Spinal injuries can have serious and often long-term consequences for the victims and their loved ones. An Athens spinal cord injury lawyer at the Rafi Law Firm understand that people who suffer these kinds of injuries are often unable to go back to their normal lives, and their family members often have to provide ongoing care for their loved ones.
The personal injury lawyers at Rafi Law Firm understand there is no universal solution to spinal cord injury cases. This is why we work to understand the unique details of your situation before developing an effective strategy for a favorable outcome. Our team works together, essentially combining decades of experience and expert knowledge of Georgia’s legal system to assist you better.
You can rely on us to fight for the compensation you need and deserve. We’ll handle every step of the process, providing guidance and updates on your case along the way. Call us to schedule a free consultation with an Athens spinal cord injury lawyer. We will review your case and let you know if you’re eligible for compensation. Call (706) 995-7547 today.
How Much is My Spinal Cord Injury Case Worth?
Spinal cord injuries can affect almost every aspect of a person’s life, depending on how catastrophic or permanent they are. The justice system will typically award significant compensation to the victims to cover a broad range of damages.
How much your case is worth depends on the various case-related factors, including the extent of the injuries, the circumstances of the accident, and whether you suffered complete or partial spinal cord injury, such as total or partial paralysis.
The factors that contribute to the value of your claim include:
- The cost of past, current, and future medical care
- The time the injury caused you to miss work
- The effect the injury will likely have on your quality of life
- The impact of the spinal cord injury on your career
- The mental pain and suffering endured as a result of the injury
- The policy limits of the negligent party’s insurance policy.
The lifetime costs of a complete spinal cord injury have to be accounted for. An Athens spinal cord injury lawyer at our firm will work with several different professional experts to evaluate your losses and make sure that you receive the compensation that you’re entitled to.
What are the Most Common Types of Spinal Cord Injuries?
Healthcare professionals classify spinal cord injuries in several different ways based on the severity of the injury and its location. The following are some of the most common types of spinal cord injuries:
Sacral cord injury
This refers to damage at the base of the spine. It usually causes hip and leg weakness, sexual dysfunction, as well as bladder or bowel control issues.
Paraplegia
This is spinal cord damage at the mid or lower back. In most cases, the injury will often result in weakness of the legs or paralysis, along with a loss of bowel and bladder control, and the loss of sensation or sexual functionality.
Quadriplegia or Tetraplegia
This injury is located at the cervical or thoracic cord. It may cause paralysis of the limbs, loss of bowel and bladder control, loss of sexual ability, breathing complications, and other serious complications.
Complete
This is the most severe form of spinal cord injury. It results in the loss of all sensory and motor functions below the area of the spinal cord injury.
Incomplete
This refers to a spinal injury that retains some form of ability to move below the location of the injury, even if the movement is limited.
Some patients with critical spinal injuries might need 24/7 care for the rest of their lives, while others might be able to lead an independent life with some level of support. Our spinal cord injury lawyers are experienced in handling all of these cases and understand the complexities of the injuries and the long-term implications they may have.
Why Should You See a Doctor Right Away After a Back Injury?
Regardless of how minor a back injury might seem, you should see a doctor right after. Something that seems minor at first could easily become a major health risk down the road. Consulting with a doctor and having them examine you following a back injury will help you either way.
In case the back injury is minor, you can confidently go back to your life with the peace of mind that you’re actually in good shape. If it turns out the back injury is indeed more serious, then you will be happy that you got checked early, and you can promptly start getting the necessary treatment to let your injuries heal.
Seeing a doctor will also help document your injuries and your prescribed treatment. This documentation will be important evidence when it comes to pursuing a personal injury lawsuit.
What are Some of the Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries?
Every year, thousands of people sustain spinal injuries in Georgia. Most of these injuries happen in preventable accidents and incidents as outlined below.
Motor vehicle accidents
These accidents can cause blunt force trauma to the spine, which may lead to spinal cord injury. Car accidents, truck accidents, and motorcycle accidents are all common culprits of severe spinal cord injuries.
Slip and falls
Falling from a balcony, ladder, or any other elevated structure and tripping on broken tiles, loose cables, ripped carpeting, or broken railings, can cause serious damage to the spine.
Sports injuries
Sports injuries are a common cause of spinal injuries, especially in sports involving contact. Examples include football and wrestling, which have a high risk of spinal cord injuries as they involve physical contact with other players.
Violence
Acts of violence, such as stab wounds or gunshots can cause significant damage to the spine, leading to a spinal cord injury.
Falling objects
When heavy objects fall from a height, they can easily cause spinal cord injuries to anyone in their path. Such accidents happen quite regularly in factories, construction sites, commercial kitchens, and warehouses.
No matter what caused your spinal injury, you can trust the legal team at Rafi Law to help you pursue the compensation you deserve. We know what it takes to win these cases, and we are always available to speak with you.
What Can I Expect to Recover if I Have a Spinal Cord Injury?
Economic damages
These are intended to make the victim “financially whole” again by compensating the direct monetary losses. Examples of economic damages you could recover include:
- Medical expenses: Including the past and future injury-related medical bills, surgery, cost of rehabilitation, medical equipment purchases, as well as home or vehicle modifications to accommodate the disability.
- Lost income: Since spinal injuries reduce mobility significantly, you may lose your ability to work. You can recover compensation for the time spent away from work and the work you’ll miss in the future.
- Out-of-pocket expenses: You may also be compensated for any out-of-pocket money spent on injury-related expenses, including over-the-counter medications, in-home help, assistive devices, etc.
Non-economic Damages
These are meant to compensate the victim for the emotional and physical turmoil. Examples of non-economic damages in spinal cord injury cases include:
- Pain and suffering: The victim could recover compensation for the excruciating pain and suffering they go through.
- Loss of enjoyment and lowered quality of life: This is a poignant area for these kinds of cases since the victim likely suffered permanent paralysis. It’s a challenge to place an exact dollar amount on these kinds of damages, but the court will perform certain calculations to come up with the appropriate figures.
- Emotional distress associated with spinal cord injuries.
- Loss of spousal consortium or companionship
Punitive damages
The judge may award punitive damages in case they deem the at-fault party to have been extremely negligent. An example would be a serial drunk driver who causes a collision leading to spinal injury.
How Do Spinal Injury Cases Differ From Other Kinds of Personal Injury Cases?
Spinal cord injury cases are different from other personal injury cases mainly due to the severe impact the injuries could have on the victim’s life and well-being. They go beyond the main elements in other personal injury cases: medical bills and lost wages. From a legal standpoint, a person who suffers a spinal cord injury due to the negligence of another person is likely to recover a considerably higher compensation amount.
Is There a Time Limit to File a Spinal Cord Injury Claim?
Yes. The time limit to file a personal injury claim in Georgia, including spinal cord injury claims, is two years from the date of the incident. However, you should contact a lawyer as soon as possible, so that you have better chances of recovering the full compensation you’re eligible for.
What if I Got My Spinal Cord Injury While at Work?
Well, the case can be handled as a workers’ compensation claim. This is the coverage taken by employers covering all their employees against any injuries that may arise while they are on the job. The good thing about this is that you won’t have to prove your employer was negligent to receive compensation.
Let Us Fight for Your Best Interests
If you or someone you love suffered a spinal cord injury due to the negligence of another person or entity, we can help. At Rafi Law, our lawyers are well-versed in the intricacies of spinal injury cases and are ready to help you fight for the compensation you deserve.
Our lawyers have decades of industry experience and access to the knowledge and resources needed to handle the case effectively, no matter how complex it might be. Plus, we offer all our clients a free consultation, so that we can discuss your situation and help you determine your best course of action.
Why not let us put our knowledge and experience to work in your spinal cord injury case? Call our Athens office at (706) 995-7547 to schedule your free consultation with a Athens spinal cord injury lawyer.
