How Will My Spinal Cord Injury Affect My Future?

A spinal cord injury can impact your daily life in many ways. It’s normal to worry about what will happen next. Here, we will explore how a spinal cord injury might affect various aspects of your life and discuss how a spinal cord injury attorney can help ensure funds to cover your costs and losses.

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What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?

A spinal cord injury happens when something damages your spinal cord. Your spinal cord is like a cable that runs from your brain down your back. It carries messages between your brain and your body. When it gets hurt, those messages can’t get through. This can cause problems with movement, feeling, and other body functions.

How a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Can Help

A spinal cord injury lawyer knows much about the law and how it applies to spinal cord injuries. They can support you in many ways. They can figure out who caused your injury and hold them responsible. They can talk to insurance companies for you and gather evidence to support your case. They can calculate how much money you should get for your injury and fight for you in court if needed. A good attorney can make a big difference in how much money you get to help with your injury. This money can help cover your medical bills, lost earnings, and other costs related to your injury.

How a Spinal Cord Injury Might Affect Your Job

One of the biggest worries after a spinal cord injury is often about work. You might wonder if you can go back to your old job or if you’ll need to find a new one. Here are some ways a spinal cord injury might affect your job.

You Might Need Time Off Work

Healing from a spinal cord injury takes time. You might need to stay in the hospital for a while. Then, you’ll probably need therapy to get stronger and learn new ways of doing things. During this time, you cannot work at all. A spinal cord injury attorney can assist in securing compensation for the time you can’t work. This is called “lost earnings.” They can also assist in guaranteeing compensation for future lost earnings if you can’t return to work for a long time or at all.

You Might Need to Change How You Do Your Job

If you can return to your old job, you might need some modifications to make it possible. For example, you might need a desk that’s easier to use from a wheelchair, special computer equipment, more breaks during the day, or a different work schedule. These changes are called “accommodations.” The law says that in many cases, your employer must provide reasonable accommodations to enable you to perform your job. A spinal cord injury attorney can help ensure you get the necessary accommodations.

You Might Need to Find a New Job

Sometimes, a spinal cord injury might mean you can’t do your old job anymore. This can be hard to accept. But it doesn’t mean you can’t work at all. Many people with spinal cord injuries find new jobs that fit their abilities. If you need to find a new job, a spinal cord injury lawyer can assist in securing funds for job training or education. This can enable you to acquire new skills for a different type of job.

How a Spinal Cord Injury Might Affect Your Home Life

A spinal cord injury affects more than just your work life. It can also change things at home. Here are some ways your home life might be different.

You Might Need Changes to Your Home

Your home might need changes to make it easier for you to get around and do everyday tasks. These changes might include ramps instead of stairs, wider doorways for a wheelchair, a roll-in shower, lower countertops in the kitchen, and special beds or chairs. These changes can be expensive. A spinal cord injury attorney can assist in securing funds to cover these home modifications.

You Might Need Help with Daily Tasks

Depending on your injury, you might need help with daily tasks like getting dressed, bathing, cooking, cleaning, and driving. You might need to hire someone to help with these tasks. This is called “personal care assistance.” A spinal cord injury lawyer can help get money to pay for this help.

Your Relationships Might Change

A spinal cord injury can affect your relationships with family and friends. You might need more help from them, which can be hard to ask. Or you might feel like people treat you differently now. These changes in relationships can be tough to deal with. While lawyers can’t fix your relationships, they can get you money for counseling or therapy. This can be beneficial for you and your loved ones to adjust to the changes in your life.

How a Spinal Cord Injury Might Affect Your Finances

A spinal cord injury can have a big impact on your money situation. Here are some ways it might affect your finances.

Medical Bills

Spinal cord injuries often require a lot of medical care. This can include hospital stays, surgeries, medications, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and medical equipment like wheelchairs or breathing machines. All of this care can lead to very high medical bills. A spinal cord injury lawyer can get you the money to cover these bills now and in the future.

Lost Income

As we discussed earlier, you cannot work for a while after your injury. Or you cannot earn as much as you did before. This loss of income can make it hard to pay your bills and support yourself or your family. A spinal cord injury attorney can ensure you get money for the income you’ve already lost, income you’ll lose in the future if you can’t work or can’t earn as much, and benefits you might lose, like health insurance or retirement contributions.

New Expenses

Living with a spinal cord injury often means new expenses. These include home modifications, special vehicles, personal care assistance, medications, and medical supplies. These new costs can add up quickly. A spinal cord injury lawyer can secure funds to cover these extra expenses.

How a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Can Help You Get Compensation

Now that we’ve talked about how a spinal cord injury can affect different parts of your life, let’s look at how a spinal cord injury lawyer can ensure you get money to cover these costs and losses.

Proving Who Was at Fault

You must show that someone else caused your injury to get compensation. This can be another driver in a car accident, a property owner who didn’t fix a dangerous condition, or a company that made a faulty product. A spinal cord injury lawyer knows how to investigate what happened and gather evidence to prove who was at fault. They might talk to witnesses, look at police reports, work with expert witnesses who can explain how the injury happened, and gather medical records to show how it affected them.

Calculating Your Damages

“Damages” is a legal term for the money you can get for your losses. There are two main types of damage. Economic damages are costs you can put a specific dollar amount on, like medical bills and lost earnings. Non-economic damages are losses that don’t have a clear dollar value, like pain and suffering or loss of enjoyment of life.

A spinal cord injury lawyer knows how to calculate both types of damages. They can add up all your economic damages and determine a fair amount for your non-economic damages. They might also work with Professionals like doctors or economists to help determine your future costs and losses.

Negotiating with Insurance Companies

Often, the person or company responsible for your injury will have insurance. The insurance company might offer you money to settle your case. But their first offer is usually much less than you deserve. A spinal cord injury lawyer knows how to negotiate with insurance companies. They can understand the true value of your case, argue against attempts to pay you less than you deserve, and handle all communications with the insurance company so you don’t have to.

Filing a Lawsuit If Needed

If the insurance company doesn’t offer a fair settlement, your spinal cord injury lawyer might advise filing a lawsuit. This is a significant step in the legal process, but it’s important to understand that filing a lawsuit doesn’t always mean your case will go to trial. Many cases settle before they reach the courtroom. Filing a lawsuit often sends a powerful message to the other side, showing them that you and your lawyer are serious about pursuing fair compensation for your injuries.

When you file a lawsuit, you initiate a formal legal process. Your spinal cord injury lawyer will prepare a complaint and a legal document outlining your case against the defendant. This complaint will detail the facts of your injury, explain how the defendant is responsible, and state the compensation you’re seeking. Once filed with the court, the defendant is officially notified of the lawsuit and must respond.

After filing the lawsuit, both sides enter a phase called discovery. Your spinal cord injury lawyer will gather more evidence to support your case during discovery. This might include taking depositions (formal interviews under oath) from witnesses, professionals, and the defendant. Depending on the nature of your accident, your lawyer might also request documents from the other side, such as internal company policies or maintenance records.

Your spinal cord injury lawyer will continue negotiating with the other side throughout this process. The increased pressure of a pending lawsuit and the information revealed during discovery often lead to more productive settlement talks. Many defendants prefer to settle rather than risk the uncertainty and expense of a trial.

Your case may proceed to trial if a fair settlement still can’t be reached. While this can be daunting, having a skilled spinal cord injury lawyer by your side can make all the difference. Your lawyer will prepare thoroughly for trial, developing a strong strategy to present your case to the judge or jury. They’ll work on selecting favorable jurors, preparing opening and closing statements, questioning witnesses, and presenting evidence that supports your compensation claim.

During the trial, your spinal cord injury lawyer will argue your case, explaining how your injury has affected your life and why you deserve the compensation you’re seeking. They’ll use their law knowledge and experience with similar cases to counter the defense’s arguments and highlight your case’s strengths.

If you win your case at trial, the court will determine the damages you’re entitled to. This can include compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other costs related to your spinal cord injury. Even if the defendant appeals the decision, your lawyer will continue to fight for your rights throughout the appeals process.

Contact a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Today to Learn More About Your Options

A spinal cord injury can affect many parts of your life, from your job and finances to your home life and plans. It’s a lot to deal with, but you don’t have to face it alone.

A spinal cord injury lawyer can be a powerful ally in your corner. They can clarify your rights, calculate the full cost of your injury, and advocate for the compensation you deserve. This compensation can help cover your medical bills, lost income, and other costs related to your injury. It can also assist in adapting to your new life and pursuing your future goals.

If you’ve suffered a spinal cord injury, don’t wait to get help. Contact a personal injury lawyer today to learn more about your options and start on the path to getting the compensation you need and deserve.

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