Child & Jackson can help you if you’ve been in an accident that’s caused you spinal cord injuries in Folsom. Any injury brings challenges, but few can be as painful or life-changing as a Spinal cord injury. We can guide you through the claims process from start to finish so you can focus on moving forward. Set up a free consultation today.
Why a Lawyer Makes Sense With a Spinal Cord Injury Claim
When you’re in an accident that leaves you with a spinal cord injury, it can be incredibly scary. These injuries can change almost every part of your life, and the effects may continue long after the accident itself. So from that perspective, it’s a bit easier to see why getting a lawyer makes sense—even though you’re not required to. Our team can help you by:
- Looking into how your accident happened and who might be responsible
- Gathering medical records and other information that shows the impact of your injury
- Handling the back-and-forth with insurance companies
- Understanding how your Spinal cord injury might affect your ability to work and live your life in the future
Obviously, every injury is different, and everyone’s situation is different. But with Spinal cord injuries, you’re already dealing with enough just getting out of bed in the morning. You shouldn’t also have to take on the claims process, too. That’s why we take over the legal side of things, allowing you the space to focus on getting better or adjusting to what comes next.
How Spinal Cord Injuries Happen in Folsom
One of the most difficult things about a spinal cord injury is that it can happen in all kinds of accidents and everyday situations. Now, certain kinds of accidents obviously lead to these injuries more commonly, especially:
- Car accidents along Highway 50 and other busy roads throughout Folsom
- Motorcycle and bicycle accidents, especially when you’re thrown from the vehicle or hit the ground
- Pedestrian accidents in busy areas where a vehicle strikes you while you’re on foot
- Slip-and-fall accidents, particularly back or headfirst falls onto hard surfaces like concrete or pavement
- Accidents on someone else’s property caused by dangerous conditions or poor maintenance
Of course, spinal cord injuries can also happen in accidents at work, construction accidents, and other situations where you’re exposed to dangerous conditions. What’s important, though, is to understand that a spinal cord injury almost always means a hard road to recovery—both in the short and long-term. The Mayo Clinic notes that Spinal cord injuries frequently mean:
- Serious pain or pressure in your neck, back, or head
- Weakness, poor coordination, or trouble controlling part of your body
- Numbness, tingling, or a loss of feeling in your hands, fingers, feet, or toes
- Problems controlling your bladder or bowels
- Trouble with balance or walking
- Trouble breathing after the injury
- Loss of strength or movement, including paralysis
- Changes in how you feel heat, cold, touch, or other sensations
- Muscle spasms or unusually strong reflexes
- Changes in sexual function or sensitivity
- Sharp, burning, or intense pain caused by damage to the nerves in your spinal cord
- Trouble breathing, coughing, or clearing your lungs
Obviously, it’s not surprising that spinal cord injuries are so serious. They affect your entire body, and not just that, but how you live your life and how others have to care for you. So in a lot of ways, an injury claim is the last thing on your mind. But it’s also there to help you, and with the right information, you can put yourself in a better position as you try to heal.
Information That Can Help You With a Spinal Cord Injury Claim
A lot of people think that something as serious as a spinal injury speaks for itself. Unfortunately, though, the claims process doesn’t necessarily work that way. Even if you understand what happened and what might’ve left you with such an injury, it still takes certain information and documentation to get the most out of your injury claim.
But there’s something crucial to remember here: you don’t need to get this information right away. In fact, the very first thing that you need to do is report the accident to someone in charge, call 911, and get immediate medical care. Everything else flows from that, so when you start thinking ahead to your claim, here’s what can help you:
- Medical records. Your medical records are one of the most important parts of a spinal cord injury claim. They can help connect your injury to the accident, show the treatment you’ve already needed, and give a better idea of what you may need going forward.
- Accident reports. Police reports, workplace reports, property owner records, or other reports can help document what happened and provide information about who may have been responsible.
- Pictures and videos. Photos or videos of the accident scene, damaged vehicles, dangerous conditions, or surveillance footage can help show what happened and how your injury occurred.
- Information about your daily life. Remember, a spinal cord injury can affect much more than your physical health. Keeping track of missed work, changes to your routine, trouble getting around, or things you can no longer do can help show how the injury has changed your everyday life.
- People who saw the accident or noticed changes in your mobility, routine, or daily life afterward may be able to provide useful information about what happened and how the injury is impacting you.
With a spinal cord injury, the details matter. The more information you have, the stronger your potential claim will be. But it’s also important for another reason: showing who might be responsible.
How Legal Responsibility Works With a Spinal Cord Injury Claim
A spinal cord injury is incredibly serious, but the legal question at the core of it is the same as any other: who’s responsible? In legal terms, this means showing negligence, or that:
- Someone did something—or didn’t do something—that led directly to the accident that left you with a spinal cord injury.
That sounds pretty broad, and it comes down to what actually happened. But most of the time, responsibility falls on:
- A driver who caused a car or motorcycle accident
- A careless property owner or management company that didn’t take care of something dangerous
- A company or employer that cut corners on safety or maintenance
- A company that made or sold a dangerous or defective product
- A contractor or other party whose negligence contributed to the accident
- A government agency that ignored a dangerous condition
Like any injury claim, responsibility can be hard to narrow down with a Spinal cord injury. But the fact remains that it’s the starting point of the claims process, and the financial support you and your family need for this type of injury is going to be extremely important.
Damages Available in a Spinal Cord Injury Claim
One of the hardest parts of a spinal cord injury claim is understanding what your injury is actually worth. Spinal cord injuries aren’t always something that can be measured right away. Some people continue to improve with treatment, while others face permanent limitations.
Because of that, it is important to look at both your current losses and what you may need in the future. So whether you decide to file an insurance claim out of court or go with a full personal injury lawsuit, your damages can include:
- Current and future medical expenses, covering everything from the initial ambulance ride and emergency hospital stay to surgeries, physical therapy, specialist visits, medications, medical equipment, and any long-term care you may need down the road.
- Lost income, covering the paychecks you missed while taking time off to heal, as well as the long-term financial impact if your injury keeps you from returning to your old job or earning what you used to.
- Pain and suffering, which covers the physical pain and daily hardships a Spinal cord injury can bring. It can come from chronic pain, limited movement, loss of independence, and the physical challenges that continue long after the accident.
- Emotional distress, covering the anxiety, frustration, depression, fear, and psychological toll that can come with suddenly having to adjust to a very different way of life.
- Loss of quality of life, which covers the profound loss that happens when an injury takes away your ability to enjoy life, whether that means playing with your kids, participating in your favorite hobbies, staying active, or simply doing the things you used to take for granted.
Every spinal cord injury is different. Your damages aren’t going to be the same as someone else’s, even if it came from the same type of accident. But it’s the long-term challenges that come with this type of injury that can make the claims process difficult. One way or the other, though, you and your family don’t have to face it alone with our team on your side.
Contact Child & Jackson After a Spinal Cord Injury in Folsom
A spinal cord injury can change your life in ways you never expected. Beyond the physical injury itself, everything can get turned upside down. All of a sudden, you’re facing huge changes to your day-to-day life, and that impacts everyone around you.
At Child & Jackson, our Folsom team can help you understand your options and take steps toward getting the financial support to get you and your family back on track. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more about how we can help.