Spinal cord injuries often have severe effects and result in permanent changes to a victim’s quality of life. In addition to physical pain and suffering, the emotional pain can be devastating as well. The financial cost for past and future medical treatment can result in bankruptcy if medical bills go unanswered due to health insurance caps. Spinal cord injury victims require significant financial compensation from the individual that injured them.
Spinal cord injury victims should seek the legal services of an experienced Vienna, Virginia spinal cord injury lawyer from Portner & Shure. Our award-winning attorneys have been successfully advocating for spinal cord injury victims for decades. All that we have learned throughout the years can be applied to your case.
Discuss the possibilities of your spine injury claim by dialing now.
Spine Injuries – Causes & Consequences
The effects of severe spinal cord injuries can range from permanent pain to complete paralysis.
Spinal cord injuries usually result from traumatic incidents such as:
- Motor vehicle collisions
- Industrial accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Athletic accidents
- Severe falls
- Medical malpractice
Beyond paralysis and loss of sensation, a spinal cord injury can affect other bodily functions, such as temperature control and bladder control. Injuries resulting in compressed vertebra and bone damage may also result in chronic pain that never fully recedes. The financial cost of a spine injury is severe, too. On average, the financial cost for healthcare and living expenses for the first year after an injury is $1,100,000.00 and $190,000.00 for each year after.
Spinal Cord Injury Treatments
Spinal cord injuries usually require emergency care and surgery. Physical therapy and extensive rehabilitation are also prescribed for spinal cord injury patients. Depending on the type of injury and its severity, function and mobility may be restored after months or years of specialty care.
Effects of a Spinal Cord Injury
The effects of a spinal cord can result in financial ruin for a victim and their family. The cost of medical treatment can rise into the millions. Additionally, due to the physical effects of a spinal cord injury, many victims are unable to resume working. These expenses and loss of earning potential often result in bankruptcy.
How Our Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers Can Help
Building a successful spinal cord injury case begins with a thorough investigation of the facts surrounding the injury. Insurance companies firmly defend these claims because they know that the payout owed to the plaintiff or claimant could range well into the millions of dollars.
To try to slap down a claim, insurance companies often search for ways to place blame on the victim. In Virginia, this form of professional “victim-blaming” is called contributory negligence. If it can be proven that the victim’s own mistakes contributed to their own spinal cord injury, then they could be denied any financial compensation. It will be the job of your injury attorney to make certain you are not proven liable for your injuries.
Finally, an attorney can work with a victim and their family to quantify their damages. Virginia law allows an injured victim to claim economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include past bills for medical treatment, the cost for future medical treatment and rehabilitation, and past and future lost wages. Non-economic damages compensate a victim for the pain and suffering they have endured.
Portner & Shure is Here to Help You – Call
You should not be surprised if the insurance company answering to your spine injury claim puts up a fight. You should also not be surprised if they resort to unsavory tactics like saying you caused your own injury or that you are exaggerating its consequences. Turn to Portner & Shure, P.A. in Vienna to deal with all insurance company moves. Our spinal cord injury attorneys are eager to see how you can be helped.
