Turn Trauma into Hope with Our Ocala Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
As you know, spinal cord injuries are no laughing matter. They can cause lifelong disabilities and affect every aspect of your life. Treatment can be extensive, especially if you cannot pay for it. What do you do? How can you pay your medical bills if you can’t work?
If another party caused your injury, you deserve compensation for all your losses.
Turn to an Ocala personal injury attorney for help. You can contact the team at Meldon Law by calling (352) 373-8000. You want strong legal advocates on your side when you are negotiating for your fair compensation. We will fight for you.
Why Spinal Cord Injuries Are Devastating for Victims
When the spine absorbs a sudden, traumatic blow, it can suffer an injury. The vertebrae may be compressed, fractured, or dislocated. An injury may cause permanent, complete paralysis, depending on the location. The spinal cord may be damaged in these parts:
- Cervical spine: the neck
- Thoracic spine: the upper back down to the ribcage
- Lumbar spine: lower back
- Sacral vertebrae: pelvis
Spinal cord injury symptoms will depend on the location. The higher up an injury occurs, the more severe it is. An injury to the cervical spine is the most severe. It can cause significant paralysis, as well as affect bowel and bladder control. It can also make it difficult to breathe.
While some spinal cord injury victims fully recover, many require 24/7 care for the rest of their lives. Survivors may not be able to perform basic tasks such as getting dressed, bathing, eating, or using the bathroom and may require a wheelchair to get around. Because of this change in lifestyle, many victims develop anxiety and depression.
If you or a loved one is suffering in the aftermath of a spinal cord injury that was caused by negligence, an Ocala personal injury lawyer can help you recover damages to cover your costs.
Damages You Can Collect in an Ocala Spinal Cord Injury Claim
Here are some of the damages that we can help you claim in a spinal cord injury lawsuit:
- Medical expenses – All past, current, and estimated future costs for emergency care, hospitalization, surgeries, medications, specialists, assistive devices, at-home nursing, and ongoing rehabilitation
- Lost income – The wages lost while unable to work during initial recovery and treatment
- Reduced earning capacity – If you or your loved one needed to switch to a lower-paying position or retire from the workforce
- Loss of household contributions – The costs of hiring somewhere for work around the home that the injured can no longer do, such as cleaning, yardwork, childcare, and home maintenance
- Pain and suffering – Damages accounting for physical discomfort, loss of mobility, infertility, depression, and reduced enjoyment and quality of life
- Loss of consortium – Compensation for the strained impact injuries have on spousal relations
- Household and vehicle modifications – Compensation for access modifications you need to make to your household and vehicle
Our Ocala spinal cord injury lawyers can retain vocational experts and specialist physicians to substantiate both the economic and non-economic damages stemming from the profound lifestyle destruction these devastating injuries impose. Securing adequate resources can bring your family some stability during this difficult time.
How a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer in Ocala Can Help You
Here are some of the key ways our injury attorneys help people with spinal cord injuries:
- We investigate accident causes. Our attorneys look into how the injury occurred and whether someone else’s negligence caused or contributed to the accident.
- We seek accountability. Once we have determined the liable party(s), we gather evidence to establish liability.
- We file claims and lawsuits. Our legal team handles the process of filing an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. That may include handling complex filings, managing court deadlines, appearing at hearings, and litigating the case through trial.
- We manage logistics. From endless medical appointments to coordinating home/vehicle modifications and working with insurers, our law firm assists with coordinating practical demands.
- We calculate your damages. Lawyers work with experts to fully account for the short and long-term medical, rehabilitative, and personal care support costs required.
- We negotiate settlements. The insurance company’s first settlement will likely be thousands or tens of thousands less than you need. Our team will negotiate for every dollar you deserve from the negligent party’s insurer.
Managing the legal process can seem impossible, even when you aren’t managing a catastrophic injury. Working with our personal injury team can alleviate some of the strain so you can focus your energy on healing.
The team at Meldon Law truly CARES about you and your family.
- We handle your case with Compassion and Accountability.
- We are Reliable.
- We strive for Excellence and Success in every task we handle for you.
And because we care, we handle every task for you with no upfront costs. You only pay us when we win your case.
Types of Spinal Cord Injury Claims Our Ocala Injury Lawyers Handle
If you or a loved one suffered a spinal cord injury in any of the following types of accidents, our injury lawyers want to help you:
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Scooter accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Premises liability accidents
- ATV accidents
- Boat accidents
- Bus accidents
Whether your spinal cord injuries were caused by a drunk or distracted driver, unsafe conditions on a property, or any other type of accident that was caused by carelessness or a deliberate act, it’s a good idea to talk to us to learn more about your legal options in Florida.
How Much You Can Get for a Back Injury Claim in Ocala, FL
There is no average settlement for back injury or spinal cord injury claims, as payout potentials span a wide range depending on the severity of the injury, necessary treatments, and the extent of the impact on your livelihood and mobility. Although there is no way to give you an accurate estimate of your claim’s value until we examine your evidence, here are some results our personal injury lawyers have achieved for our clients:
- $1,250,000 settlement for a female pedestrian who was hit by a car, resulting in spinal injuries that necessitated lower back surgery and a spinal implant
- $500,000 settlement for a client who suffered severe neck and back injuries that required surgery after being hit head-on by an aggressive, high-speed driver
Much of your claim’s value will depend on your age, treatment needs, specific mobility limitations verified by doctor evaluations, income disruption substantiated through pay reports, how long your injuries will affect you, and an attorney’s ability to prove negligence caused identifiable hardships. Call us at (352) 373-8000 to learn more about your claim’s value.
How Florida’s Comparative Negligence Laws Can Affect Your Spinal Injury Claim
It’s important that you are aware of comparative negligence and understand how it may apply to your case. Florida follows modified comparative laws, which hold that injured parties who contributed to their injuries are still able to recover compensation. However, there are two important caveats:
- You must be no more than 50 percent responsible for your injuries.
- Your percentage of fault will decrease your award.
Here’s an example to break down this law. You suffered a severe spinal cord injury after a distracted driver ran a red light and T-boned your vehicle. It was determined that your injuries would have been less catastrophic had you been wearing a seat belt. You were assigned 30% fault.
You received a $1 million award. You would be able to recover $700,000 (or 70% of your award).
Our attorneys fiercely counter negligence assertions to get you every dollar you deserve.
Be Aware of the Deadline to File a Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuit in Ocala, Florida
When pursuing legal action after a spinal cord injury in Ocala, Florida, victims and their families must act swiftly. According to Florida Statutes § 95.11, you generally have two years to file an injury lawsuit in Florida’s civil court system.
After the two-year mark passes, the opportunity to take legal action and financial recourse expires, regardless of the extent of your losses and needs.
Types of Paralysis From Spinal Cord Injuries
When a person is paralyzed, it means they cannot move one or more parts of their body or sense touch. There are several types of paralysis:
- Monoplegia
- Hemiplegia
- Tetraplegia (also known as quadriplegia)
- Paraplegia
The type of paralysis you have can affect the value of your claim, with more severe paralysis often resulting in a more substantial effect on the survivor’s life, higher medical bills, and higher damages.
Contact an Ocala Spinal Cord Injury Attorney Today
Spinal cord injuries may require extensive hospitalization and rehabilitation. Surgeries may be needed. In some cases, victims become immobile and paralyzed for the rest of their lives.
Spinal cord injuries can be very costly to treat. You may rack up $1 million in medical expenses within the first year alone (per the Global Spine Journal). You shouldn’t be left paying for these costs or any others.
Seek legal help from the personal injury attorneys at Meldon Law. We can determine liability and make sure you receive the compensation you deserve for your damages. To schedule a consultation with an Ocala spinal cord injury attorney, call (352) 373-8000. We are here for you.
