Covington Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
Strategic Advocacy & Winning Representation from 5-Star Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys
Spinal cord injuries can be permanently debilitating and forever traumatic. From physical limitations and quality of life impacts to crippling medical bills for life, spinal cord injuries can be catastrophic and devastating.
When these injuries have been caused by negligence, you can trust Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers to help you recover. For decades, our 5-star Covington spinal cord injury lawyers have been tireless advocates for people just like, fighting to win compensation for survivors and families.
Strategic and relentlessly determined to win, we know how to provide strong, persuasive representation when it matters most — and we are highly effective at securing the maximum available compensation in even the toughest spinal cord injury cases. Whether you need answers about your legal options or you are ready to file a spinal cord injury claim, we are here for you 24/7, ready to help now.
Call 888-492-5532 or Email Us for a Free, Confidential Consultation.
Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers has recovered millions for spinal cord injury survivors and their families. We are ready to make your claim and recovery our next victory.
Click on a link below to jump directly to a section and learn more about spinal cord injury causes, lawyers, cases, and compensation.
What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?
A spinal cord injury (SCI) is any type of damage to the spinal cord that results from disease, degeneration, or trauma. About 9 in 10 SCIs are caused by trauma (source: WHO).
The severity and impacts of spinal cord injuries depends on a few key factors, including:
- The area of the spinal cord that sustains damage: Below this point of damage, there will generally be some degree of loss in function, sensation, and/or control of the body.
- Whether the SCI is complete or incomplete: A complete SCI means the spinal cord has been totally severed while an incomplete SCI refers to compression or tears in the spinal cord. Complete spinal cord injuries are more severe than incomplete SCIs.
In general, the most serious spinal cord injuries include:
- Tetraplegia or quadriplegia, affecting the arms and legs and potentially the neck, shoulders, and head
- Triplegia, impacting one arm and the lower body
- Paraplegia, affecting the legs and lower body
Spinal Cord Injury Statistics
The latest facts about SCIs reveal how often these injuries are occurring and just how devastating their impacts can be (sources: NSCSC & WHO):
- Roughly 300,000 Americans are currently living with spinal cord injuries.
- About 17,900 new spinal cord injuries are diagnosed each year in the U.S.
- The most common type of SCI suffered is incomplete tetraplegia, which accounts for more than 47% of SCIs. While incomplete paraplegia comprises nearly 20% of SCIs, complete spinal cord injuries account for nearly 1 in 3 SCI cases.
- The average age of those who suffer spinal cord injuries is 43. Fifty years ago, the average age for SCI was 29.
- Males make up nearly 80% of spinal cord injury victims.
- At least 1 in 3 people with SCIs can expect multiple hospitalizations each year. The average duration of these hospital stays is 18 days.
- Pneumonia and septicemia (blood poisoning) are the two leading causes death and reduced life expectancy for those with spinal cord injuries.
- SCI increases the risk of premature death by 2 to 5 times.
Spinal Cord Injury Costs
The table below shows the average medical expenses and living costs for those with SCI. These costs don’t include lost earnings or lost productivity resulting from spinal cord injuries (source: NSCSC).
*Costs if the spinal cord injury was sustained at the age of 25 or 50.
What Are the Leading Causes of Spinal Cord Injury?
Most spinal cord injuries resulting from trauma are caused by preventable accidents (source: WHO). In those cases, the most common incidents causing SCIs are the following (source for all info about SCI causes: NSCSC).
Motor Vehicle Accidents & Spinal Cord Injury
Vehicle wrecks cause more than 38% of all spinal cord injuries. This includes:
- Car accidents
- Bus accidents
- Motorcycle wrecks
- 18-wheeler crashes
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
While SCIs can occur from the sheer force of a collision, these injuries can also happen when people are thrown from or directly hit by vehicles. Many of these crashes and the resulting SCIs could have been avoided if not for the negligence of drivers and/or others.
Falls & SCIs
About 1 in 3 SCIs is caused by a fall. These falling accidents can include slip and falls, trip and falls, and falling from high elevations. Examples of the negligence that can contribute to falling accidents and spinal cord injuries include failures to maintain a safe property and failures to warn about the dangers at a property.
Other Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries
Beyond vehicle crashes and falls, several other traumatic events can cause spinal cord injury. These include (and are not limited to) violence (usually gunshots), sports injuries, accidents caused by defective products, and medical or surgical injuries.
Who Can I Sue After a Spinal Cord Injury?
Whether or not you can sue any party after suffering an SCI depends on a few different factors. One of these is when the injury occurred or when it was diagnosed. If the injury-causing event (or diagnosis) happened more than a year ago, there may be limited chances to seek compensation, depending on the details of your potential case.
Still, assuming the filing deadline (statute of limitations) for your claim has not passed, you may be able to sue those at fault for causing the accident or event resulting in your SCI. That can make it essential to:
- Take a closer look at the accident and evidence
- Talk to a Covington spinal cord injury attorney at Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers for help identifying who you may be able to sue and what needs to happen next to get your case started.
Remember, even if you may have been partly at fault for the accident and spinal cord injury, you could still have a claim. A lawyer can tell you for sure and start helping you now while there’s still time to get compensation and justice.
When Should I Contact a Covington Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer?
ASAP. If you wait to talk to a Covington spinal cord injury attorney, you’re running the risk of:
- Lost or destroyed evidence, which could make it harder to prove your case
- The insurance companies giving you the runaround, wrongly blaming you for your spinal cord injury, or doing something else to try to hurt your chances of recovering
- Missing deadlines or making any mistakes that could put your spinal cord injury case and recovery at a greater disadvantage
At Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers, we can put a stop to all that, protecting your rights and interests while advancing your case towards success and the maximum available compensation. That can give you the room to focus on healing. It can also give you confidence and peace of mind that a trusted legal team is fighting for you — at every phase of your case.
How Do Spinal Cord Injury Cases Work?
It depends on what type of accident or incident caused the spinal cord injury. For example, a spinal cord injury case involving a car accident versus a work accident versus a defective product can all work differently. That’s especially true when considering that each of these accidents could involve multiple at-fault parties and more than one claim.
A Covington spinal cord injury lawyer at Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers can answer this question in a no-obligation, confidential consultation.
That said, here are some important facts to understand about spinal cord injury cases:
- No matter what type of accident caused a spinal cord injury, medical bills and records are typically key evidence in these cases.
- If you have to deal with an insurance company during a spinal cord injury case, remember, they are not on your side. They want to avoid payouts whenever possible.
- Most spinal cord injury claims are settled out of court, not with a trial.
- When fights over liability or your injuries can’t be resolved out of court, going before a judge can be necessary.
How Much Are Spinal Cord Injury Settlements & Compensation?
Compensation depends on case-specific factors, including the severity of the SCI and the other losses suffered. Generally, however, successful spinal cord injury cases can include damages for (but not limited to):
- Medical bills (past and future)
- Lost wages and earning capacity (past and future)
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Funeral expenses (if spinal cord injury ends in death)
- Loss of consortium
At Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers, we know compensation won’t reverse a spinal cord injury or erase the lasting trauma it causes. We also understand, however, how winning a claim and securing compensation can be a powerful step towards healing and gaining the resources necessary to start rebuilding lives.
Talk to a Covington Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer for Help Now
If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury in some type of accident or event, contact a Covington spinal cord injury lawyer at Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers to find out more about your rights and legal options.
We have decades of experience, a reputation for success, and a record of winning in even the most challenging cases. Discover the difference our team can make in your case and recovery by contacting us today.
Call
888-492-5532 or
Email Us for a Free, Confidential Consultation.
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