SHREVEPORT BACK INJURY LAWYER
PRACTICE AREAS
Spinal Cord and Back Injury Lawyer in Bossier City & Shreveport, LA
Millions of people in the United States suffer daily from serious spinal cord and back injuries. There are a number of potential causes of these types of personal injuries, but the most common are automobile and trucking accidents. Because this is such a serious injury and can lead to chronic pain and lifelong mental anguish, it is important that personal injury victims who have sustained injuries due to another’s negligence obtain the legal assistance of a Shreveport personal injury lawyer as soon after the accident as possible.
If you or a loved one has suffered a back or spinal cord injury in the Shreveport-Bossier area and you seek legal guidance, you need the help of The Law Offices of Michael J. Vergis. Michael Vergis is a dedicated personal injury lawyer with over 20 years of experience providing top-notch legal services to clients all throughout North Louisiana. To speak about your unique personal injury matters, contact our law firm today at (318) 698-3724 for a free consultation with a top Shreveport-Bossier personal injury attorney.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Any traumatic injury to the spinal cord is known as spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injuries are frequently the outcome of serious accidents caused by the negligence or recklessness of another party. A traumatic impact to the spine fractures or dislocates vertebrae and causes bruising or ripping of the spinal cord tissue. It is not uncommon for a form of paralysis or a C5/C6 injury to accompany these types of injuries.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the degree of disability induced by a spinal cord injury is determined by the location and severity of the injury. The spinal cord is the connection between the brain and the rest of the body. When the cord’s fibers are injured, some communications are stopped, and any bodily functions that rely on the blocked messages are lost. Unfortunately, although there are plenty of revolutionary treatments and therapy out there, there is no way to completely reverse a spinal cord injury.
Common Causes of Back and Spine Injuries
The most common cause of spinal cord injury is a violent blow to the spine that dislocates or fractures vertebrae, causing tearing or bruising of the tissue in the spinal cord. Whether due to a car accident, a fall, or any other harsh impact, spinal cord injuries frequently result in some degree of paralysis. Even if the accident did not result in damage to the spinal cord but rather the back, back injuries can lead to a lifetime of complications and insufferable pain.
The events listed below are among those that could result in a back or spinal cord injury:
Accidents Involving Motor Vehicles
Car accidents are one of the most common causes of blunt force trauma leading to spinal cord injuries, as well as the most common type of personal injury cases. You may be able to sue another driver for your injuries if their activities caused the car accident. You are entitled to compensation to pay your medical bills, missed wages, and other damages.
Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider, through omission or negligence, causes harm to a patient. Some types of malpractice that could result in a spinal cord injury include performing an unnecessary procedure, a critical error made during surgery, failure to recognize and identify an injury or illness, insufficient pre or post-operative care, and failure to inform you of the risks associated with surgery.
Product Liability
Certain products may cause harm to the user due to manufacturing flaws. A malfunction could cause physical harm if a manufacturer intentionally offers a defective product, such as an automobile part or a kitchen appliance.
Premises Liability
The owner of a home or commercial property is responsible for keeping the area safe for visitors. Unfortunately, a lack of frequent maintenance or poor repairs might result in harmful situations that can lead to a premises liability lawsuit. Spinal cord injuries can occur in a variety of ways, including faulty elevators or escalators, damaged staircases, missing handrails, wet/slippery floors, loose rugs/carpeting, cracked or uneven sidewalks, and potholes in a parking lot. Call Bossier City premises liability lawyer Michael J. Vergis to learn more about these types of cases.
Workplace Accidents
Workplace hazards are unavoidable at times. You could injure your spinal cord whether you work in an office or on a construction site. Some examples of common industrial incidents that might result in a spinal cord injury include a fall from heights, faulty machinery or equipment, assault, electric shock, a task requiring repetitive motions, or a slip and fall.
Nursing Home Negligence Cases
Nursing home residents are vulnerable to a variety of forms of abuse, including physical assault. If a staff member or even another patient kicks, punches, shoves, or physically assaults someone, the spinal cord may be injured. In these types of unfortunate cases, our Shreveport personal injury attorneys are ready to hold the abusers accountable and achieve compensation for the resident’s pain and suffering.
Back and Spinal Cord Injury Treatment
Due to the severe nature of a spinal cord injury, medical expenses typically reach outrageous heights. Take into account the fact that emergency medical assistance is likely required at the scene of the accident, wherever that may be and however the injury may have occurred. From there, you’re looking at ambulance fees, emergency (sometimes life-saving) care, surgery, multiple overnight hospital stays, medication, medical equipment, physical therapy, and much more.
On top of that, while the injury victim is recovering, they more than likely won’t be able to work and retain their regular wages. Sometimes, even after a person has reached maximum recovery, they still won’t be able to return to work or at least pick back up their typical job duties. With all of this in mind, spinal cord injuries can severely limit a victim’s ability to work, socialize, and pay for necessary medical treatment.
This is why we stress the importance of obtaining help from an experienced personal injury law firm. For all the years that he has practiced law, Shreveport-Bossier personal injury attorney Michael J. Vergis has been committed to holding negligent parties responsible for his client’s injuries. If you or a loved one has suffered serious back injuries, neck injuries, or spinal cord damage and need compensation to recuperate, the legal professionals at the Law Offices of Michael J. Vergis may be able to assist you in filing a personal injury case against the liable party.
What Damages Can You Recover for a Back or Spinal Cord Injury?
In the aftermath of a major back or spinal cord injury, compensation from the at-fault party may be the only way to achieve financial security and pay off medical expenses. Depending on the severity of the injury, the average lifetime cost of a spinal cord injury ranges from $1.5 million to more than $4.8 million. Unfortunately, the typical injury victim does not have millions of dollars to spend on medical treatment and accommodations for their disability.
Each personal injury accident case is different, so it is impossible to predict the damages you may be entitled to. However, an experienced personal injury trial attorney like Michael J. Vergis can help determine the losses and damages you have experienced as a result of the accident and fight to help you obtain them. The following are the most common types of damages that victims receive:
Medical Costs
Medical bills are the most costly aspect of a spinal cord injury. Regular appointments, rehabilitation and therapy sessions, medical devices, prescriptions, live-in nursing care, and surgical operations are all examples of medical costs.
Costs of Disability
You may be entitled to recover for related expenses if your spinal cord injury resulted in a lifelong disability. To accommodate your impairment, you may need to pay for a new wheelchair-friendly car or house improvements.
Diminished Earnings Capacity
You could lose your job if you have paraplegia, tetraplegia, or another type of spinal cord damage. You may be eligible to recoup the costs of your lost wages during the initial period following your injury, as well as future lost earning capability due to a disability.
Emotional Trauma
It’s a life-changing experience to lose your ability to walk, run, pick up your children, or eat on your own. Intangible losses resulting from your injuries, such as emotional distress, lost enjoyment of life, and psychological suffering, may be recoverable.
Compensation for Property Damage
If the accident that caused your injury also resulted in property damage, such as a wrecked vehicle, you may be entitled to compensation for the cost of repairing or replacing the damaged item.
Wrongful Death
If a spinal cord injury leads to wrongful death, the victim’s family may be entitled to sue the responsible party. In some circumstances, the victim’s family may be entitled to compensation for their loved one’s agony and suffering, as well as money to help with the financial burden left by their loved one’s absence.
How Much is a Back Injury Settlement Worth?
The average annual expense of treating a spinal injury is from $15,000 to $30,000. The lifetime expenditures are estimated to be in excess of $3 million. This is a significant expenditure for anyone to bear, and insurance will only cover a portion of it.
For many people facing a difficult future without the financial assistance they need and deserve, this can be a grim image. There is, however, reason to be optimistic. With the guidance of an experienced spinal cord injury lawyer, you may be able to file a claim against the person or entity that caused your damage.
Compensation for a spinal cord injury may be enough to compensate for all of your losses in the past and in the future. A serious and permanently crippling spine injury often results in a settlement of more than $1 million. Less significant back injuries (such as slipped or herniated disks, whiplash, back sprains, etc.) will, on average, result in lesser settlements.
Why Do I Need a Lawyer for my Back Injury?
Adjusters for insurance companies are used to dealing with catastrophic injury sufferers and are aware of the high costs and difficulties of living with permanent spinal damage. Insurance companies use a variety of strategies to limit their exposure to these costly claims, such as denying that their insured caused the accident, blaming the accident on the victim, or contesting the medical evidence proving the nature of the damage. Insurers may strive to settle a claim quickly before the true costs are discovered, or they may fight a full and fair payout. A spinal cord injury attorney can help you navigate this complicated process.
Laws That May Impact Your Claim
The Louisiana statute of limitations is one of the most important laws to be aware of for personal injury claims. Louisiana’s Civil Code stipulates that you have one year from the date of the accident to initiate a case. An experienced spinal injury lawyer can help you stay aware of this law and any others that impact your claim. Louisiana also follows the comparative negligence rule. This means that if you are judged to be partially at fault for the accident, the amount of money you can recover will be lowered by the percentage of fault you have. For example, if you are awarded $100,000 in damages for an accident and are found to be 10% at blame, your damages will be reduced by $10,000.
Request a Free Case Evaluation from a Back and Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer in Shreveport and Bossier City
If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury as a result of someone else’s carelessness, you may be entitled to financial compensation. You should seek legal advice from a Shreveport spinal injury attorney as soon as possible, before speaking with an insurance adjuster or signing anything. As soon as you establish an attorney-client relationship with one of our Shreveport personal injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Michael J. Vergis, we will handle every aspect of your personal injury claim from there on out. That means we will handle negotiations with the other party’s insurance company to ensure a fair settlement or fight for you in court to receive maximum compensation.
What’s more, our law office operates on a contingency fee basis. So when you hire our personal injury attorneys for your legal representation, you owe us nothing if we don’t win your case. Call Louisiana spinal cord injury attorney Michael J. Vergis for a free consultation at (318) 698-3724.
Our firm’s lawyers are qualified to practice in both state and federal courts and also take on criminal and civil law cases, meaning we provide outstanding criminal defense and civil litigation services, as well as family law cases.
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