Greenville Spinal Cord Injuries Lawyer
Spinal cord injuries take a heavy toll on the lives of those who experience them. Family members of victims of spinal cord injuries also face deep setbacks and losses. The Joel Bieber Firm understands how trying these injuries can be and fights to help victims get the compensation they deserve.
If you are suffering from a spinal injury, contact us today to speak with a Greenville spinal cord injuries lawyer who is ready to listen and fight for you.
How Spinal Injuries Occur and Who Is Liable
Spinal injuries can happen in many different contexts. They come about due to extreme twisting energy, blunt force trauma, piercing trauma, or overextension. When spinal damage occurs, it can cause paralysis. This condition may affect different parts of the body, and it is often permanent.
Traffic Accidents
The many types of forces present in traffic crashes can cause spinal injuries. During an accident, victims face very strong forces that push and pull them back and forth. Sometimes, these forces also cause severe blunt force trauma. The result can be overextension, snapping, piercing, and stretching of the spinal cord and column.
Generally speaking, liability for traffic accidents falls at the foot of a negligent or reckless driver. Other parties besides the driver may be liable for a spinal cord injury, such as the manufacturer of a defective auto part or a contractor who did shoddy roadwork for a government agency.
Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents are often the fuel of jokes. But there is nothing funny about them, especially when a spinal injury results. Slip and fall accidents can lead to permanent injuries and even death.
In most cases, slip and fall accidents fall under the theory of premises liability, which means that property owners typically face liability for these accidents. This is because property owners have a duty to maintain their property in a reasonably safe manner.
Some of the common hazards that lead to slip and fall accidents include:
- Ignored spilled liquids
- Snowy or icy conditions on walkways
- Poorly lit walkways, entrances, and exits
- Broken stairs
- Holes in the floor
Clutter can also lead to a serious slip and fall accident that damages a person’s spine.
Violence
Violence is also a major cause of spinal cord injuries. Victims may deal with significant spinal trauma from a gunshot or stab wound. Or the victim might incur a spinal cord injury during a physical fight.
An aggressor with no valid self-defense claim can be civilly liable for their violent actions, even if the state does not prosecute them or loses its criminal case.
Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice refers to situations when a healthcare provider fails to maintain acceptable standards of care while treating a patient.
In many cases of spinal cord injuries, chiropractors face medical malpractice claims. These providers often perform intense spinal manipulation. If they do not follow the normal standard of care, they can cause spinal injuries. Massage therapists sometimes face medical malpractice claims for spinal injuries as well.
But manipulation and force are not the only way spinal injuries can occur in the medical realm. Failed diagnoses, improper choice of medication, and improper treatment can also lead to spinal injuries as a disease progresses.
Defective Products
Consumers expect the products they purchase to be safe for use. However, some dangerously defective products make it to the marketplace and cause many injuries every year.
Some of these products that can lead to spinal cord injuries include:
- Ladders
- Power tools
- Vehicles and vehicle parts
- Bicycle and bicycle parts
- Medical devices
- Protective equipment
- Medication
Because most states follow the theory of strict liability for faulty products, victims in these states do not need to prove negligence. Instead, the fact that the product caused the harm is enough for a claim to be valid.
Sports Injuries
Contact sports are common throughout the country, so it is no wonder that spinal injuries often occur because of these sports. Although some spinal injuries in sports are unavoidable, many have causes related to negligence or recklessness.
For example, a coach of a high school football team could face liability if they push a player with an already injured back to continue playing. The coach’s actions could result in a worsening of the player’s back injury and lead to spinal damage.
Work Injuries
Certain jobs and industries are riskier than others. For instance, workers in the construction industry have a high risk of spinal injury due to falls, vehicle crashes, and flying or falling objects.
When the spinal injury occurs during work hours, the worker must typically pursue workers’ compensation benefits instead of suing their employer. However, the injured worker can hire a Greenville spinal cord injuries lawyer to sue a third party if that third party was responsible for causing the accident.
Consequences of Spinal Injuries and Compensation
The consequences of spinal accidents are often grave. Victims face life-changing conditions, such as:
- Paralysis, full or partial; permanent or temporary
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Loss of sexual function
- Severe pain
- Loss of sensation
- Amputations
In even the most minor of cases, spinal cord injury victims can find themselves out of work and isolated from their communities. Fortunately, they can hire a Greenville spinal cord injuries lawyer to seek compensation for their losses.
Damages
Spinal cord injury victims can seek monetary and nonmonetary damages after an accident, including compensation for:
- Medical costs and expenses
- Lost income and loss of future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Lost companionship
- Loss of the ability to enjoy life
Also, in cases where someone behaved willfully or maliciously, punitive damages may be available.
Speak with a Greenville Spinal Cord Injuries Lawyer Who Cares
If you have injured your spinal cord, you likely have extensive losses to contend with. At The Joel Bieber Firm, we can potentially help you recover the funds you will need for the future. So call our office today for a free case review with a Greenville spinal cord injuries lawyer who cares.
Our Office
Hire Personal Injury Lawyer in Greenville, SC
Medical Malpractice Lawyer Greenville SC
Greenville Workers Compensation Lawyer, SC