatment costs. If you suffered a spinal cord injury in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, a personal injury claim can help you pursue the compensation you may deserve.
Contact a Gulfport spinal cord injury lawyer like Morris Bart as soon after your accident as possible to schedule a free consultation.
What Damages Can You Recover after a Spinal Cord Injury?
After a spinal cord injury, whether your injuries occurred during a car accident, a construction accident, or a slip and fall, a spinal cord injury claim can help you recover some compensation for your injuries. At Morris Bart, we cannot guarantee the compensation you will ultimately recover for your injuries. However, most personal injury claims include compensation for these general elements.
Medical Costs
The cost of your medical treatment can prove financially devastating following a spinal cord injury. Not only do you have to contend with the cost of emergency medical treatment, but you may also need durable medical equipment to help you become more independent after your accident. You may need a wheelchair, crutches, and braces, and a long list of medical equipment at home, including a lift chair or even a hospital bed, that can help make you more independent.
Many spinal cord injury victims also go through substantial physical and occupational therapy as they learn how to cope with the limitations of those severe injuries. All those medical costs can add up fast, especially if your insurance does not provide adequate coverage. Claiming compensation for your medical costs can help you pay those medical bills and make arrangements for your other needs, including modifying your home, if necessary, to provide additional support.
Lost Wages
Often, spinal cord injury victims find that they have a long road ahead of them before they can return to work. You may need to focus on your recovery for weeks or even months before you can start to take on any of your job tasks. In many cases, spinal cord injury victims find that they cannot manage their former job tasks due to the restrictions caused by their injuries.
For example, someone who used to work in a warehouse or in construction might have a hard time with the physical demands of those jobs. Even victims with desk jobs may struggle to return to work following spinal cord injuries high on the spine, which may also impact the hands and arms.
You can claim compensation for your lost wages as part of your spinal cord injury claim. In addition, if you cannot return to work in your previous field or at your previous workplace, you may have the right to claim lost earning potential.
Pain and Suffering
Spinal cord injuries often cause a complete shift in your life. You may have a permanently changed ability to work, enjoy the activities that once made up your life, or even spend time with friends and loved ones the way you did before your accident.
A spinal cord injury claim cannot restore those lost joys in your life, but it can provide you with some financial compensation for the suffering you have faced. Talk to a spinal cord injury attorney in Gulfport to get a better idea of the compensation you can seek for pain and suffering after your accident.
For a free legal consultation with a Spinal Cord Injury lawyer serving Gulfport, call (228) 357-9621
Who Bears Liability for a Spinal Cord Injury in Gulfport?
When you contact a spinal cord injury lawyer in Gulfport, the lawyer will start by determining who bears liability for your spinal cord injuries. Spinal cord injuries can occur in many different accident scenarios, from car accidents (including Uber accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, and more) to construction site accidents, slip and fall accidents, and more. In order to determine the liable party, an attorney will look at several key factors, including:
- Who bore a duty of care to you at the time of the accident? A duty of care is defined as a duty to protect you in some way, including helping to prevent you from suffering injuries.
- How did the liable party violate that duty of care? For example, if you suffered injuries in a car accident, a driver that chose to drive while distracted may have violated his duty of care to you by failing to pay attention to the road around him.
- How did that violation lead to your injuries? A texting driver, for example, might pose immense frustration, but if you manage to avoid an accident with that driver, you may not have grounds for a personal injury claim. On the other hand, if you suffered a spinal cord injury because of the negligence of that driver, you may have grounds for a claim, since that driver may bear liability for your injuries.
Talk to your lawyer about how your spinal cord injuries occurred and how to identify the liable party. Often, a lawyer can help identify more than one party that may share liability for your injuries, which may help increase the compensation you can recover.
Do You Need a Gulfport, MS Spinal Cord Injury Attorney?
Following an accident that results in spinal cord injuries, having an attorney on your side can offer an immense advantage as you try to navigate a personal injury claim and determine how much compensation you deserve. A Gulfport spinal cord injury lawyer can:
- Evaluate your claim and give you a full picture of the compensation you may deserve. Often, insurance companies will not provide you with an accurate list of the damages you can really recover for your injuries, while a spinal cord injury lawyer will break down the compensation you really deserve.
- Seek evidence that will help determine the party liable for your accident.
- Fight to help you maximize your compensation as much as possible.
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Reach Out to the Gulfport Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys at Morris Bart
If you suffered a spinal cord injury in Gulfport as a result of another party’s negligence, contact Morris Bart today for a free consultation.
Questions?Call (228) 357-9621
to find a Morris Bart office near you.