A spinal cord injury is one of the most debilitating injuries a person can sustain. These injuries range from mild to severe and can affect motor function, sensation, and bladder control.
The spinal cord is a column of nerve tissue that runs from the base of the skull down the center of the back. The spinal cord and membranes are surrounded by vertebrae. The spinal cord and the brain make up the central nervous system, as the spinal cord nerves carry messages between the brain and the rest of the body, including muscles, organs, and glands. These messages tell you when to move or react in different situations. When the spinal cord is damaged by disease or injury, it can cause paralysis below where the damage occurred.
It’s believed that over 17,000 people in the United States alone suffer spinal cord injuries each year, and it is estimated that between 249,000 and 363,000 people are currently living with spinal cord injuries in the United States. The most common cause of a spinal cord injury is a motor vehicle accident. This accounts for more than half of all cases each year. The second-most common cause comes from falls.
Have you suffered a debilitating spinal cord injury due to someone else’s negligence? Was it from an auto accident or a slip-and-fall on ice? You may be entitled to compensation that includes but is not limited to, damages for medical expenses, lost income and future lost earnings, pain and suffering, loss of consortium (if you are married), rehabilitation costs, emotional distress and more. A Philadelphia spinal cord injury attorney will help you get compensation for your losses due to this traumatic event.
Most people who sustain a spinal cord injury at work never thought it would happen to them. It typically happens due to an accident, such as from being hit by a motor vehicle, or from falling from a significant height. Injuries can also occur when someone is working with heavy machinery or equipment that has not been properly maintained. These types of injuries are often life-changing and there may be no warning signs before they happen.
In order to file a claim against your employer, you may need to file a workers’ compensation claim (also known as workman’s comp.). This is a form of insurance that pays for the medical and rehabilitation costs of employees who are injured while on the job. This includes costs such as doctors’ bills, hospitalization fees, physical therapy sessions or eye care services. Oftentimes with workers’ compensation you cannot file separate lawsuits for work-related injury, but there are exceptions.
Was your spinal cord injury the result of a slip-and-fall accident on a sidewalk or street. Our Philadelphia spinal cord injury lawyers can assist you to determine if the property owner was negligent in allowing hazardous conditions to exist. If it’s clear that negligence played a part in your slip-and-fall accident, the lawyer will know how to advise you about your rights and can work with experts such as investigators, engineers, and medical professionals to prove the case against the negligent party.
If your injury was caused by someone else’s negligence – whether from an auto accident, a slip-and-fall or an injury at work – then a lawyer can help you get the compensation you need.
If someone else was responsible for your spinal cord injury, their insurance company is going to be there to protect them by paying out as little money as possible on claims. This means that it’s your job to make sure they don’t keep any of the money that you should be entitled to, including damages that would help pay your medical bills and other costs for your rehabilitation.
An experienced spinal cord injury lawyer will know exactly how much compensation would be appropriate in your case based on who was at fault, how severe your injuries are, and if there are any other complicating factors.
If you need a spinal injury attorney in PA, call our law firm—the attorneys at Premier Legal Solutions, PLLC can fight on your behalf. Call 267-824-2425 today or go to 1lawyer.com and fill out our contact form.