A Spinal Injury Lawyer Can Help You Get Compensation

Acute spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when someone suffers a traumatic injury that bruises or partially or completely tears the spinal cord. These injuries are among the most devastating that people can experience. They can cause tremendous pain and often affect vital body functions, including the ability to use arms and legs, speak, think clearly, take care of daily needs, and work and earn a living. If you or a loved one has been grievously injured in this way, contact a local spinal injury lawyer to learn about your legal options.

Spinal injuries are complex and unique. Some people may recover from their injury, while others may suffer lifelong disability and secondary health conditions that lead to recurrent hospitalization; some injuries may result in death.

Why Choose Our Philadelphia Spinal Injury Attorneys to Fight for You?

If you or a loved one suffered a spinal cord injury due to someone else’s negligence, recklessness, or fault, you may be entitled to compensation through insurance, a personal injury lawsuit, or both. While no amount of money can fully compensate for the tragic effects of a spinal injury, a fair settlement can alleviate your financial worries, cover the expenses and the care you may need now and into the future, and help you go on with your life.

Pennsylvania personal injury law is complicated; insurance companies are out for their own profit and will try to get you to settle for the lowest amount possible; and making mistakes can be costly. But you do not have to fight for a fair settlement alone. The compassionate Philadelphia spinal cord injury lawyers at Wapner Newman understand what you are going through and are fully prepared to take the burden off you by handling all investigations, negotiations, and legal hurdles involved with getting maximum compensation so you can concentrate on your recovery.

We offer a free consultation to evaluate your case and determine the best way to move forward. There are no fees to you unless and until we win a settlement for you, so don’t wait to get help. Call us today at (215) 569-0900 to request your free consultation.

How Spinal Cord Accident Injuries Happen

Any damage to the spinal cord is considered to be a spinal cord injury, which is commonly caused by:

  • Disease
  • Trauma
  • Degenerative disorder.

The degree of complications you have from a spinal injury depends on where on the spinal cord the trauma occurs. Nerves above the injury site continue to work as before, while those below may be impaired.

The majority of spinal cord injuries happen in one of several ways:

  • A traffic collision: 39%
  • Falls: 32%
  • Violence: 13%
  • Sports injuries: 8%
  • Surgery or medical malpractice: 4%.

Victims may also suffer secondary health concerns. Depression following the accident is common, with more than a third of people who suffer a spinal cord injury developing it. Chronic pain from the accident affects their quality of life, possibly exacerbating the depressive state.

How a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Works to Help You

The spinal cord injury attorneys at Wapner Newman recognize that you could face complications and be unable to work long after your accident. During your initial consultation, we will discuss the physical, emotional, and financial impact your injuries have on you and your family and begin building a case against all parties responsible for your injuries.

When you have us on your side, we will:

Listen to your version of how the injury happened, the effects on your life, and who you think the at-fault parties may be. We can then estimate what type of settlement to go after.

Gather evidence, such as from accident scene photos and videos and from police and medical records, including reports on emergency treatment, hospital care, and surgeries and their costs. We will interview eyewitnesses, medical and therapy providers, and first responders.

Utilize experts to reconstruct the accident and how it happened. We also use life-care experts to provide testimony as to how your spinal injuries negatively affect your life, the costs of continuing care, and the modifications you may need to make to your home and car.

Gather documentary evidence as to your lost earnings and the amounts you could have reasonably expected to earn in the future.

Handle all communications and negotiations with insurance companies and their attorneys for a fair settlement.

Build your case and take it to trial if necessary.

At Wapner Newman, we have the resources and connections to build a successful case on your behalf.

Spinal Injury Attorneys in Philadelphia Fight for Fair Compensation

Our Back Injury Lawyers in Philadelphia Know What a Settlement Should Cover

When someone suffers from a disabling SCI, they often need round-the-clock assistance and support. The medical costs associated with SCI are high because they include the costs of ongoing treatment and the lost wages and value of care provided by friends and family members.

Pennsylvania law (PA Consolidated Statutes Title 42, Chapter 83) allows compensatory and punitive damages for personal injuries, and our spinal injury lawyers will fight for a settlement that includes them all. Compensatory damages are intended to repay you financially and make you whole again, and they cover your economic and noneconomic losses.

Economic damages are for the financial costs and expenses resulting from your injury, including:

  • Current and future medical expenses
  • Current and future lost wages
  • Costs of modification to a home or vehicle.

Noneconomic damages are for damages that do not have a specific dollar value but negatively affect your life, such as:

  • Pain and suffering.
  • Emotional distress and mental anguish.
  • Loss of quality of life, such as loss of consortium, family life, work life, social life, relationships, and ability to enjoy hobbies and recreation.
  • Embarrassment and humiliation, such as sexual dysfunction or the ability to go to the bathroom unaided.
  • Disfigurement.

Punitive damages may also be awarded in some rare cases to punish a defendant for conduct that is malicious, willful, wanton, or rises to another level that warrants actions to deter such behavior in the future.

OUR SPINAL CORD INJURY ATTORNEYS MUST PROVE NEGLIGENCE

To win your case, our spinal injury attorneys would have to show that another party’s negligence or fault caused your injuries. This means legally proving the following elements:

  • Duty: The defendant owed you a duty to take reasonable care not to cause you harm.
  • Breach: The defendant breached this duty and failed to exercise reasonable care.
  • Cause: The breach of duty caused your injuries.
  • Damages: You suffered damages as a result.

To prove negligence, we will do thorough investigations of the accident and utilize the testimony of experts in the field. We will look to find all parties whose negligence contributed to your spinal cord injury and hold them accountable, as they all may have insurance and assets that can go toward a settlement.

We can help you through this challenging time — call Wapner Newman today for a free case review at (215) 569-0900. 

What to Expect from the Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuit Process

Many people wonder if they truly need a spinal cord injury attorney after their accident, especially if the other party’s insurance company is offering a settlement. You may not know that the other party’s insurance company is not obligated to present a good offer — often, the settlement you are given is a pittance. Alternatively, the insurance company denies your claim completely, blaming you for the accident and stating that their customer (the defendant) isn’t responsible for your injuries.

When you hire a skilled spinal injury lawyer, you have an educated, experienced advocate supporting your case and dealing with the other party and their insurance company for you.

At Wapner Newman, we start with a strong demand letter to the other party and their insurance company, stating how the defendant caused the accident (or allowed it to happen through negligent oversight) and the extent of your injuries. We state a settlement offer that considers your current and future medical needs and any type of institutional care you may need.

If the other party does not comply with the demand letter, we file a lawsuit. Although our spinal injury attorneys are ready to fight for you in a courtroom, we try to avoid putting you through the stress of a trial if possible.

You may be contacted by the other party’s insurance adjustor, asking you for details of the accident or your side of the story. Be wary — they are not on your side and will twist anything you say to make it seem like you’re the one responsible for the accident. Once you hire a Wapner Newman spinal cord injury lawyer, you can trust us to communicate with and negotiate with the other party’s insurance company for you.

Once your back injury lawyer serves the other party with the lawsuit, the discovery process begins. Both sides gather evidence for their respective cases. You can expect to be deposed (an interview under oath) by the other party’s lawyer. Don’t worry; we’ll be right beside you in the process, helping you stay calm and answer the questions.

After discovery, there will be hearings before the trial. We can settle the case out of court at any point in this process. We may offer mediation with the other party. This is a formal negotiation where you are represented by your spine injury lawyer. If we cannot come to an agreement that is fair to you, we go to trial.

You may have to testify at trial, but we will ensure you are fully prepared and understand the questions you will be asked. We also call witnesses to support your claim. You will receive case updates at each step, and we will gladly answer all your questions.

Compensation Amounts Our Back Injury Lawyers May Win

There is a wide range in the amount of compensation you may receive in a successful spinal injury case, depending on the individual factors of the case. When spinal injuries are catastrophic and cause major effects on the quality of life or result in wrongful death, settlements may range into hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars.

Factors that may be considered in determining compensation include:

  • The extent, seriousness, and permanence of the injuries.
  • The costs of medical and rehabilitative treatment and whether you will need continuing care in the future.
  • The effects on your quality of life.
  • Your age, family situation, earning capacity, and whether the return to work is possible.
  • The availability of insurance and personal assets of the defendants.
  • The inclination of the individual judge and jury where your case is heard.
  • The ability and skill of your attorney to build, negotiate, and present your case.

The attorneys at Wapner Newman understand how SCI costs can overwhelm families. That’s why we work tirelessly on behalf of our clients to achieve the best possible outcome. Our back injury attorneys will examine your costs and the ways in which injuries have affected your life to determine approximately what fair compensation should be. We will negotiate aggressively with insurers for a reasonable settlement, but we are fully prepared to take your case to trial if necessary.

Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers in Philadelphia Answer Questions

When you are dealing with a debilitating spinal cord injury, you are bound to have questions and concerns. Here are answers to some questions our back injury attorneys are often asked.

Should I speak to the insurance company?

The less you say to insurance companies, the better. They are out for profit and will try to get you to settle for the lowest amount possible, and they have high-powered lawyers on their side. They use tactics such as trying to get you to say or do something to prove you were at fault, so it makes sense to have your attorney handle all dealings with insurance. Only accept or sign something from an insurance company after consulting your attorney first, or your settlement may be negatively impacted.

What if a family member dies from a spinal cord injury?

If a spinal cord injury leads to death, the personal representative of the decedent’s estate may file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover damages. According to the Pennsylvania Wrongful Death Act (Title 42, Chapter 83), the wrongful death action seeks to compensate a decedent’s loved ones for the death of the decedent when that death was caused by negligence, unlawful violence, neglect, or wrongful act of another. You may receive compensation for the reasonable hospital, nursing, medical, funeral expenses and expenses of administration, and the funds and the monetary value of the services, society, and comfort the decedent would have provided to their family had the decedent lived.

What are the causes of SCI?

Any blow to the spinal cord could cause paralysis, even if the nerves are not completely severed. According to Hopkinsmedicine.org, the most common SCIs occur when the area of the spine or neck is bent or compressed. Causes include:

  • Falls
  • Motor vehicle accidents (automobiles, motorcycles, and being struck as a pedestrian)
  • Sports injuries
  • Diving accidents
  • Trampoline accidents
  • Violence (gunshot or stab wounds)
  • Infections that form an abscess on the spinal cord
  • Birth injuries, which typically affect the spinal cord in the neck area.

If these injuries happened due to another party’s negligence or fault, our attorneys will hold them liable.

What type of experts can be utilized to help my case?

There are experts in reconstructing the accident scene and determining how accidents happened. Medical experts testify in court to help establish the damages caused by your injury. Consulting experts review and analyze records to assist our attorneys in building a solid case on your behalf. Depending on your circumstances, we may utilize any or all of them in your lawsuit.

Do I need an attorney for a spinal cord injury lawsuit?

Spinal injury cases are all different and can be extremely complicated, so having an experienced spinal injury attorney will play a significant role in determining your compensation. At Wapner Newman, we have attorneys who focus solely on spinal injury cases and have years of experience helping victims. If you suffered a spinal injury due to the negligent act of another, we will work tirelessly to help ensure you are provided with the full compensation you are due.

We know you have many questions about how our lawyers can help your case, and we will gladly answer them in your initial free consultation — call us today!

Spinal Injury Attorney Deals with Varying Types and Effects of SCIs

The Severity of Your Spinal Injuries Helps Determine What Your Case Is Worth

Partial or total paralysis and loss of sensation may occur below the point of injury, so SCIs that are closer to the skull, among the bones called cervical vertebrae, are the most severe. If those injuries aren’t fatal, they usually result in complete disability because they interfere with the functionality of vital organs.

  • Total paralysis and loss of sensation below the point of injury is called complete SCI, and nearly 50 percent of all SCIs fall into that category.
  • Complete paralysis of all four limbs is known as quadriplegia or tetraplegia.
  • Paraplegia affects only two limbs – usually the legs or feet.
  • Partial paralysis and sensation loss are called incomplete SCI. However, incomplete SCI can be just as serious as a complete SCI, depending on which nerves are affected.

Our spinal injury attorneys are familiar with all types of spinal injuries and will fight for full and appropriate compensation.

Wapner Newman Attorneys at Law Can Help You Understand the Impact of Spinal Cord Injuries

Your Life Could Be Forever Changed

When a loved one is stricken by a spinal cord injury, many families may be left without a breadwinner or find themselves thrust into the role of caregivers for someone who can no longer tend to their needs independently. The stress of caring for a grievously injured loved one can take a toll on many families, damaging relationships and leading to resentment. When your spinal injury lawyer values the non-economic damages of your case, they also consider the total impact on your family.

Many people with spinal cord injuries may require in-home health care and a personal care attendant or accommodations in a long-term care community like a nursing home, with staff members equipped to tend to their specialized needs.

If you can return to work in a limited capacity, you may never be able to do the job you had before your accident. Some people may need additional vocational training or other education to help them find a job they can do with their physical limitations. Your spinal cord injury settlement should account for this as well.

Do You Need Help After a Devastating Spinal Cord Injury?

Call a Spinal Cord Injury Attorney in Philadelphia for Help

The Philadelphia spinal cord injury attorneys at Wapner Newman know that along with the pain and physical problems, a spinal injury brings financial problems, emotional issues, and major fears. Whether you were hurt in a vehicle accident, a slip and fall accident, a construction or work-related accident, or any other incident where someone else was at fault, we are here to help by fighting for the settlement you deserve so you can go on to rebuild your life.

After reviewing aspects of your case, our attorneys will be able to guide you through each step of your claim and help determine what types of damages you might be able to recover. Do not delay, as it’s best to allow time to build your case and to get started while evidence is fresh, and witnesses can be found. Also, Pennsylvania has a deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit.

According to Pennsylvania law (title 42, section 5524), you generally have two years to file, or the courts will refuse to hear your case, so contact us at (215) 569-0900 right away.