Sarasota Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

Spinal cord injuries are some of the most traumatic and devastating outcomes of vehicle accidents, often resulting in lifelong consequences that can affect your mobility, independence, and quality of life.

In Sarasota, where our busy roads and daily traffic accidents pose a constant risk to drivers, victims of spinal cord injuries face not just physical challenges but also significant financial and emotional damage. A Sarasota spinal cord injury lawyer can help you navigate the legal complexities, hold those negligent accountable, and get you the compensation you need to rebuild your life.

Spinal Cord Injuries in Vehicular Accidents

A spinal cord injury happens when the spinal cord is damaged by trauma, and the communication between the brain and the body is disrupted. In accidents, these injuries often result from high-impact collisions, rollovers, or being ejected from a vehicle.

Even minor car accidents can cause significant spinal trauma, depending on the angle and force of impact.

Spinal cord injuries are typically classified into two categories:

• Complete Injuries: These occur when all sensory and motor function below the point of injury is lost.
• Incomplete Injuries: These occur when some sensory or motor function remains below the injury site.

Common symptoms of these injuries can include loss of movement, difficulty breathing, chronic pain, and loss of bladder or bowel control. Depending on how severe the injuries are, it can often mean undergoing surgeries, long-term care, rehabilitation, and significant lifestyle changes.

Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries

Car accidents are one of the leading causes of spinal cord injuries. Some of the most common accident scenarios that result in these injuries include:

High-Speed Collisions: The force generated during high-speed crashes can cause severe spinal damage, especially if the occupant is not wearing a seat belt.

Rear-End Collisions: Sudden impacts from behind can lead to whiplash or more severe spinal injuries due to the abrupt jerking motion of the neck and back.

Rollover Accidents: When vehicles overturn, occupants are at risk of being crushed, ejected, or experiencing violent jolts that damage the spinal cord.

Motorcycle Accidents: Victims of motorcycle accidents or scooter accidents have far less protection than those in larger vehicles, and a much greater risk of being thrown and suffering impact injuries, making them especially vulnerable to spinal cord injuries in crashes.

Pedestrian and Cyclist Accidents: Pedestrians and cyclists struck by vehicles often sustain severe spinal injuries due to the direct impact.

Understanding what caused your accident is key to assigning liability and putting together the strongest possible case for compensation.

The Impact of Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries will affect every aspect of your life. Physical challenges (include partial or complete paralysis), chronic pain, and the need for assistive medical equipment like wheelchairs or ventilators.

Many victims also face psychological struggles, including depression, anxiety, and loss of independence.

The impact on finances due to a spinal cord injury can be equally difficult to handle. Medical expenses for surgeries, rehabilitation services, and required assistive devices can quickly escalate into hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. Victims may also lose their ability to work, further straining their finances.

Families of victims must often bear both the emotional and financial burden that follows and provide caregiver support while dealing with their own grief, stress, and uncertainty.

A Sarasota spinal cord injury lawyer understands the profound challenges victims and their families face. They work to secure compensation that covers all aspects of the injury, providing financial relief and a path toward recovery.

Why Do You Need a Sarasota Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer?

Navigating a spinal cord injury claim without legal representation can be overwhelming.

A Sarasota spinal cord injury lawyer will provide the expertise and resources that your family needs to navigate the complexities of your injury case. From investigating the details surrounding your accident to negotiating with insurance providers, your attorney takes steps to fight for your rights and to secure the maximum possible compensation for your losses.

These steps can include:

Investigation

They’ll begin by thoroughly investigating the accident and gathering evidence. They’ll calculate the full extent of all of your damages, including both current and potential future expenses and losses, to make sure that your claim reflects the true and total impact of the injury.

If negotiations with insurance companies fail, which they occasionally do, your lawyer will be prepared to take your case to court.

Having an experienced attorney by your side allows you to focus on your recovery while they handle the legal complexities of your case.

Proving Liability

Establishing all liable parties in a spinal cord injury case means that your lawyer must prove how each party’s negligence contributed to your accident and injury. Examples of negligence in vehicle accidents include:

• Distracted driving, such as texting or using a phone
• Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Speeding or driving reckless
• Failing to obey traffic signals or yield the right of way
• Poor vehicle maintenance that led to mechanical failure

To prove negligence, your Sarasota spinal cord injury lawyer will conduct a comprehensive investigation and gather key evidence like police reports, eyewitness statements, accident scene pictures, or video footage. In some cases, they’ll consult with an accident reconstruction expert to show how the crash occurred and establish responsibility.

Seeking Compensation

Victims of spinal cord injuries may be entitled to compensation for a wide range of damages. These include:

• Medical Expenses: This covers surgeries, hospital stays, prescribed medications, physical therapy sessions, and any future medical care. Lifetime medical costs for spinal cord injury victims can be considerable, especially when ongoing rehabilitation or assistive technology is required.
• Lost Wages: Financial compensation for lost income because of time away from your job, inability to return to a job, or any reduced earning capacity.
• Pain and Suffering: These are non-economic damages that refer to physical pain or emotional distress you’ve suffered due to your injury.
• Home Modifications: Many spinal cord injury victims need to modify their homes to accommodate wheelchairs or other assistive devices. These costs can be included in the claim.
• Loss of Consortium: This is compensation for any negative impact that your injury has on the relationships with your spouse or family.

Your spinal cord injury lawyer will calculate the full extent of your damages to ensure that your compensation reflects the long-term impact of the injury.

It’s also important to keep in mind that Florida’s statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit is only two years from the date of your accident. Missing the statute of limitations can mean that you lose your right to pursue compensation, making it crucial to act promptly.

Contacting a Sarasota spinal cord injury lawyer as soon as possible helps ensure that important evidence doesn’t get lost and that witnesses’ memories of the incident are still fresh in their minds. These are critical factors in building a winning case.