Spinal cord injuries, like brain injuries, can be catastrophic. If you are lucky enough to survive the initial injury your life is fundamentally altered in a split second. More than 250,000 Americans live with these injuries.
As a personal injury law firm, many of our John Foy & Associates clients have suffered the gamut of injuries from soft-tissue damage to full paralysis. The injured person is going to require long-term, continuing care, which is extremely expensive.
The University of Alabama estimates that the health care and living costs of a major spinal cord injury can be more than a million dollars the first year and almost $185,000 a year after. If you or someone you love has suffered a spinal cord injury, this is not the type of case to handle on your own. You need an attorney who knows how to handle these types of cases.
What Should I Do if I Have a Spinal Cord Injury from an Accident in Atlanta?
A spinal cord injury can happen in many ways. Our personal injury firm has seen a lot of these injuries caused by auto accidents and tractor-trailer crashes. People who do physical labor, such as construction or factory workers, are also at great risk. If you’ve had a spine injury, first we want you to get immediate help.
Unlike minor accidents, you may not be able to gather information at the time of the injury. It might not be possible to get the names of witnesses right away. Our spinal cord injury lawyers in Atlanta know how to get in touch with a professional that can go back and recreate the accident.
Don’t Agree to a Quick Settlement Just to Get Your Case Over With
Call a personal injury attorney as soon as you can. The more time that is taken or delayed the more negative things can happen.
Often, people want to minimize what has happened to them and they are quick to settle with an insurance company. They want to make life go back to the way it was and think that a quick settlement will do that.
You can return to a productive life after a traumatic spinal cord injury, but you will need a lot of medical and financial help. But spinal cord injuries require a lot of care with endless medical expenses. Once you settle with an insurance company, you never have the chance to go back and remake your case.
Common Spinal Cord Injuries You Can Sue For
Spinal cord injuries have many symptoms. The most catastrophic injuries involve paralysis and are classified in these ways:
- Quadriplegia – Loss of movement in all four limbs, chest muscles are affected and the patient usually needs a breathing machine
- Triplegia – Loss of movement in one arm and both legs
- Paraplegia – Loss of movement and sensation in both legs
Critically injured patients will need 24/7 care for the rest of their lives, others will be able to lead independent lives with a lot of support. Patient costs add up beyond medical care – vocational training, special equipment, home care, and psychological counseling will all be necessary.
As personal injury attorneys, we often see clients who have had minor car accidents and whose injuries did not reveal themselves until much later. If you’re experiencing any symptoms of spinal cord injury, you should get medical attention as soon as possible. You need to prioritize your health, and with a diagnosis and a skilled spinal cord injury attorney in Atlanta, you could be able to get compensation for your medical bills.
Atlanta Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Near Me 404-400-4000
How Much Is a Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuit Worth?
It’s impossible to say exactly how much your claim could be worth without knowing the details of your case. Some people recover thousands of dollars, while others’ settlements range into the millions. It all depends on what damages you received because of your accident.
You should know that spinal cord injuries often yield higher settlements than other injuries. Because of the extensive care and long recovery times associated with spine injuries, damages involved in such cases tend to be more severe. Some of our firm’s highest case results involve spinal cord injuries.
To learn more about how much you might be able to expect for your injury, get a free consultation with one of our attorneys. An Atlanta spinal cord injury lawyer will be able to look at your case and give you a better idea of the size of your settlement.
What Damages Can I Recover If I Have a Spinal Cord Injury in Atlanta?
A spinal cord injury case is a personal injury case. You are eligible to be compensated in three areas:
- All reasonable and necessary medical expenses, including past and future expenses
- Lost income due to the injury
- Pain and suffering
In a catastrophic injury, we try to recover for future medical expenses so that you will be covered throughout your life. Often for younger clients or someone who is entirely disabled, we structure the recovery so that all of the money isn’t spent at once. This is called a structured settlement and it protects the client through a special needs trust.
For a free legal consultation with a spinal cord injury lawyer serving Atlanta, call 404-400-4000
How Are Spinal Cord Injury Cases Different from Other Personal Injury Cases?
In most other accidents, there is a clear path to recovery. However, spinal cord injuries are different because they have long-term health issues that require lifetime care, which means long-term medical costs.
People with spinal cord injuries can go on to lead amazing lives. Plus, more and more research is breaking ground on regenerative therapy. Let our attorneys set up you or your loved one for a chance at a productive life.
What Is the Statute of Limitations for a Spinal Cord Injury Claim in Atlanta?
Georgia imposes a time limit or statute of limitations to file a personal injury claim. Generally, that time limit is two years, but there are some exceptions that could significantly decrease your window of opportunity.
Beyond the legal time limit, we urge clients to seek help as quickly as possible. We can help you get the proper medical treatment. The sooner we can get started on your case, the better your chances are of getting compensation for your expenses.
What If My Child Was Injured at School or Sports Practice?
You should call us right away. In Georgia, most public schools have protections against personal injury claims. However, they also often have their own private insurance for injuries like the one your child sustained. You can get a free consultation with a lawyer who can tell you more.
Sports injuries are also complicated. Most of the time, when you play a sport, you assume the risk of injury that comes along with it. That doesn’t mean you can’t still have a successful claim, though, so you should still talk to an attorney about you or your child’s sports injury.
What If I Was Injured at Work?
Work injuries are often treated as workers’ compensation cases. This means that, as an employee, you can be compensated for an injury that occurs in the workplace. However, sometimes a work injury involves someone else at fault for your injury. If that’s the case, you can proceed with both a workers compensation claim and a third-party personal injury lawsuit.
For example, if you are driving for work and your car is hit by a tractor-trailer, you would be able to file both types of cases. If another employer on the job is responsible for your injury, you can file both kinds of cases. If you’re on the clock and somebody else is at fault for the accident, you can have both claims.
What If I Was Partially at Fault for My Injury?
If you were partially at fault for your injury, there is a chance that you could lose some or all of your compensation. Georgia state law uses the modified comparative negligence rule, which means you can get compensation for an accident as long as you were less than 50% at fault.
There’s a catch, though. If you’re found to be partially at fault below 50%, your compensation could be reduced proportionally. That means that if you had 20% of the responsibility for your accident, your payment could be docked by 20%.
That’s why it’s important to have a lawyer by your side who knows how to prove that you’re owed your whole settlement. Our Atlanta personal injury attorneys will gather evidence that shows that the other party was totally responsible for your spinal cord injuries.
Can I File a Personal Injury Claim If I’m the Victim of a Crime?
Violent crime is the second cause of spinal cord injuries in the United States. We don’t know if the criminal has the ability to pay for your injuries. Even if we are not able to identify the criminal we may be able to still recover money for you. We’ll go after every possible responsible person or party that may be out there.
Crime victims may also be eligible for punitive damages – damages that the court awards to punish the defendant. This is especially true in drunk driving accidents. In addition, Georgia has a crime victim’s program fund for medical bills. We’ve helped many victims get compensation from this fund for medical bills.
What Can an Atlanta Spinal Cord Injury Attorney Do for Me?
When you contact a spinal cord injury lawyer in Atlanta from our firm, the first thing that they’ll do for you is listen. Our team will hear what happened to you and tell you what steps you can take to get compensation.
After you agree to hire us to represent you, our spinal cord injury attorneys in Atlanta will:
- Investigate your case
- Gather evidence
- Calculate your damages
- Negotiate with the insurance company
- Fight for you in court if necessary
It’s unlikely that your claim will even turn into a lawsuit and go to court. Most of the time, personal injury claims are settled outside of court. In the rare event that you do go to trial, though, your lawyer will make sure your rights are represented.
Talk to a Spinal Cord Injury Attorney in Atlanta Today
Anyone who has suffered a spinal cord injury needs an expert in his or her corner. You only have one chance to get this right. The Atlanta spinal cord injury attorneys at John Foy & Associates have been in business in Georgia for more than 20 years.
You want the peace of mind and confidence that you chose a spinal cord injury attorney who will fight for you. Give us a call or contact us online for your FREE consultation.
Call or text 404-400-4000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
