Broken Vertebrae – Spinal Injury Accident Lawyer

Were you in an accident that has left you with a fractured vertebrae or any other type of injury to the spine? You may have grounds to sue the negligent party for monetary damages, whether you were hurt by a reckless driver, business owner, or government agency. In essence, there are many parties that can fail in their duty of care to prevent injuries to others.

A spinal fracture or broken vertebrae is a type of injury where one of the spinal bones is fractured. People can be diagnosed with a broken vertebra after a car accident, which is the leading source of damage to the spinal cord. But the spinal bones can also break when the patient has a condition that weakens the bones, like osteoporosis. Most cases of breakage in the vertebrae are compression fractures, and this can cause the patient to have a sloped posture and chronic pain.

Those who were harmed in an accident must learn about their rights as soon as possible. Whether you sustained a back injury from work or a broken vertebra after a slip and fall, please contact the attorneys of Kenmore Law Group.

Common Causes of Fractures in the Vertebrae

Currently, there are over 200,000 American who are living with the effects of a spinal injury. Based on statistics by the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, around 20,000 people in the U.S. injure their spine in some manner every year. These types of injuries can happen from incidents like:

• Car crashes, or accidents with motor vehicles such as trucks, buses, bikes, motorcycles, etc.
• Slip and fall / trip and fall incidents
• Assault and battery
• Playing sports
• Medical malpractice (careless or reckless conduct by a healthcare provider)
• Job-related / work injury

While this article is focused on fractures to the spinal bones, any of these events can cause other kinds of spine injuries, including contusions, spondylolysis, dislocation, spinal instability and spondylolisthesis.

Symptoms of a Broken Vertebra

In some cases, there may be immediate indications that you’ve suffered a major injury to your spine. However, it’s quite common to have no symptoms at all for weeks after the impact, so please be sure to keep an eye out for indications of damage to the spinal cord, such as:

• Loss of feeling or tingling in the hands, feet, fingers, and toes
• Loss of sensation in the extremities
• Reduced coordination and motor functions
• Pain or weakness in your back, and possibly the head or neck
• Paralysis (partial or full) in one or more parts of the body

Spinal Injury Classifications

You may have a complete or incomplete injury to the spine, which is defined by your level of movement and sensation. If you have a complete SCI, you have a total loss of function below the injury site. If there is any level of movement or feeling at the point of injury, you have what is known as an incomplete spinal cord injury.

If you have what is classified as an incomplete SCI, you may have to deal with the following complications:

• Anterior cord syndrome – injury to the front of the spinal cord, which impairs mobility and affects sensations like pain and touch.
• Posterior cord syndrome – back of the spinal cord is damaged, leading to poor circulation.
• Central cord syndrome – when there is damage to the center of the spine, you can experience loss of function in the arms
• Brown-sequard syndrome – damage is only on one side of the spinal cord. Patients will have mobility but no sensation on one side, while the other side has sensation but no movement.

In many cases, the location of injury can be determined from a physical exam by your doctor. A vertebral fracture can occur in any of the following sections of the spine:

• Lumbar or lower back
• Cervical, the neck area
• Thoraic – chest
• Sacral or pelvic region
• Coccygeal, most commonly known as the tailbone

How a Spinal Injury Impacts Your Life

There is no denying that any serious damage to your spine will change the way you live your life. Some people have to give up a fulfilling career and various hobbies that enhanced their quality of life. But even the daily tasks you take for granted – cooking, driving, going up the stairs – can be very difficult once you are injured in the spine. Even more alarming is the fact that your life expectancy can be shortened after a fractured vertebra from an accident.

A study by the University of Alabama indicates that one’s life span is reduced by an average of 5.2 years from having a spinal injury. How many years you may lose depends on the severity of injury, which is why quadriplegics are especially at risk. This is based on complications that are experienced by quadriplegics, which include:

• Abnormal breathing
• Digestion problems
• Lack of control over bodily functions
• Mental health disorders, primarily depression

It’s important to note that your chance of having a normal life expectancy greatly increase with proper, on-going treatment and therapy from a licensed mental health professional. Of course, all of these treatments can be extremely costly, and most victims with SCI run up medical bills that exceed $1,000,000 throughout the course of their life.

Concerns about Your Finances

We just mentioned the possible cost of living with broken spinal bones and other injuries that impact the spine. This is why many individuals and families end up living paycheck to paycheck and stressing over debts. The effect on your finances is particularly devastating if you are unable to work, either because of a spinal injury or needing to take care of an injured family member.

The highest costs are associated with victims that are paralyzed, meaning they are diagnosed as paraplegics or quadriplegics. Younger victims will need to pay the most in terms of long-term medical services and treatments. For example, a 25-year-old car accident victim with broken vertebrae develops tetraplegia, aka quadriplegia, where both the arms and legs are paralyzed. The medical expenses over the victim’s life will probably run close to $5,000,000.

As you can see, there is a sense of urgency when it comes to filing a lawsuit and recovering the payments you are legally owed. A spinal cord injury accident lawyer can help you take the necessary steps in the journey to physical, mental, and financial recovery.

Am I Eligible for a Broken Vertebrae Lawsuit?

Yes, you may have the right to pursue a lawsuit if someone else is responsible for the harm you suffered. Please note that you have a workplace injury, you are likely to qualify for workers’ compensation. That means you can file a claim with your employer and receive payments for lost wages and medical expenses associated with your injuries. But even if you receive WC, you may have the option of suing a third party other than your employer if they are responsible for the accident.

Frankly, it’s unacceptable that victims of negligence and misconduct should be left with little to nothing because of a spine injury. The fractured spine injury attorneys at our law firm are ready to secure the compensation you deserve, so please reach out to us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Spinal Fracture Lawsuit Compensation

If an accident or assault has left you with serious injuries, you need information on the damages you can recover from a compensation claim. After a debilitating injury like broken bones in your spinal column, you may be asking yourself: What are the payments I can demand from a lawsuit against the other party? How much is the average case value of a fractured spine injury claim?

Here are the categories of compensation that may be available to you:

• Medical costs for current and future surgeries, medications, rehabilitation, therapy, and more
• Estimated value of lost wages and work-related benefits
• Lost earning potential
• Emotional distress
• Pain and suffering
• Diminished quality of life
• Property loss or damage
• Loss of consortium
• Court costs and attorney’s fees
• Punitive damages

Restitution in Cases of Paralysis

If you suffered partial or complete paralysis from an accident, the ones who are responsible need to make up for what they did in a meaningful way. Legally, you have the right to sue for the negligent actions of others, whether it’s a reckless doctor or a property owner that failed to maintain their building. We know that it’s impossible to put a dollar amount on what you have lost when you are permanently paralyzed. But the funds recovered from a lawsuit are meant to provide for you and your family and ensure that you can receive high quality medical care for the rest of your life.

A lawsuit can be filed with the civil court system, though in most cases, you actually start the legal process by filing a claim with the defendant’s insurance company. The key is to reach a settlement with the insurance company and resolve your claim in the most efficient way possible. If both sides cannot come to an agreement, that’s when the victim can proceed with a lawsuit.

In order to recover the highest level of compensation from a broken vertebrae injury claim, make sure to find representation from a catastrophic accident injury attorney. With the right lawyer by your side, you can obtain some or all of these payments:

• Compensation for lifetime medical care, including occupational therapy, hospitalization, medical equipment, psychological counseling, etc.
• Lost income, including future lost wages based on your age, current salary, life expectancy, etc.
• Pain and suffering for your physical and mental anguish
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Legal fees
• Punitive damages

Time Limit for a Spinal Cord Injury

The laws in California generally provide a 2-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims. That means you must file a lawsuit no later than 2 years after the accident that caused your injury. But the 2-year rule doesn’t always apply, as in the case of medical malpractice claims, where the deadline may be 1 to 3 years. The deadline is different as well for public entity claims, meaning you are suing for damage caused by a government worker or agency (including public school districts). These claims have a time limit of 6 months, starting from the date of injury or when the victim passed away.

As you can see, the statutory limitations for a broken spine injury case may be affected by numerous factors. This is why you should confirm the deadline for a lawsuit with a personal injury attorney at your earliest opportunity.

Help from a Lawyer Specializing in Spine Injuries

As an injury victim, you must take certain steps to protect your legal rights, and this includes talking to a spinal fracture accident attorney. It may seem like the insurance company will be transparent in their dealings with you, but these companies place profits above everything else. They will readily exploit your physical pain and mental anguish to trick you into a low settlement. Our legal team, on the other hand, is loyal to you and your interests from day one.

Kenmore Law Group has always worked on contingency, as we believe in making legal services accessible for everyone. From the moment you contact us, you are protected by the Zero Fee Guarantee. That means you pay nothing to hire us, and you keep paying nothing for the entire duration of your case. The only time we get paid is when your settlement check or jury award is released by the guilty party. If you do not receive compensation from a fractured vertebrae lawsuit, you owe us $0.

We are ready to hear your story and help you plan the best course of action, so please get in touch to schedule a free case evaluation.