Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord damage is one of the most debilitating types of injuries occupants can sustain in a car accident. Often, victims who suffer spinal cord damage experience excruciating pain, significant limitations on their ability to perform even simple tasks, and even paralysis. And while the medical field has made major developments over the past few decades in treating spinal cord injuries, doctors are still trying to understand the human spine and how to effectively treat spinal injuries.

At the Blakeley Law Firm, we understand the pain and frustration that you feel after being seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident. For more than 20 years, our Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers have been helping accident victims hold negligent drivers accountable for the irreversible injuries they’ve experienced. We can help you identify the full extent of your damages and will negotiate with the at-fault driver’s insurance company to ensure you are fairly compensated for what you’ve been through and will continue to go through.

According to a 2016 study published in the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, the most common cause of spinal injuries is motor vehicle accidents, which are responsible for 38 percent of all spinal cord injuries (“SCI”). Other common causes include falls (30 percent), violence (13 percent), and sports injuries (9 percent).

Spinal cord injuries are incredibly complex and very expensive to treat. Of course, the cost of treating spinal injuries depends largely on the nature and severity of the injury. Other factors affecting the average annual cost of an SCI include age at the time of injury, education, and pre-injury employment history. However, according to a 2022 report by the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, the average cost of a spinal cord injury for the first year after the injury is between $397,544 to $1,218,106. After the first year, annual treatment costs vary between $48,287 and $211,528. Thus, assuming someone suffers an SCI at age 25, the lifetime cost will vary between $1.8 and $5.4 million.

A spinal cord injury changes almost every aspect of your life. Initially, your physical recovery is paramount; however, as time goes on, the impact your injury has on your day-to-day life becomes more pronounced. This can—and often does—significantly affect the emotional well-being of accident victims, who find they cannot do the things they used to enjoy.

Accident victims who experience a spinal cord injury may be eligible for financial compensation through a spinal cord injury lawsuit. These personal injury cases are brought against the party or parties responsible for causing the accident that resulted in your injuries. For example, if you were paralyzed in a trucking accident, you may be able to pursue a spine injury lawsuit against the truck driver or the trucking company. If successful, you may recover money intended to compensate you for your economic and non-economic damages, including:

• Medical bills,
• The costs of future medical care,
• Lost wages,
• Reduced earning capacity,
• Decreased quality of life,
• Loss of familial and intimate relationships,
• Pain and suffering, and
• Emotional distress.

However, because these lawsuits present incredibly high stakes, it is essential that accident victims work with an experienced Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer to ensure their case receives the attention it deserves.

If you or a loved one were recently paralyzed after a car accident, reach out to the dedicated spinal cord injury lawyers at the Blakeley Law Firm for immediate assistance. At the Blakeley Law Firm, our lawyers recognize the impact that suffering a serious injury can have on your life, as well as the lives of your loved ones, and we want to help ensure that your family doesn’t bear the financial burdens caused by another’s negligence. We offer free consultations to all prospective clients, during which we will explain the recovery process, answer your questions, and provide you with an honest assessment of the strength of your case. If you decide to bring a case with the Blakeley Law Firm, we won’t bill you for our services unless we can recover compensation on your behalf. To learn more, and to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation today, call (800) 602-5000. You can also reach us through our online contact form.