How Much Time Will It Take To Settle A Spine Injury Case?

After suffering a spine injury, you are sure to have many questions about the recovery process and the legal concerns surrounding the incident if the harm you sustained was caused by someone else. The expert staff at Kenmore Law Group is always available to help you understand your rights as the victim of a personal injury and how the legal system can help to protect you, your rights, and your future financial stability after suffering a potentially life-altering injury.

While back injuries are common and often involve a pulled muscle or strain that will heal completely with a little care and rest, a spine injury can be much more significant and worrisome. Even minor injuries to the spine can result in a loss of function and mobility in some parts of the body and require extensive medical care and even assistance with basic living needs. If you or a loved one recently suffered a spine injury and need answers and help sorting out this complex legal matter, please reach out to the office staff at Kenmore Law Group. They can be reached 24/7 to ensure you get the help and vital information you need as swiftly as possible.

In addition to answering general questions and reassuring you that there are solutions to help you overcome the challenges and expenses of your spine injury, they will assist you in booking your free consultation with an expert Kenmore Law Group spine injury lawyer. At that meeting, you will share the facts of your injury incident and provide any more information they need to evaluate the legal merit of the case and your ability to file a spine injury lawsuit. With this helpful and valuable information, you will be well-prepared to begin making choices that could impact the rest of your life.

But please also know that even after gathering all this free information at your consultation, you are never obligated to file a lawsuit to seek compensation or hire Kenmore Law Group, even if you later decide that pursuing legal action is the best way to meet your immediate and long-term needs. Our only goal is to ensure that all personal injury victims like yourself have the information and resources needed to take the action that will best protect them in the future. But please reach out to our office team at your earliest opportunity to ensure you understand the time limit to take legal action, which could be more limited than you might expect.

Why Are Spine Injuries So Serious?
Unlike a minor injury to a muscle of the back that is not likely to be a long-term concern, a spine injury is almost always significant and can impact the rest of your life. The spine includes 33 bones and the nerves connecting the brain to other body parts. When the bones are damaged, they can easily harm the nerves or sever them, resulting in a lack of function and control of different parts of the body such as the arms, legs, hands, and feet. When there is an incomplete spine injury, the damage does not eliminate all neurological function in the areas beyond the injury. In some cases, the prognosis can be favorable, and the victim can recover to the point of having partial or complete feelings and functioning in those extremities. However, in a complete spinal cord injury, the victim has no sensation or control of the body parts beyond the point of the damage. There is no neurologic connection, and the function of that area will not be able to be restored or improved after a recovery period. The result of either of these types of spine injuries can leave the victim with limited or no mobility and the need for lifelong medical care and assistance with everyday living tasks.

Spine Injuries And Symptoms
Sudden impact, violent motion, sudden stopping, or whiplash are all common causes of a spine injury. Victims can suffer these acts when involved in a vehicle accident, a fall, or a physical altercation that involves impact, such as a punch or kick. These actions can result in harm to the bones and soft tissue of the spine and spinal column, including:

• Dislocations
• Vertebrae fractures
• Ligament damage
• Herniated discs
• Damage or severing of the spinal cord and nerves

In instances that result in a severe spine injury, the victim often knows immediately that they sustained severe harm. However, when the injury is not as severe, the victim might not fully understand their sustained harm. They might assume it is a minor muscle injury and wait for hours or days before seeking medical treatment or an evaluation of the injuries, which can worsen quickly when not treated appropriately. During the time before seeking medical assistance, the victim could experience:

• Tingling or numbness in their extremities
• Pain or discomfort
• Weakness of the extremities or paralysis
• Loss of bladder and bowel control
• Stiffness
• Difficulty walking
• Muscle spasms

All of these symptoms of a spine injury should be taken very seriously, and the victim should seek emergency medical care immediately. Ignoring the signs of a spine injury can easily allow the damage to worsen and become more permanent than if the original harm had been correctly diagnosed and treated appropriately immediately after the incident. Once the victim has gotten the essential medical care required for the spine injury, please contact Kenmore Law Group to discuss the situation and the possibility of a spine injury lawsuit to help cover the cost of losses and expenses created by these injuries.

Who Could Be Liable For Your Losses And Expenses Caused By A Spine Injury?
Because spine injuries can result from many incidents, the details surrounding the incident will significantly impact who is held accountable for the losses and expenses you face. For example, if the harm was the result of a car accident, the liable part is possibly the driver of the vehicle that caused the accident. However, it is also possible that the accident was caused by an outside factor, such as damaged or blocked road signs or poor road surface conditions. In these cases, the liable party could be a local property owner who failed to keep trees trimmed and prevented from blocking signage or the city or county if they failed to properly maintain the surface of the roadway. It is also possible for the blame to fall on more than one party as California is a comparative negligence state.

If the harm to your spine was caused during an altercation, the other party or parties involved could be held accountable for your expenses and losses. However, as a comparative negligence state, you, too, could share the responsibility and financial responsibility for the expenses. If the harm you suffered was the result of a trip and fall or slip and fall, the owner of the property where the incident occurred could be liable for your losses if they failed to meet their duty of care obligation to ensure a safe and hazard-free property. Finally, falling objects can inflict serious spine injuries when a large object falls on the head or back of the victim. Compression injuries and shattered bones often occur in these instances and can damage the spinal cord and nerves, leaving the victim with paralysis, severe limitations, and mobility loss.

How Much Is My Spine Injury Lawsuit Worth?
After sustaining injuries to your spine, you are sure to be worried about securing the compensation you deserve to help cover the cost of your medical care and any future assistance needed because of limitations caused by the injuries. It is critical you understand that no predetermined compensation amounts are awarded for specific injuries or incidents. Instead, the actual expenses and losses incurred by the victim will be tabulated to determine the compensation awarded by the court.

Working with your Kenmore Law Group spine injury attorney and legal team, you will compile all documentation to verify your allowable expenses, which typically include but are not always limited to:

• The replacement cost of any personal property that was damaged or destroyed in the injury incident
• All legal expenses related to the preparation, filing, and litigation of the spine injury lawsuit
• Your lost income if the harm suffered in the incident prevented you from working at your regular job until you made a complete recovery
• All medical costs related to the treatment and rehabilitation of the spine injuries, including the cost of your care due to the injuries

How Long Do I Have To File A Spine Injury Lawsuit?
Victims of a spine injury have two years from the date of the injury incident to file a claim with the court. This time limit is strictly enforced, and once it expires, you will lose the right to seek compensation via a lawsuit. In addition, if the responsible party is a government entity or agency such as the city or state, you have only six months from the date of the injury incident to file your case with the court. Please contact Kenmore Law Group today to confirm the time remaining to take legal action.

Get A Free Second Opinion From Kenmore Law Group
When you have questions or concerns about how your current spine injury lawsuit is progressing, please know that Kenmore Law Group offers free second opinion consultations to answer any questions you might have, including the ability to replace your current legal team to resolve the case more rapidly. If you decide to hire Kenmore Law Group, please also know that we never charge any upfront legal fees or expenses. Our firm only gets paid after the case is completed and you have the compensation needed to cover your legal costs. Finally, if our Kenmore Law Group spine injury lawyer fails to win your case, you owe the firm nothing. Please reach out to our office staff today to learn more.