If you or a loved one has suffered from a spinal cord
injury, it is imperative that you hire a spinal cord injuries lawyer to
represent your interests or your loved one's interests. Insurance companies have
a team of lawyers who work hard to prevent paying out claims or grossly
underpaying what they should pay. Insurance representatives are also trained to
get you or your loved one to say something that could hurt your chances of
obtaining fair compensation. No matter how sweet they sound on the phone, you
should never believe they are on your side. It is always best in these cases to
find a good attorney experienced in spinal cord injuries and let that
attorney handle the case.
Spinal cord injuries can have a devastating effect on one's
quality of life. Here is a list of some of the possible outcomes:
- Complete paralysis.
- Severe pain and pressure in the head, neck, and
back regions.
- A stinging sensation in and around the spine.
- Labored breathing.
- Uncontrolled bowel movements and complete loss
of bladder control.
- Dizziness when walking or standing, sometimes
making it impossible to walk.
- Tingling or numbness in the extremities,
especially the fingers and toes.
- Loss of touch with the inability to detect
extremely hot or cold objects against the skin.
With such a terrible reduction in quality of life, you or
your loved one should be compensated in a manner that is fully commensurate
with the degree of your pain and suffering. Insurance companies will try,
however, to weasel out of paying what they really should. You need the aid of
an experienced and highly-successful spinal cord injuries attorney to settle
the case fairly or present your case to a jury in a way that they can fully
understand the impact the injury has and will have on your life or the life of
a loved one. This is the only way you or your loved one will be fairly
compensated. If you try to represent yourself or simply leave it up to the
insurance company, it is highly unlikely you or your loved one will be fairly
compensated.
It is also true that the effects of many spinal cord
injuries may not show up right away. This could mean that 2, 5, or 10 years
down the road, you or your loved one could suffer a devastating set-back due to
the spinal injury that has occurred recently. A good spinal cord injury lawyer
will know this and will ensure that the compensation you receive is enough to
cover all future negative outcomes due to the spinal cord injury, not just your
current medical bills and other expenses.
With the right spinal cord injuries lawyer, you may be
eligible for additional compensation if your injuries interfere with your
ability to perform your job, have sexual relations with your spouse, be the
kind of parent that you want to be, finish your schooling, or live a normal
lifespan. Age and prior health condition can also be a major factor in the
amount of compensation you are awarded. However, to get all of the compensation
you or your loved one deserves, you need an attorney who is highly skilled in
personal injury law and understands what it takes to negotiate with the
insurance companies and win your case in court.