Spinal cord injuries can cause temporary impairments as well as long-term disability and even life-threatening, catastrophic harm. When these injuries are due to another party’s negligence or fault, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses through insurance or a personal injury lawsuit. While no amount of money can make up for what you are going through, a settlement can help by paying for medical treatment, modifications to the home, continuing therapy and care, and replacing the lost wages from being unable to work.
Alabama personal injury laws are complicated, making mistakes is costly, and insurance companies will try to get you to accept the lowest offer possible, but you do not have to deal with this on your own. At Caldwell Wenzel & Asthana, our skilled and experienced spinal cord injury lawyers in Mobile, AL, understands the tactics insurances companies use and will fight for a settlement that covers all your losses.
We serve clients from our offices in Mobile, Daphne and Foley, AL, and offer a free consultation to discuss your case and determine the best way to move forward.
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There are many lawyers out there, but spinal injury lawyers at Caldwell Wenzel & Asthana stand head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to aggressively negotiating and litigating personal injury claims. Here are some reasons why we believe we are your best choice:
When you retain Caldwell Wenzel & Asthana to represent you, you’ll have the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have a skilled advocate in your corner. Don’t delay. There are time limits for filing. According to the law (Alabama Code Section 6-2-38), you generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a claim, or the courts are likely to refuse to hear your case.
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In a successful spinal injury case, you may win an award that covers the losses you suffered, which are referred to as “damages” in legal terms. Damages can include your economic or monetary damages and should over the costs of:
You may also receive compensation for your “non-economic” damages that do not have a specific dollar value, but greatly impact your quality of life — the pain, suffering, depression and anxiety you’ve experienced.
At Caldwell Wenzel & Asthana, our Mobile, AL, spinal injury lawyers know how important it is to fight for payment that reflects all the challenges you face. Rest assured that we will fight for the optimum payment you are entitled to by law.
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After a serious spinal cord injury, you are bound to have questions. We can answer your specific concerns at our free consultation, but to get started, here are some answers to questions our attorneys are often asked:
There is a wide range of settlement amounts possible after a spinal injury, from tens of thousands to millions of dollars, depending on the circumstances of the case and the factors involved. Generally, the more serious and permanent the injury, the higher the settlement. Also, if gross negligence was involved, the threat of punitive damages imposed by a judge can drive up the amount of a settlement agreement.
It is possible to get financial compensation for spinal cord bruising, temporary paralysis, and chronic pain if you can prove that these injuries were caused by someone else’s negligence, even though the injuries are not life-threatening. Showing medical bills, lost wages, and other career setbacks demonstrates that you have suffered financial damages because of the injury.
Every case is different, and there is no “average” amount of time to get compensation. The attorneys at Caldwell Wenzel & Asthana are tough negotiators and will fight aggressively to get you a fair settlement. If an insurance company continues to low-ball their offer, our attorneys will take a case to trial and litigate it. Obviously, if your case goes to trial it will take longer to get compensation, but the amount could be more.
To prove negligence under the law, your attorney must establish four important elements. These include:
Your attorney can explain each of these in greater detail. What’s important to remember is that when one person acts carelessly or recklessly and causes injury to another person, under the principle of “negligence” the careless person is liable for the harm they caused someone else.
Yes. Car and truck accidents can result in spinal cord and head injuries, and the crash is often due to the other driver’s negligence because they were drunk, distracted, fatigued, or failed to follow road signs.
In the terrible event that your family member dies after suffering a spinal cord injury, you can file a wrongful death claim to receive compensation. According to the law (Section 6-5-410 of the Code of Alabama), a wrongful death is defined as one that is caused by the “wrongful act, omission, or negligence” of another. While different than a personal injury claim, a wrongful death claim can result in compensation for funeral and burial costs, in addition to other damages.
When you have our Mobile spinal injury lawyers working for you, we will keep you informed and answer all your questions throughout the entire legal process.
Several impairments can result from a spinal cord injury – some are temporary, while others can be long-lasting or permanent. Factors impacting the duration of the injury include the seriousness of the spinal cord bruise/sever, the location along the cord where the damage occurred, and whether doctors can repair the damage. Common impairments resulting from spinal cord injuries include:
The back is one of the most frequently injured parts of the body in car accidents, falls, and workplace accidents. Back injuries can affect the vertebrae, discs, muscles, ligaments, nerves, and spinal cord. Injuries to the back are nearly always painful, and they can severely restrict your activities and interfere with your ability to take care of yourself, work, perform household tasks, and participate in sports or leisure activities. In the worst cases, where the spinal cord is involved, the result is usually paralysis.
Spinal cord injuries sometimes happen in coordination with back injuries, head injuries and TBI. Following are explanations of things to watch out for when the spinal cord and back are injured at the same time.
Spinal cord injuries are the most catastrophic and life-changing of all back injuries. When the spinal cord is injured, the result is usually total or partial paralysis below the point of injury. When the injury is to the lower part of your spine, you will lose the use of your legs and the entire lower portion of your body. This is called paraplegia. If the damage to the spinal cord is in your upper body or neck, the paralysis will affect all four limbs. This condition is called quadriplegia.
When you’ve suffered an injury to your spinal cord, it is likely that you’ll be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of your life. You may never be able to return to your previous job and may require personal care and assistance with the most basic life tasks. You will probably need to make alterations to your home and vehicle to accommodate your disability and will need to work with an occupational therapist to learn ways to adjust to your severely restricted circumstances.
A broken back is an injury in which the vertebrae are fractured or dislocated, often as the result of a motor vehicle accident or fall. If bone fragments damage the spinal cord, paralysis may result. The most common fractures of the spine occur in the thoracic and lumbar spine (middle and lower back) or at the thoracolumbar junction, where the two sections join. These fractures are typically caused by a high-impact car accident or a fall from a high place, as in a construction accident, and often require surgery to decompress the spine and prevent damage to the spinal cord.
A herniated disc, also known as a slipped disc or ruptured disc, is an injury that can occur in a car accident—especially a rear-end collision—as well as in a fall, sports accident, or other accident. The gelatinous material that forms a cushion between the vertebrae bulges out and presses against the surrounding spinal nerves, causing pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness along the nerve.
A back strain often occurs when the force of an impact in an accident causes a muscle or a tendon connecting muscle to bone to stretch farther than normal or to tear. Both sprains and strains are painful and restrict your range of motion, along with the ability to perform many common tasks.
At Caldwell Wenzel & Asthana, we take every case personally and focus our full attention on each client. We are aggressive negotiators and fierce litigators, and we will not rest until we get the justice you deserve.
When we file a lawsuit on your behalf, we maintain open communication with you every step of the way. We have an outstanding, highly skilled staff who can answer all your questions, provide support, and maintain all legal records. You will never be alone when you are represented by our law firm, because we treat every client with respect, compassion and care.
When you’ve suffered a back or spinal cord injury in an accident of any kind, whether it is life-changing, life-threatening, or painful, you should consult an experienced back injury lawyer to learn about your legal options for recovering compensation.
Serving Foley, Daphne, Mobile, and all of Alabama, the personal injury lawyers at Caldwell Wenzel & Asthana have the skill, experience, and commitment to aggressively represent you. To learn more about how we can help, call us for a free initial consultation at (251) 444-7000.