Florida Spinal Injury Lawyer

Symptoms of a spinal injury

• Fractured vertebrae
• Paraplegia
• Quadriplegia
• Injured nerves
• Damaged disks

A catastrophic injury of the spinal cord is often the result of a completely preventable accident, and can have irreversible adverse effects. The ability to walk, run, feel, and speak can be lost, leading to the need for extensive medical care and rehabilitation. The spinal cord injury lawyers at our Florida law group will fight for you to receive maximum compensation so you can focus on your well-being instead of being financially burdened by the costs of your cord injury.

Financial impact

A brain and spinal injury can alter your life forever. Much like brain injuries, spinal cord injuries require extensive medical care and services that are often very costly, even with good insurance. Our experienced spine injury lawyer has represented victims of spinal cord injury and lumbar spine injury who have struggled with medical bills and expenses such as:

• Hospital bills
• Surgeon bills
• Physical therapy costs
• Home modification costs
• Mobility aides
• Prescription medications
• Live-in nurse expenses and nursing bills
• Lost wages

Spinal cord victims and their families are often left with limited options after hospital bills, medical costs, and rehabilitation costs. Not only are these injuries extensive, but victims face permanent cumbersome life changes. Personal injury lawyers Zervos & Calta will work diligently to determine liability and obtain compensation for your personal injury claims.

Every year, there are approximately 12,000 new spinal injuries. Spinal cord injuries are always serious and usually catastrophic. Usually caused by a sudden or traumatic blow to the spine, the damage can be devastating. When due to someone else’s negligence, injuries almost always lead to a spinal cord injury lawsuit. While some spinal cord injuries may heal or allow for partial recovery, others will result in complete paralysis. Legal and medical help is needed in many cases.

Overview of the spinal cord

The spine is one of the most critical parts of your body. It gives your body structure and support and allows you to stand upright and move. The spine is also designed to protect the spinal cord which runs through it, the nerve roots, and the body’s internal surrounding organs.

The spine is made up of:

• the cervical region (which is known as your neck)
• the thoracic region (the upper to middle back area), the lumbar region (the lower back), and
• the sacral region (located behind the pelvis).

Types of injuries

Spinal cord injuries are typically classified either as complete or partial, and are defined by the extent of the nerve damage to the victims.

Complete spinal cord injury occurs when the spinal cord is completely severed, and there is disruption of nerve transmission from the brain to the spinal cord. Spinal cord injuries are classified as:

• • triplegia (loss of ability to feel in both lower limbs and one upper limb),
  • quadriplegia (partial or total loss of feeling in all arms and legs and may result in loss of bladder functions and difficulties breathing), or
  • paraplegia (loss of ability to use or feel the lower limbs).

Incomplete spinal cord injury occurs when there is trauma, but the spinal cord is not completely severed. The victims will still maintain some function, depending upon the severity of the injury.

Common causes of injury

Many things can cause a spinal cord or brain injury. Personal injury lawsuits for damages often arise from these following types of accidents, mainly when spine injuries are an outcome for accident victims. These are just a few things that commonly cause a spine injury.

• Car accidents
• Trucking accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Bicycle accident
• Falls
• Sports injuries
• Violent acts
• Disease

The most frequent cause of damage to the spinal cord is an auto accident. For elderly victims, slip and falls seem to be the most common cause of severe spinal injuries.

Living with a spinal cord injury

Living with a spinal cord injury requires huge adjustment, compared to life as it was before the injury. While spinal cord injury cases can heal, the damage incurred usually can’t be reversed. There is often limited mobility, loss of some bodily functions, and chronic or recurring pain.

Medications, physical therapy, and occupational therapy will help increase potential mobility and teach the injured person how to compensate and perform daily living activities such as eating, grooming and moving from one place to another. The main goal of rehabilitation is to be able to resume a productive, satisfying life in all areas. There are adaptive tools that can assist with daily living activities such as motorized wheelchairs, catheters, shower chairs, crutches, braces, ramps, adapted utensils, and computers.

If the injured person becomes a wheelchair user, there is an increased risk of blood clots, bowel or bladder problems, blood pressure issues, pressure sores from sitting all the time, weight gain, bone and joint pain in the shoulders, and depression. These cases can require additional medical treatment, incurring more costs.

Why do you need a personal injury attorney?

When you suffer from a spinal cord injury, your life may be permanently altered. If your spinal injury resulted from someone else’s negligent or wrongful conduct, it is crucial that you hire a personal injury law firm to make sure you are fairly compensated and that all of your medical expenses are covered.

Spinal cord injuries usually require lifetime medical care, including treatment, medications, surgeries, rehabilitation, and medical equipment. You may also be entitled to compensation for loss of wages, loss of future earning potential, pain and suffering damages including loss of enjoyment of life. The spinal cord injury attorneys at Zervos & Calta, PLLC have the experience necessary to protect you and fight for your rights in an injury lawsuit.

Contact us by filling out the form on the right or call 727-937-3171 to schedule a free phone consultation.

Visit us in one of our four convenient Tampa Bay office locations in Spring Hill, Tarpon Springs, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. If you are unable to come to us, we will come to you.

We also work with clients in Trinity, Safety Harbor, Oldsmar, Westchase, Hudson, Elfers, Holiday, Bayonet Point, and New Port Richey, Florida. Call 727-937-3171 today.