Spinal court injuries often lead to devastating long-term consequences for victims. At GOLDLAW, we standing by to assist if you need a Port St. Lucie spinal cord injury lawyer by your side. Every team has an extensive track record of success handling complex injury claims throughout South Florida, and we know how important it is for you and your family to recover compensation for your losses.
Why Choose GOLDLAW for Help After a Spinal Cord Injury?
At GOLDLAW, we understand exactly how much a catastrophic spinal cord injury can affect individuals in the Port St. Lucie area. We also know that your legal rights to compensation are not negotiable, and we want to help. Our team has a strong track record of success in handling these types of claims:
- We have spent years building a network of resources that we can bring together to help your claim succeed.
- We always put our clients first, no matter what. We want to get to know your story, and we will always be available to answer your questions.
- Our team of Port St. Lucie spinal cord injury lawyers is fully prepared to take your case to trial if that is what is necessary to ensure you get the respect you deserve.
For a free legal consultation with a spinal cord injury lawyer serving Port St. Lucie, call 561-222-2222
How Port St. Lucie Spinal Cord Injuries Occur
Data provided by the National Spinal Cord Injuries Statistical Center shows that there are nearly 18,000 new spinal cord injury cases that occur each year across the country. These new spinal cord injury cases do not include those who lose their lives at the location of the incident that caused the spinal cord trauma.
Year after year, the leading causes of spinal cord injuries have stayed the same. Since 2015, the NSCISC says the leading causes of spinal cord injuries include:
- Vehicle accidents – 38.6%
- Falls – 32.2%
- Acts of violence – 14%
- Sports accidents – 7.8%
- Medical or surgical mistakes – 4.2%
These are certainly not the only causes of spinal cord injuries, though they do make up the bulk of this type of catastrophic trauma. Spinal cord injuries can occur anywhere, including as we carry out our day-to-day activities or in the workplace.
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Long-Term Effect of Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries are among the most severe and life-altering traumas one can experience, with effects that extend far beyond the immediate aftermath of the initial injury. According to the Mayo Clinic, the extent and location of the SCI largely determine the long-term outcomes, but it is clear that such injuries invariably lead to significant changes in one’s life and health.
One of the most immediate and lasting impacts of an SCI is the loss of mobility and sensation below the injury site. This can range from reduced mobility or partial paralysis (referred to as paraplegia when affecting all or part of the trunk, legs, and pelvic organs) to total paralysis of all four limbs (quadriplegia or tetraplegia). These conditions not only affect a person’s ability to perform daily tasks but also their independence and quality of life.
Spinal cord injuries can lead to a plethora of secondary health conditions, which, as highlighted by the Cleveland Clinic, may include chronic pain, which affects up to one-third of individuals with SCIs. Pain often persists and can significantly hamper rehabilitation and recovery efforts. Additionally, SCIs are known to cause changes in bladder and bowel control, necessitating lifelong management strategies to prevent infections and maintain overall health.
Cardiovascular health can also be profoundly impacted. The American Heart Association notes that individuals with higher-level SCIs are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, partly due to changes in blood flow and heart rate regulation. Respiratory complications are common, especially in cases of cervical and high thoracic spinal cord injury, as the muscles controlling breathing may be impaired.
The psychological toll of adjusting to life after a spinal cord injury cannot be overstated, though they are not mentioned often enough when discussing this type of injury. The loss of independence and mobility, coupled with chronic pain and health complications, contribute to a higher likelihood of anxiety and depression among those affected.
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The True Costs of a Spinal Cord Injury
Looking at the long-term effects of spinal cord injuries, it is clear to see just how devastating this type of trauma can be, not only for the victim but for their entire family. These types of injuries typically involve complete lifestyle adjustments. Information from the NSCISC shows that the first 12 months medical care for a spinal cord injury can range anywhere from approximately $375,000 to nearly $1.2 million, depending on the level of severity of the initial injury. Additionally, each subsequent year following that initial year of care is likely to see medical costs reach anywhere from between $45,000 to $200,000.
And that is just for medical treatment.
Unfortunately, spinal cord injuries typically have a major effect on life expectancy. Most individuals who sustain spinal cord injuries do not succumb to the actual spinal cord trauma if they survive the initial incident. More than likely, other complications will arise that ultimately lead to the need for extensive medical treatment. For example, the NSCISC shows that, since 2015, around 30% of individuals with spinal cord injuries are re-hospitalized one or more times during any given year after the injury occurs. The most common reasons for these rehospitalizations include issues with the genitourinary system, diseases of the skin, as well as respiratory, digestive, musculoskeletal, and circulatory diseases.
Life expectancy for spinal cord injury survivors varies depending on several factors, including their initial age when the incident occurs, their health situation at the time the incident occurs, as well as the quality and types of treatment they receive.
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How to Determine Liability After a Spinal Cord Injury Incident
Determining liability after a spinal cord injury is critically important, particularly if another individual or entity’s negligence caused the injury. However, this is a complex process, and we strongly encourage you to contact a skilled lawyer as soon as possible after a catastrophic injury like this. An attorney can get involved quickly to begin gathering evidence before it either disappears, gets discarded, or is tampered with. Some of the main types of evidence that can help determine liability include:
- Photographs taken from the scene of the incident
- All available video surveillance footage of the incident
- Statements from those involved and any eyewitnesses
- Accident reports or police reports
- Property owner records
- Vehicle records
- Mobile device data
- Employment records
This is certainly not a complete list of the types of evidence that may be used to help determine liability for your Port St. Lucie spinal cord injury claim. Each case is different, and the types of evidence needed for one type of case will naturally look different than the types of evidence needed for another.
After gathering the evidence related to the incident, an attorney may need additional assistance. If you were involved in a car accident, a Port St. Lucie car accident lawyer can be more skilled to help you navigate this claim. Sometimes, accident reconstruction experts are called in to help make sense of the data and communicate with insurance carriers or even a personal injury jury.
Ultimately, your spinal cord injury attorney in Port St. Lucie will seek to show that the other party owed you a duty of care and that they somehow breached that duty. Your spinal cord injury attorney will seek to show that the breach of duty caused your injuries and that you sustained monetary losses as a result.
There may be a range of compensation types available for injury victims if their claim is successful. At GOLDLAW, our team works diligently to help spinal cord injury victims recover both economic and noneconomic- damages.
Economic damages for a spinal cord injury claim, which you may see referred to as special damages, revolve around calculable losses the injury victim is almost certainly to endure. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Emergency medical bills
- Any ongoing hospital or doctor expenses
- Surgical costs
- Any necessary in-home part-time or full-time care
- Assistance with household services
- Medical devices
- Physical therapy or rehabilitation
- Lost wages and loss of future earning potential
Non-economic damages, sometimes referred to as general damages, are quite different than the economic losses just mentioned. Non-economic damages revolve around more immeasurable types of losses the spinal cord injury victim will likely endure. This includes the victim’s:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional and psychological stress
- Loss of consortium for a spouse or intimate partner
How Much Compensation Will You Receive?
There is no set amount of compensation paid to a spinal cord injury victim if their claim is successful. Rather, several factors will influence the overall insurance settlement or jury verdict award. Some of these factors include the overall severity of the spinal cord injury as well as the individual’s prognosis after receiving medical care. Because these types of incidents tend to affect every aspect of a person’s life, including their ability to work, certain factors such as the age of the victim, their education level, and their health prior to the incident occurring may be taken into account.
Other factors that could influence the total compensation paid include insurance carrier policy limitations as well as the overall asset picture of the alleged negligent parties. If there was any shared fault for the incident, this can also influence the total compensation paid.
When it comes to catastrophic injury claims, insurance carriers may be quick to offer a settlement, particularly if fault is relatively clear. However, be wary of early settlement offers for these types of injuries. After accepting a settlement, it is nearly impossible to reopen a claim to recover additional compensation. Due to the overall complexity of spinal cord injury claims, we strongly encourage you to work with an spinal cord injury attorney who can negotiate with the insurance carriers on your behalf. First settlement offers should be the starting point. Your spinal cord injury attorney in Port St. Lucie can work to help you obtain fair compensation.
How Long Do You Have to File Your Claim?
Spinal cord injury victims should file their claims in civil court as quickly as possible, and an attorney can help with this process. In Florida, the personal injury statute of limitations recently changed due to a 2023 tort reform law. Now, personal injury incomes must file their claim against the alleged negligent party within two years from the date the injury occurs. This time frame used to be four years, so please work to get your claim started quickly so you do not miss out on the chance to recover compensation. Claims filed after this two-year time frame will likely get dismissed.
How to Pay for a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
Paying for a spinal cord injury attorney in Port St. Lucie is not as hard as you may think. At GOLDLAW, we understand the challenges spinal cord injury victims and their families face, which is why we take these claims on a contingency fee basis.
What we mean by a contingency fee is that we will pay for all the upfront and ongoing costs related to your case. You will not have to pay any legal fees while your case is ongoing. In fact, you will only pay legal fees after we successfully recover the compensation you are entitled to. In the event we are not able to secure compensation for your claim, you will not have to pay anything.
We believe that this type of fee arrangement alleviates the risk on your part so that you can focus on recovering from your injuries while we pursue justice on your behalf.
Call a Port St. Lucie Beach Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Today
If you or somebody you love has sustained an injury caused by the careless or negligent actions of another person or entity in the Port St. Lucie area, reach out to the team at GOLDLAW for help today. We have the resources needed to fully investigate your claim, and our team has no problem going all the way to trial to help you recover compensation. When you need a Port St. Lucie spinal cord injury lawyer, contact our office to schedule a free consultation today.
