You might be entitled to significant financial recovery after injuring your back or spinal cord due to someone else’s negligence. Thankfully, you don’t have to bring a legal claim alone. An experienced back and spinal cord injury lawyers in Macon will guide you through the process.
At John Foy & Associates, we know how to fight for your rights. Our Macon personal injury lawyers are ready to provide a free case review. We’ll examine your case and let you know your legal options. From there, we can help you build a case, file a claim, and even represent you in court if necessary.
Strong Legal Representation for Bicycle Accident Victims
While being hit by a car is one of the most common ways a cyclist gets severe injuries, there are other types of cases as well. Our legal team has handled a wide range of claims and is ready to assist injured victims like you.
In addition to back and spinal cord injury attorneys, our Macon legal team also includes:
- Bicycle accident lawyers
- Car accident lawyers
- Truck accident lawyers
- Pedestrian accident lawyers
- Motorcycle accident lawyers
- Slip and fall accident lawyers
We understand that each personal injury case is unique, which is why we take the time to listen to your account. Our dedicated team believes in a client-centered approach, where your needs and concerns are our top priority.
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What Should I Do After a Spine Injury?
The most important thing to do after a spine injury is to make sure that you’re okay. Spinal cord injuries can be particularly damaging, so you should always get medical attention if you think you have injured your spine.
As soon as you know you’re alright, there are steps that you can take that will make your spine injury lawyer’s job easier when they work to prove your case. Those steps include:
- Taking any pictures of the site of the accident that you can
- Writing down your record of what happened
- Getting the contact information of the other party and anyone who saw what happened
- Following up with any treatments or doctor appointments necessary
- Saving your medical documents and bill receipts
- Don’t tell the other party, their lawyer, or the insurance company anything you don’t need to
- Contacting a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible
By making it easy for your spine injury attorney to access evidence, you’re bettering your chances of getting the compensation you deserve. It’s important to get in touch with our team as soon as you can. The insurance company may try to use your own words or actions against you, but a skilled lawyer can keep them from taking advantage of you.
How Much Can You Recover After a Back or Spinal Cord Injury?
Injured people can seek compensation for injuries they didn’t cause. If someone else’s actions (or inactions) injured you, you have rights. You can request money to recover your costs, according to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (OCGA) §51-1-6.
The first step is usually to file an insurance claim against the responsible party. How much you can recover depends on several factors.
Your Damages
A personal injury claim depends on your damages. Personal injury damages are any losses you have from your accident and injuries. Common damages include:
- Medical bills from your treatment
- The costs of medications your doctor prescribes
- Lost income from having to miss work time
- Loss of earning potential if you cannot work as much as before (or at all)
- Property damage, such as vehicle repairs
- Pain and suffering resulting from your injuries
Spinal cord injuries are severe. Victims often have costly medical bills. Many suffer from lifelong disabilities.
A back or spinal cord injury can prevent you from working or earning a good income. You might be unable to do things you used to enjoy. The physical, financial, and emotional toll can be significant.
The settlement you recover will depend on all damages. When you work with a Macon back and spinal cord injury attorney, they’ll account for all damages you face.
Percentage of Fault
Georgia is a partial fault state. If you were involved in an accident, you can seek compensation if you were less than 50% at fault. There can also be more than one party at fault for an accident.
Your percentage of fault will affect your settlement. If you were partially responsible, the law reduces your compensation by your percentage of fault.
Multiple at-fault parties can also impact your recovery. You might have several insurance claims with different policy limits. There could be limits on what you can recover from each party.
The Average Settlement
Spinal cord injury accidents are some of the highest-awarded cases. That makes sense because of the many losses associated with back and spinal cord damage.
Victims of spinal cord injuries may win millions of dollars or more. According to the Mayo Clinic, there is no way to reverse a spinal cord injury. Because recovery is limited, you could have lifelong damages.
Your potential settlement depends on factors like those mentioned above. The best way to know your options is by talking to a lawyer.
How Is Pain and Suffering Compensation Calculated?
It’s easy to show how much money you’ve paid for your damages, but it can be more complicated to show less concrete damages like pain and suffering. One of the most common ways that lawyers calculate pain and suffering damage is by using your medical bills in what is called the “multiplier method.”
In the multiplier method, your personal injury attorney will decide on a multiplier–usually based on the extent of your injuries, along with other factors–that will apply to your medical bills. So, if your medical bills were $10,000 and your multiplier is two, your pain and suffering damages will be $20,000.
To save money, the insurance company will try to reduce your multiplier. Your back and spinal cord injury attorney in Macon will argue for the highest possible multiplier for your pain and suffering damages.
Do Spinal Cord Injuries Qualify for Disability?
If you suffered a severe back or spinal cord injury in an accident, you might qualify for disability benefits. Here’s how it works.
According to Paraquad, qualified victims can file a Social Security disability claim after a spinal cord injury if:
- The injured person has paid into Social Security through income
- The injury has lasted for at least three months
- The person cannot work for at least 12 months
Disability benefits provide a regular income if you cannot work after a spinal cord injury leaves them with chronic back pain. These benefits can also help supplement compensation from an accident. However, a victim may receive much more from a settlement or court award.
If your accident was someone else’s fault, be sure to speak with a lawyer. You might be entitled to significant money for your damages.
Our team can help if you’re wondering about disability benefits. We have been helping accident victims and those with disabilities for over 20 years. Reach out to us today to learn your compensation options.
A Spinal Cord Injury Attorney Can Help You Protect Your Rights
Unfortunately, the other side might use Georgia’s partial fault laws against you. They know that they might reduce their liability if they can blame you.
If you were in a car accident, the other driver might say you were driving recklessly. Their insurance company might claim your injuries happened before or after the crash.
It’s important to protect your rights as you build a claim. Do not discuss the accident with anyone except your back and spinal cord injury lawyer in Macon. And be careful about anything you say publicly afterward. Wait to speak to a lawyer before discussing fault or blame.
Be Mindful of Georgia’s Statute of Limitations
Time goes quickly after an accident, especially if you need long-term treatment. All accident victims must pay attention to the state statute of limitations.
The statute of limitations is how long you have to bring a legal case. When someone is injured in an accident, they have two years to take action. The clock starts ticking from the day of your accident.
If you miss the deadline, you probably won’t be able to recover any damages. So, don’t wait to get started on your case today.
Our lawyers can handle the legal side of things while you focus on healing. We’ll protect your rights and make sure you’re seeking the fairest compensation possible.
Talk to a Macon Back and Spinal Cord Injury Attorney for Free
Did you or a loved one suffer back or spinal cord injuries from an accident? Talk to the Macon back and spinal cord injury lawyers at John Foy & Associates for the help you need. Call us or contact us online for a free consultation. You don’t pay us unless we win your case.
478-400-4000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
