Missouri City Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

Spinal cord injuries are life-altering, with enormous impacts to your physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing. A Missouri City spinal cord injury lawyer can help an injured person and their family regain stability by reviewing the incident, identifying negligent parties, and holding them financially accountable.

A skilled catastrophic injury attorney also could help a family manage their bills and communicate with insurance companies. This relieves pressure on the family and prevents any inadvertent admissions of responsibility that could reduce the injured person’s compensation.

Negligence Typically Causes Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries are almost always the result of accidents, and accidents are often the result of negligence. Negligence means failing to use the same degree of care that a reasonable person would have used in similar circumstances.

The federal National Institutes of Health tracks spinal cord injuries in the U.S. According to NIH data, the leading cause of spinal cord injury among people younger than 65 is vehicle accidents. The leading cause among older adults is slips and falls. Gunshot wounds and sports injuries are the other major causes.

When the negligence of a person, business or corporation, or government agency causes someone else to suffer a spinal cord injury, the injured person can seek compensation from the negligent parties. However, the injured person must act quickly. The law in Texas allows injured people only two years to bring a claim for compensation. If the claim is against a government agency, they must file a notice within a few months. Contacting a Missouri City attorney soon after the spine injury ensures that the necessary paperwork will be filed timely to preserve the claim.

Identifying Responsible Parties After an Accident

Investigating an accident soon after it occurs is critical. Depending on the circumstances, there could be multiple parties with some legal responsibility for the incident. Asserting claims against all the potentially responsible parties provides more sources of insurance coverage, which can ensure that the injured person receives proper compensation for their injuries.

A spinal injury attorney in Missouri City carefully analyzes the parties involved in the incident to determine who should be named on the suit. It might even include people who were not physically present at the scene of the injury.

Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 33.003 requires each responsible party to contribute to the injured person’s compensation proportionally, depending on their degree of fault. When an injury case goes to trial, the jury apportions responsibility. However, most cases settle without a trial and the parties negotiate the allocation of responsibility.

Damages in Cases of Life-Altering Injuries

The compensation an injured person receives from the responsible parties is called their damages. An injured person must prove their damages through documentation, photographs, medical records, and other evidence.

Economic damages reimburse expenses the injured person would not have incurred if not for their injury. They include property damage, medical bills, and all the costs of adapting to life in a wheelchair, including home renovations and a wheelchair accessible vehicle. Lost wages are included in economic damages, and when the injured person cannot resume their former employment, damages cover their diminished future earnings.

Non-economic damages cover the effects of the injury on the claimant’s quality of life. A person with a spinal cord injury could collect non-economic damages for their embarrassment, inconvenience, physical pain, disability, disfigurement, and the emotional impact of becoming wheelchair bound. Because these losses have no set dollar value, a spinal injury attorney in Missouri City must present a compelling case to persuade the responsible parties or the jury that the devastating losses merit a large payout.

Consult a Missouri City, TX Attorney Immediately After a Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord trauma require significant adjustment, mentally and physically. Financial pressures can make the adjustment more difficult and prevent you from living the fullest life possible after your incident.

A Missouri City spinal cord injury lawyer helps you and your family navigate the system and ensure the people responsible for your injuries are held accountable. Reach out as soon as possible to speak with a reliable personal injury lawyer today.