While many forms of injury heal over time, spinal cord injuries, time may not resolve the harm but compound it. Debilitating injuries to your physical and emotional well-being may continue years after the initial damage, and the financial costs can stack up. When someone else is responsible for this harm in your life, they should take responsibility for your suffering. Our San Antonio spinal cord injury lawyers can help you hold others responsible by negotiating with insurance companies and, when necessary, arguing in court. Speak to a diligent catastrophic injury attorney to learn about your legal options.
Spinal cord injuries happen without warning and may reshape a victim’s entire life. Physical impacts can vary, including chronic pain, loss of sensation, respiratory difficulties, cardiac problems, loss of bladder and bowel control, and paralysis. Victims may also experience emotional trauma, such as behavioral changes, anxiety, and depression. Addressing these needs may require innovative, costly, and constant intervention such as:
After a severe spinal injury, a victim will need extensive care in all areas of their lives, and paying for this care may bankrupt families, especially if the treatment or technology needed is new and deemed experimental by insurance companies. Treatments such as these are often not covered by regular health insurance. Adding to the financial burdens facing these families is the reality that the family income is likely to drop significantly. Victims may be unemployable, and family members may need to leave their jobs to provide daily care.
A well-negotiated settlement or fair lawsuit award may offset if not pay for these lifetime expenses. Involving a dedicated San Antonio spinal cord injury lawyer early in the process may make securing this lifeline more likely.
While money cannot heal a victim’s spinal cord injuries, it may go a long way in providing necessary medical care and therapies as well as improving their overall quality of life. If medical treatment or surgery, a dangerous product, a motor vehicle accident, or any event caused by another person’s negligence caused the injury, funds may be available in the form of damages.
Awards or settlements may reimburse for both economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages account for easily quantifiable outlays such as medical and other treatment bills, lost wages, travel and housing expenses, and caregivers. Noneconomic damages address pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of consortium, and potential loss of enjoyment of life.
While there are no caps on these compensatory damages except when a medical error is involved, Texas applies modified comparative negligence. Each party’s percentage of responsibility dictates how much they may recover. So, if the defendant was responsible for 80 percent of the accident and the injured party contributed 20 percent, the amount received by the injured party would be 80 percent of the total damages award. However, it is essential to note that if the injured party is more than 50 percent at fault, they will receive nothing.
Time is not on your side when you are dealing with a spinal cord injury. The sooner you address both these areas, the sooner you can start to get your life back on track. Knowledgeable and compassionate San Antonio spinal cord injury lawyers are prepared to review your unique situation and aggressively represent you in and out of court. Call now to get started.