Spinal Cord Injury Attorney in Scottsdale

Legal Representation for Personal Injury Victims Seeking Financial Compensation

Injuries to the spinal cord are among the most extreme injuries that any person could sustain and potentially survive. These catastrophic injuries can result in the loss of the ability to move, loss of sensation, and loss of other bodily functions. Similar to other serious injuries, spinal cord injuries are often the result of another person’s negligence, recklessness, or maliciousness.

If you or a family member has suffered a spine injury, you are likely feeling overwhelmed by the legal process and the cost of medical recovery. While there is no current cure for most serious spinal cord injuries, there are treatments that can help alleviate pain and suffering. However, these treatments and care require no small amount of money. It should be unthinkable that the victim of a serious accident would be the party responsible for covering medical expenses and other costs related to the spinal injury. If you do not take appropriate legal action, though, you may indeed be on the hook for these costly expenses.

Whether your spinal cord injury was caused by a commercial trucking accident, a slip and fall, medical malpractice, or some other unfortunate occurrence, you deserve the chance to seek justice and recover financial compensation.

Our law firm, led by experienced personal injury attorney Wilson Ortiz, would be proud to lend legal assistance to you as you pursue justice and financial recovery for your spinal cord injury claim. Unlike other law firms that take on countless clients and can only offer the bare minimum attention to each individual, our smaller firm is able to provide more personalized legal services uniquely tailored to each individual case. To learn more about our law firm and how we can assist you, please get in touch with our offices to schedule your free case review today.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries?

Motor vehicle accidents, including commercial truck accidents, car accidents, bicycle accidents, motorcycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents, are by far the most common cause of spinal cord injuries, according to the Mayo Clinic. The impact of a serious car crash can jolt, throw, twist, and pulverize a human being. These accidents can cause serious injuries to the back and neck, potentially breaking or severing delicate spinal cord and vertebrae. Nearly 38% of all spinal cord injuries were the result of automobile accidents in the United States.

Following motor vehicle accidents, slip and falls were responsible for approximately 31% of all spinal cord injuries reported since the year 2015. A trip or slip and then a sudden stop on a hard floor or pavement can cause significant damage to the spinal cord.

Assaults and acts of violence made up approximately 14% of all spinal cord injuries reported since 2015. Gunshot wounds were the primary cause of spinal cord injuries resulting from violence.

Diving and other sports-related injuries also make up many spinal cord injury accidents in the United States. Horseback riding, winter sports, skiing, and American football have been associated with spinal injuries.

Medical malpractice has been responsible for a fair number of spinal injuries in the US. Improper diagnosis of spinal tumors, misreading tests, inadequately immobilizing patients after they’ve suffered traumatic injuries, and mistakes in the delivery room can result in paralysis, cerebral palsy, or birth injuries.

Other major causes of spinal cord injuries include workplace accidents, especially for those in dangerous work environments like construction workers, miners, agricultural workers, delivery drivers, and warehouse employees.

What Are the Symptoms of a Spinal Cord Injury?

There are four different levels of spinal cord injuries. Cervical spinal cord injuries (C1-8) are often catastrophic, with the potential of resulting in quadriplegia. Some cases may even be fatal. Thoracic spinal cord injuries (T1-12) can lead to paraplegia, hemiplegia, and triplegia. Lumbar spinal cord injuries (L1-5) may impact bowel and bladder control. And sacral spinal cord injuries (S1-5) may cause partial loss of function in the lower body.

Symptoms commonly associated with a spinal cord injury include the following:

• Chronic neck pain.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Exaggerated reflexes.
• Extreme levels of pain in the neck, back, and head.
• Loss of bowel and bladder control.
• Loss of movement.
• Numbness.
• Spasms and seizures.
• Tingling sensations and fingers and toes.
• Unexplained weakness.
• And paralysis.

What Are the Costs of Spinal Injuries Over a Lifetime?

Spinal cord injury victims will encounter a wide range of challenges that may impact the rest of their natural lives. In addition to the pain they might have to endure forever, they will likely need regular medical attention. This medical treatment will likely create a considerable financial burden on the victim and their family.

Financial damages that may be associated with a spinal cord injury include:

• Adaptations to your home environment to account for physical impairment.
• Initial hospitalization.
• Lost wages.
• Medical equipment.
• Rehab.
• Temporary or permanent caregiver costs.

Additionally, the average remaining lifespan for an individual who has suffered a spinal cord injury is dramatically reduced from the life expectancies of individuals without spinal cord injuries.

Can a Personal Injury Attorney Help You Pursue Financial Recovery?

With a successful personal injury claim, you can recover financial compensation for your injuries and other losses. This compensation may come in the form of both economic and non-economic damages.

Economic damages may include:

• Cost of adaptations to home environment.
• Lost wages and lost income earning capacity.
• Past medical bills and future medical expenses.
• Physical therapy expenses.
• Property damage.
• The cost of medical caregivers and at-home nurses.
• The cost of medical equipment.

Non-economic damages may include the following:

• Disability, dismemberment, or disfigurement.
• Emotional distress.
• Loss of companionship or consortium.
• Lost quality of life.
• Mental anguish.
• Physical pain and suffering.
• Wrongful death.

Schedule a Free Case Evaluation with an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer Today

Factors that may impact the worth of your personal injury case may include the severity of the injuries, the cost of ongoing medical care and living expenses, the age of the victim, and the victim’s life expectancy. To discuss your case in more detail, please schedule a free consultation with our law firm today.

Personal injury lawyer Wilson Ortiz operates on a contingency fee basis, meaning that you don’t pay unless we win a settlement for your case. Schedule your free, no-obligation case evaluation today. You may reach us at 623-294-1442.