Dedicated Gulfport Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys Ready To Assist You
Serving Victims in Biloxi Also
With symptoms ranging from back pain to paralysis, spinal cord injuries (SCI) can take several different forms, and they can impact all levels of the spine. While injuries higher up the spinal cord tend to have the greatest potential consequences, all traumatic spinal cord injuries should be treated as potential medical emergencies.
If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury, contact Smith & Holder, PLLC today.
Experienced Attorneys for Spinal Cord Injuries are On Your Side
At Smith & Holder, PLLC, we are committed to helping accident victims who have suffered severe traumatic injuries recover just compensation for their losses. We understand the life-altering effects of spinal cord injuries, and we know that recovery can be a slow, difficult, and painful process. We also know that it can be extraordinarily expensive, and that accident victims often struggle to recover the money they need to move on.
If you have been diagnosed with a spinal cord injury following a vehicle collision or other accident in Gulfport, we are here to help. Our spinal cord injury lawyers are here to explain your legal rights in the language you can understand, and we are here to make sure you win the compensation you deserve. One of our injury legal team will meet with you personally in a free and confidential consultation. If you cannot travel we will come to you. And if you hire us to represent you, you won’t pay a dime until you receive a settlement or win a verdict at trial.
Spinal Cord Injuries: The Basics
The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that runs from your neck to your lower back. Its job is to send and receive messages between your brain and the rest of your body.
Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injuries
The signs of a spinal cord injury differ depending on where you’ve been hurt and how severe the damage is. Muscle pain and weakness at the site of the injury are common signs that something’s wrong. Other common symptoms of a spinal cord injury include:
- Loss of movement control,
- Loss or change of sensation (e.g. ability to feel heat or cold),
- Loss of bladder or bowel control,
- Muscle spasms,
- Difficulty breathing, and
- Digestive problems.
Sometimes, damage to the spinal cord isn’t immediately apparent to someone who’s been injured. Even severe symptoms, like numbness or paralysis, can take hours or days to appear.
Common Causes of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injuries
- Automotive Accidents
- Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse
- Premises-Related Accidents (including Slips, Trips, and Falls)
- Product Defects Liability – Related Accidents
- Trucking Accidents
These, including motorcycle accidents, sports, and recreation accidents in addition to other accidents, can cause many different types of spinal cord injuries. Our Gulfport spinal cord injury attorney helps accident victims who have been diagnosed with injuries such as:
- Anterior Cord Syndrome
- Brown-Sequard Syndrome
- Central Cord Syndrome
- Herniated Discs
- Penetrating Spinal Cord Injuries
- Paraplegia
- Quadriplegia
- Spinal Fractures
- Triplegia
Many types of everyday accidents and traumatic events can lead to spinal cord injuries. Here are some of the most common causes of spinal cord damage:
- Motor vehicle accidents—including rear-end accidents, fender benders, and other road collisions;
- Pedestrian and bicycle accidents—pedestrians and cyclists involved in collisions with cars and trucks are also vulnerable to severe spinal cord damage;
- Falls—this includes incidents of slipping and falling, as well as falls from heights;
- Medical malpractice—such as anesthesia errors, mistakes during surgery, and improper chiropractic treatment;
- Recreational accidents—including sports-related accidents, ATV crashes, diving accidents, and boating accidents;
- Violence—damage from gunshot wounds and physical assault often also involves spinal cord injuries; and
- Work-related accidents—such as machinery accidents, repetitive motion injuries, vehicle accidents, and overexertion.
In many cases, a spinal cord injury is the result of a tragic accident. However, other spinal cord injuries come from entirely preventable incidents—even situations caused by someone else’s recklessness, lack of care, or desire to cause harm.
Types of Spinal Cord Injuries
There are many different ways that the spinal cord can be damaged. Generally, doctors categorize major spinal cord injuries into two different types: incomplete and complete. The type of injury you have depends on where the spine is damaged and how your body responds to it.
- Complete spinal cord injury—no feeling and no control over the body (i.e. paralysis) below the location of the injury.
- Incomplete spinal cord injury—some feeling and some control over body movement below the injury site is still possible.
Complete spinal cord injuries that paralyze some or all of your limbs involve more extreme, long-term consequences for victims. However, incomplete spinal cord injuries can still be debilitating and may require extended, even life-altering treatment.
Compensation for a Spinal Cord Injury
In some situations, you may be able to get financial help for the costs of treating your spinal cord injury. If someone else was responsible for the cause of your injury, you might be able to get compensation for the losses you suffered through an insurance or personal injury claim. To do this, you’ll need to prove that you were hurt because another person failed to behave with the reasonable standard of care that the law requires in a given situation. For example, if you were injured in a car accident, you’ll have to prove that another driver’s lack of caution on the road caused your spinal cord injury.
A legal professional can evaluate the circumstances behind your injury and help identify if you could have a case for compensation. If you do, your lawyer can help you prepare and file a claim with an insurance company seeking financial compensation for the costs of your injury. Your attorney will negotiate with the insurer to try to reach a settlement amount that covers the amount of your medical bills, lost wages, and other related expenses. If they can’t agree on a settlement amount, then your lawyer can file a lawsuit on your behalf.
Victims who want to file a personal injury lawsuit have a three-year deadline to sue under Mississippi law. Because of the time limit, it’s a good idea to get in touch with a spinal injury lawyer as soon as possible if you’re considering a personal injury lawsuit.
The Financial Cost of Spinal Cord Injuries
Beyond the immediate care needed to stabilize the body after a traumatic event, a patient may also require long-term medical attention. Because the human spine is so complex, this treatment is often costly as well as extensive. Long-term treatment for spinal cord injuries can include:
- Surgery,
- Physical therapy,
- Breathing assistance,
- Medication for pain management,
- Equipment (e.g. wheelchair, ramps), and
- At-home medical assistance.
Depending on how severe your injuries are, you may be unable to engage in normal daily activities for months—or even the rest of your life. If you’re unable to work because of your injury, the cost of the treatment you need can be a serious financial burden that weighs on you and your whole family.
Damages Available for a Spinal Cord Injury
“Damages” is a legal term for the potential compensation available for a victim of a traumatic spinal cord injury. The amount of damages ranges depending on the severity of the injury and the situation that caused it.
Depending on the case, a victim may be able to recover financial compensation for economic damages like:
- Past and current medical bills,
- Future medical care costs,
- Wages lost during recovery,
- Potential future lost income,
- Cost of medications and medical equipment, and
- Physical therapy.
You may also be able to recover additional compensation for noneconomic damages. These are personal losses that can’t be easily calculated in exact financial terms. Examples include:
- Pain and suffering,
- Emotional distress and trauma,
- Disfigurement or disability, and
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
When you have a severe condition requiring long-term treatment, it can be difficult to accurately measure the full financial cost of your injury. A spinal injury attorney experienced with these complex cases is the best person to help you reach a fair damages estimate.
Answers to FAQs: Spinal Cord Injuries from Vehicle Collisions and Other Accidents
Q: How common are spinal cord injuries from automotive accidents?
Spinal cord injuries from automotive accidents are more common than most people realize. In fact, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), auto accidents are the leading cause of traumatic spinal cord injuries among people under the age of 65. Falls are the leading cause for older individuals, although many seniors will be at increased risk for these types of personal injuries in the event of a motor vehicle collision as well.
Q: What are the initial symptoms of a traumatic spinal cord injury?
While the symptoms of different types of spinal cord injuries vary, muscle pain and weakness are common signs of all types of traumatic SCI. Other common symptoms include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Digestive problems
- Heart rate or blood pressure abnormalities
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Loss of sensation (particularly in the torso, arms, and legs)
- Muscle spasticity
- Sexual dysfunction
If you are concerned about a possible injury to your spinal cord and you have not yet sought medical attention, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. If you aren’t sure where to go for treatment, we can provide you with a referral.
Q: What is an acute spinal cord injury?
In the context of SCI, “acute” is another word for traumatic. So, an acute spinal cord injury is any injury that results from an impact, tearing, torsion, or penetration of the spine.
Q: Can I recover my lost wages if I am unable to work due to a traumatic injury to my spinal cord?
Yes, if someone else was at fault in the accident, you are entitled to recover all of your financial and non-financial losses under Mississippi law. This includes your lost wages through the date of your settlement or court verdict as well as future lost wages if you are diagnosed with a long-term disability. In many cases, accident victims’ future losses will be far greater than the losses they suffer while their case is pending. Accurately calculating future losses is a crucial step toward recovering just compensation.
Q: Can I recover financial compensation for chronic back pain?
Yes. “Pain and suffering” is a category of non-financial losses that can be recovered in a successful personal injury claim in Mississippi. In addition to compensation for your ongoing medical treatment and prescriptions, we can help you seek compensation for the physical and psychological effects of your injured spinal cord.
How Can a Spinal Cord Injury Attorney Help Me?
Victims of spinal cord injuries are in a state of physical and financial vulnerability. Even if you are eligible for compensation, it can be incredibly taxing to juggle the paperwork and procedures necessary to access the money you’re owed.
Since spine injuries are often high in value, insurers are more likely to dispute or deny claims for benefits. When they do offer settlements, they’re unlikely to capture the full economic and noneconomic costs of your injury. This doesn’t just include past and present costs, but future ones: treatment and accommodations needed in cases of long-term impairment, the loss of income-earning capacity, and the psychological burden that these changes put on you and your family.
However, an attorney experienced with the devastating effects of spinal cord injuries can help negotiate with an insurer on your behalf. A qualified spine injury lawyer is trained to examine your situation in detail and accurately identify the economic and noneconomic losses you’ve suffered. If someone else is liable for your injuries, a legal professional can also help gather evidence and build a case to hold them responsible.
Committed and Aggressive Advocates for Accident Victims
- Personalized Attention: We care about your case, and it shows.
- Direct 24/7 Access: You can reach your attorney directly 24/7.
- Attention to Detail: We focus on the details to maximize our clients’ recoveries.
- Unwavering Commitment: We do what it takes to win.
- Client-Focused Representation: If you aren’t satisfied, neither are we.
Contact our Gulfport Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
To find out how much you are entitled to recover from the injury to your spinal cord, please contact us to schedule your free, no-obligation initial consultation. Contact us today to speak with our Gulfport spinal cord injury lawyers about your case, we are here to help you. Phone directly, or send our Gulfport spinal cord injury attorneys your contact information and we will call, text, or email you shortly. As an experienced injury lawyers, we also have expertise in representing accident victims with other types of personal injury cases such as trucking accidents, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and wrongful death claim. Our law firm is located in Gulfport, Mississippi and we are honored to serve Biloxi, Pascagoula, and all of Jackson and Harrison Counties.
