Philadelphia Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
Spinal cord injuries are a life-changing experience. These devastating injuries usually occur as a result of a significant accident or traumatic event. Often, these accidents are the result of carelessness or neglect, and you may be entitled to compensation. If you have suffered an injury to your spinal cord, you may be thinking about filing a lawsuit. The skilled attorneys at Meirowitz & Wasserberg can help.
Spinal cord injury lawsuits can be more involved than standard personal injury lawsuits due to the seriousness of the injury and the amount of money possibly awarded. Spinal cord injuries are often irreversible, the result of a traumatic experience, and the repercussions will affect every aspect of your life.
Quick Links
- Why Choose Our Philadelphia Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers
- Common Types of Accidents That Can Damage the Spinal Cord
- Symptoms of a Spinal Cord Injury
- Impacts of a Spinal Cord Injury
- Understanding The Value of Your Case
- Fault & Liability Concerns
- Statute of Limitations And The Deadline to File Your Case
- Special Considerations in Spinal Cord Injury Cases
Why Choose Our Philadelphia Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers
The Philadelphia personal injury attorneys at Meirowitz & Wasserberg, LLP specialize in complex personal injury litigation. With decades of experience, our reliable team will guide you through the process, from filing a lawsuit to finding a successful outcome. We are always available for a free consultation.
Spinal cord injury lawsuits are complicated, and a lot of money may be on the line. Our attorneys are routinely up against insurance companies that are using all of their resources to limit your compensation. Working with our trusted and respected trial attorneys can help you get the money you need to build your life back.
The attorneys at Meirowitz & Wasserberg, LLP are experienced in navigating personal injury litigation. When you choose to hire us, you can be confident that you have the most capable representation to ensure you receive the monetary compensation you deserve.
We are committed to helping you succeed in your lawsuits and prepared to fight for a settlement or verdict in your favor. We are experienced in spinal cord injury cases and will aggressively represent you in court for hearings and at trial. Your legal team will prepare pleadings and motions filed with the court on your behalf and involve you in any discussions regarding possible settlement of your case before trial as well.
Common Types of Accidents That Can Damage the Spinal Cord
Spinal cord injuries are caused by trauma or impact to the body. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, spinal cord injuries are not often immediately diagnosed and are often the result of:
- Head injuries, particularly those with trauma to the face
- Pelvic fractures
- Penetrating injuries in the area of the spine
- Injuries from falling from heights
These types of injuries can be caused by car accidents, workplace accidents, medical mistakes, falls, or other traumatic incidents. Routine medical procedures, including surgery or anesthesia, could cause a spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injuries are often the result of accidents occurring on roadways or in workplaces like construction sites.
Our firm has decades of experience with personal injury cases that result from situations that may result in a spinal cord injury:
Symptoms of a Spinal Cord Injury
Every spinal cord injury is unique. Spinal cord injuries span a wide range of symptoms, as the spine may be partially or completely injured.
These injuries may make you unable to function below the site of the injury, including paraplegia (both legs are unable to move) or quadriplegia (both arms and both legs are unable to move). Symptoms of spinal cord injuries include loss of bodily functions, pain, and paralysis. Symptoms of a spinal cord injury may last a lifetime.
Impacts of a Spinal Cord Injury
Your spinal cord carries messages from your brain to the rest of your body. A spinal cord injury interrupts this flow of information. When this happens, you are paralyzed below the site of the injury.
A spinal cord injury will impact every aspect of your daily life. Depending on the location and severity of the injury, you may have limited movement and sensation in different parts of your body. This type of impairment affects your mobility, ability to work, or even your ability to have sexual relations with a partner. You may need assistance with daily tasks that you took for granted before the injury.
Research is currently being done to understand how this injury could be repaired, but most injuries are permanent and limited to rehabilitation, therapy, and medication. Long-term care for a spinal cord injury can be expensive, and a lawsuit may provide the compensation to you and your family to cover this medical care.
Understanding The Value of Your Case
Spinal cord injury lawsuits are civil suits that seek damages, which are monetary compensation for your injury. Damages pay for your expenses from the injury and compensate you for the situation. Every situation is different, and the circumstances and severity of your injury will determine the settlement or verdict amount. Damages could include compensation for economic and non-economic costs.
Economic damages are tangible and often have receipts or bills you can show to prove these damages. The cost of treating a spinal cord injury in just the first year can exceed hundreds of thousands of dollars, and medical costs may continue for decades. Economic damages can include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Compensation for loss of past and future income
- Adaptive equipment like wheelchairs and ramps to your home
- Legal expenses
- Other out-of-pocket expenses
Non-economic damages are awarded for intangible losses like pain and suffering or loss of relations with a significant other. These types of damages can be difficult to document and prove, and it’s important to discuss with your attorney what types of damages you might be entitled to.
In addition to economic and non-economic damages, the court may decide to award you punitive damages. Punitive damages are meant to “punish” the defendant if they are found to be deliberate and malicious in their negligence.
Fault & Liability Concerns
Spinal cord injuries can be caused by negligence or defective products. Motor vehicle accidents are common causes of spinal cord injuries and may be caused by the negligence of other drivers or road construction conditions. Spinal cord injuries are sometimes the result of falls, which could be from unsafe working conditions. Multiple people or companies can be found at fault and named as defendants in your lawsuit, with each party potentially obligated to compensate you.
Your attorney can also explain comparative negligence — if you are potentially partially at fault for the accident. Under Pennsylvania state law, if you are found partially negligent for the injury (but not more than 50 percent accountable), you would still be entitled to compensation, but it may be less, depending on the amount of negligence.
Statute of Limitations And The Deadline to File Your Case
The statute of limitations is how much time you have to file a lawsuit after the injury occurred. If the statute of limitations has run out, you may no longer have the time to file a case in court. In Pennsylvania, the statute of limitations for a personal injury case is generally two years.
The spinal cord injury attorneys at Meirowitz & Wasserberg can advise you regarding the expiration of the statute of limitations in your specific situation.
Special Considerations in Spinal Cord Injury Cases
Serious spinal cord injuries can cause permanent physical damage to you and long-term suffering for your family. As your injury is severe and life-changing, you may be entitled to equally serious compensation for your losses.
Experienced representation is crucial in spinal cord injury cases because they are complex and require the resources of a firm with extraordinary skill in personal injury lawsuits. If you have sustained a spinal cord injury in Pennsylvania, reach out to Meirowitz & Wasserberg for a free consultation.
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Get Your Free Case ReviewPersonal Injury Settlements:
$200,000
Personal injury settlement
$235,000
Slip and fall injury
$675,000
Product liability injury
$555,000
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Practice Areas
- Philadelphia Personal Injury
- Philadelphia Car Accidents
- Philadelphia Truck Accidents
- Philadelphia Motorcycle Accidents
- Philadelphia Pedestrian Accidents
- Philadelphia Bicycle Accidents
- Philadelphia Slip and Falls
- Philadelphia Brain Injuries
- Philadelphia Spinal Cord Injuries
- Philadelphia Wrongful Death
- Philadelphia Birth Injury
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Our Philadelphia, PA Office
- 1880 John F. Kennedy Blvd.Suite 1720Philadelphia, PA 19103
- (267) 507-9051
Nancy, New York (NY)
