Port St. Lucie Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injuries can lead to permanent disabilities and high medical expenses. For this reason, a spinal cord injury is one of the most serious that our clients can suffer. At Smith, Ball & Báez, our legal team will work closely with your doctors to determine how much compensation you need to cover the cost of care. Whether you were hurt in a car accident, workplace accident, or other incident, we can help. Call us today to speak with our Port St. Lucie spinal cord injury lawyer for a free consultation.
Types of Spinal Cord Injuries
The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves, which should be well protected by the spinal column made up of bones called vertebrae. These bones protect the spinal cord from injury. But traumatic accidents can shatter bones, bruise the spinal cord, or sometimes shred or cut it. Any damage to the cord is serious.
The injury you suffer will depend on the location of the injury and the severity of the damage:
- Incomplete spinal cord injury: the cord is not completely cut in two. Generally, patients should retain some movement and sensation below the impact site.
- Complete spinal cord injury: the cord is cut in two. Accident victims will lose pain and sensation below the impact site.
- Paraplegia: a victim loses movement and sensation in the legs but retains use of their arms.
- Tetraplegia (also called quadriplegia): the victim loses movement and sensation in all four limbs.
- Brown-Séquard syndrome: the victim has impairment on only one side of the body.
As you can imagine, a spinal cord injury is very disruptive. Patients often need multiple surgeries to stabilize the spine, and they probably need to hire at-home help with cooking, cleaning, and bathing.
If you suffered an incomplete injury, then a grueling rehabilitation regimen might help you regain some movement in your limbs. There are also innovative treatments coming onto the market to help with even complete injuries.
Compensation for a Spinal Cord Injury
In addition to medical care, spinal cord injuries cost workers considerable income. Most people must stop working, at least temporarily, and others can never work again.
Spinal cord injury victims also deserve compensation for pain and suffering, including emotional distress. Few injuries are as distressing as a spinal cord injury. Many people see their marriages and other close relationships falter due to the disruption experienced following an accident.
Many victims have personal injury claims worth millions of dollars. But we need to analyze how much compensation is available. Typically, you can only get compensation up to the defendant’s insurance policy limit. A business defendant might carry a large insurance policy, but a motorist might not.
We Are Here for You
An experienced attorney is a necessity when trying to negotiate a settlement for a spinal cord injury. Many victims and their families feel overwhelmed by their medical needs for months on end. Let one of our attorneys take care of the legal work. You can call us to schedule a consultation with a Port St. Lucie spinal cord injury attorney at our firm.
