California Spinal Cord Attorney

Get Legal Insight From Our Expert Personal Injury Attorneys on How a Spinal Cord Injury Occurs and What Steps You Should Consider Doing to Get the Compensation You Deserve

A spinal cord injury can dramatically impact your life. Depending on what vertebral segment is damaged, you may lose the ability to function certain parts of your body temporarily or permanently. You will need to seek medical attention from a doctor who specializes in spinal cord injuries to get started on your treatments. With medical costs, hospital bills, and other additional damages, it can be overwhelming to handle your finances.

If your spinal cord injury was caused by a negligent person, you may be entitled to acquire recoverable compensation. At West Coast Trial Lawyers, our qualified California spinal cord injury attorneys have over 60 years of collective legal experience in handling personal injury cases. We will help strengthen your claim and negotiate with insurance companies to get you the compensation you deserve.

To schedule a free consultation, please contact our 24/7 legal team by calling 213-927-3700 or filling out our quick contact form.

Common Causes of a Spinal Cord Injury

A spinal cord has three sections, which include the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar segments. Any damage done to these areas of the spinal cord can result in different outcomes. The most common factors that have caused damage to a spinal cord include the following:

• Motor vehicle accidents. Car accidents, motorcycle accidents, and truck accidents are some of many forms of motor vehicle accidents that have caused spinal cord injuries. A driver or passenger can sustain a spinal cord injury from powerful force caused by vehicles colliding with one another. The level of severity may vary depending on how strong the impact was.

• Slip and fall accidents. This type of accident is common for the elderly. As people grow older, their bones become more fragile. It can become difficult to properly function your body without having the need to use a cane to maintain your balance. Your vision may also begin to worsen, thus making it difficult to detect any object or hazard nearby that could cause you to slip and fall.

• Violence. Gunshot wounds or knife stabbings directed towards the spinal cord can result in a complete or incomplete spinal cord injury. Paralysis is likely to occur based on what area of the spinal cord sustained the impact of the gunshot or stabbing.

• Sports. Sports-related activities, such as football or hockey, require a lot of physical contact. If a player targets your back area, you could suffer from a spinal cord injury depending on how powerful the impact was.

• Illnesses. Those who are diagnosed with a medical condition that can weaken the bones, such as osteoporosis, are likely to sustain a spinal cord injury much more easily compared to a person who does not have such a condition.

What to Do After a Spinal Cord Injury in California

After a spinal cord injury, you will need to call 911 and request to have paramedics arrive at your location to transport you to the hospital. From there, you will be seen by doctors and nurses to get a thorough examination of your wounded area. A diagnosis will be determined using imaging tests. Once the doctor informs you about the current status of your condition, you will begin the process of getting treatments done, such as taking medication or undergoing a procedure.

Your medical records relating to the spinal cord injury will be saved on file and can be used as evidence to include in your personal injury claim. If you had a friend or family member with you when your spinal cord injury occurred, it is encouraged for them to try to acquire the at-fault party’s contact information. If they notice any witnesses nearby, they should ask for permission to obtain their contact information, as well.

Once you think you are capable of pursuing a lawsuit against the at-fault party for your spinal cord injury, you will need to seek legal representation from an experienced California spinal cord injury attorney. Remember, you will be given only two years, starting from the initial date of your spinal cord injury, to file a personal injury claim.

Compensation for a Spinal Cord Injury in California

Spinal cord injury victims are expected to undergo medical treatments and physical therapy to regain the ability to perform day-to-day tasks. These services can be quite costly, especially if you are suffering from a complete spinal cord injury as this will require medical treatment for the rest of your life.

Undergoing medical treatments can also take a mental toll on your health. Many spinal cord injury victims often feel like they wish they could go back to the life they had prior to the incident. This has caused many of them to go through depression. We encourage spinal cord injury victims to seek help from a professional therapist to help cope with emotional distress.

Each doctor or therapy visit will be saved on file. This will help you acquire compensation for damages caused by the accident you were involved in. Typically, in a personal injury claim, you will be awarded economic and non-economic damages if you are able to show proof of the other party’s negligence being the primary cause of your spinal cord injury.

Economic damages are monetary in nature. Common types of economic damages awarded in a spinal cord injury claim include medical bills, lost wages, and loss of earning capacity.

Non-economic damages do not have a monetary value. Your California spinal cord injury attorney will need to measure these accordingly. Common types of non-economic damages you are likely to acquire include emotional distress, loss of consortium, loss of enjoyment of life, and pain and suffering.

Victims of a spinal cord injury may also qualify for punitive damages. Punitive damages are granted on top of compensatory damages to punish the defendant for committing negligent or malicious behavior. This can only be awarded at the court’s discretion.

West Coast Trial Lawyers Is Here to Help

If you have sustained injuries as a result of someone’s negligence or deliberate acts of malice, you have the right to hold the guilty party responsible for your losses. Our California spinal cord injury attorneys at West Coast Trial Lawyers can recover compensation for the losses you have suffered.

Contact us today by calling 213-927-3700 or filling out our quick contact form to schedule a free consultation with our experienced, caring, and compassionate legal team.