Fort Lauderdale Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

Our Fort Lauderdale spinal cord injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Chalik & Chalik have handled many severe cases and want to help represent you and your family. Traumatic spinal cord injuries from car crashes, falls, acts of violence, or other causes can leave victims permanently paralyzed below the point of injury. Complete and incomplete spine injuries can change a victim’s life forever. Every year, approximately 17,000 new spinal cord injury cases arise in the U.S. It is our mission to fight aggressively against negligent parties that cause others’ spine injuries. Our spinal cord injury attorneys at Chalik & Chalik will go head to head with insurance companies and other defendants in pursuit of maximum compensation.

Pursuing a Spinal Injury Claim in Fort Lauderdale

At the Law Offices of Chalik & Chalik, our Fort Lauderdale personal injury business was created to help victims with life-altering injuries like those to the spinal cord.You should consider filing a personal injury claim with our Fort Lauderdale spine injury attorneys not only because it could result in a six- or seven-figure settlement, but also because it could prevent others from the same fate. For example, there have been cases in which a defective seatbelt caused or contributed to spine injuries in car accidents. Plaintiffs who went up against manufacturing companies for creating these faulty seat belts elicited a change at the factory. Personal injury claims can ultimately lead to a safer future. To discover if your case has merit and how much your spine injury may be worth in Fort Lauderdale, discuss your case with our spinal cord injury attorneys now. Call Chalik & Chalik today; the consultation is always free.

Compensation Available for Spinal Accidents in Fort Lauderdale

Spine injuries are catastrophic, meaning they cause permanent disability. Florida courts will award the greatest amounts of compensation for catastrophic injuries, as they are typically life changing and permanent. The courts will determine the amount of compensation based on the severity of the injury, the age of the victim, the costs the victim has incurred, and the impact the injury has had on the victim’s life. Types of damages may include payment for:

• Surgeries and hospital stays
• Scans, tests, and x-rays
• Injury-related medical care
• Ongoing healthcare and rehabilitation
• Medications and treatment costs
• Cost of medical devices such as wheelchairs
• Cost of permanent live-in care
• Modifications to the victim’s home or vehicle (e.g. access ramps)
• Lost wages and lost capacity to earn
• Lost enjoyment or quality of life
• Physical pain from the accident
• Emotional suffering and mental distress
• Costs of permanent disability

Fort Lauderdale civil courts may also award punitive damages if the offending party was criminal or grossly negligent in his/her actions. If a loved one dies because of his/her spine injury or related complications, the surviving family members may be eligible for additional types of damages, such as loss of consortium. Speak to one of our spinal cord lawyers about questions regarding exact amounts of potential compensation. Award amounts will differ from case to case. If you were involved in a car crash that resulted in a spinal cord injury, speak to our car accident attorneys now.

Spinal Cord Injury Statistics

According to the University of Alabama’s National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), the United States sees around 17,000 cases in spinal cord injury every year. As startling as this number is, it doesn’t even include those who died from spinal cord injuries at the scene of an accident. Once you suffer from a spinal cord injury, your life is much more challenging than if your spinal cord had not experienced damage. According to the NSCISC, approximately 282,000 Americans are living with spinal cord injuries (SCIs). Those thousands must deal with expensive medical bills, lengthy rehabilitation, and modified homes and vehicles.

In fact, this type of back injury can severely limit an individual’s quality and duration of life, resulting in millions of dollars in medical expenses and lost earnings.

Cost of a Spinal Cord Injury

The NSCIS suggests that direct medical costs to treat a spinal cord injury can range between $350,000 and $1.1 million during the first year depending on severity and between $42,000 and $185,000 per year thereafter. Indirect costs (lost wages, productivity) from a spinal cord injury averaged $72,000 per year in 2015.

Types of Spinal Cord Injuries

An injury affecting the spinal cord can significantly impact the strength and sensation of your body below the injury site. When damages occurs to the spinal cord, victims may suffer catastrophic consequences. When victims have no feeling below where the injury occurred, doctors call the spinal cord injury “complete.” When victims have some sensory feeling below the injury, doctors call the spinal cord injury “incomplete.”

Two other injury classifications are:

• Quadriplegia, which affects arms, hands, trunk, legs, and pelvic organs.
• Paraplegia, which affects some parts of your trunk, legs, and pelvic organs.

Both kinds leave victims with a life transformed – no longer able to complete basic tasks on their own and always at the mercy of family, friends, or medical staff. If you or a loved one has sustained such injuries, the negligent party should pay for your present and future medical care.

Warning Signs of Spinal Cord Injury (Non-Emergency)

It is important to know the warning signs of a spinal cord injury and to seek medical assistance as soon as those signs present themselves. Medical professionals divide spinal cord injuries into non-emergency and emergency. Non-emergency signs are:

• Limitation in movement
• Change in sensation, the inability to feel heat or cold
• Limitation or loss in bladder or bowel functioning
• Spasms or extreme reflex activity
• Sudden changes in sexual functioning
• Intense pain or stinging sensation around the spinal cord
• Respiratory distress, trouble breathing, or coughing

Warning Signs of Spinal Cord Injuries (Emergency)

If you or another person experience any of the following, seek immediate medical care. Avoid moving and call 911.

• Shooting pain or pressure in the back, neck, or head
• Paralysis (loss of movement or feeling in any part of the body)
• Loss of sensation or numbness in the hands, fingers, feet, or toes
• Limitation or loss in bladder or bowel functioning
• Trouble walking, standing, or issues with balance
• Respiratory problems – trouble breathing or talking
• A noticeable kink or twist in the back or neck

Contact Chalik & Chalik Today

If you suspect someone has an injury to his or her spine, first, do not move the individual; serious complications or permanent paralysis may result from a wrong move. Instead, contact emergency medical personnel while trying to keep the individual still, calm, and conscious. If possible, place stabilizing objects (towels, blankets, or clothing) on both sides of the person’s neck to prevent his or her head from moving until emergency personnel arrive or use your hands to gently stabilize the neck.

The personal injury firm at the Law Offices of Chalik & Chalik believe spinal cord injury lawsuits are about more than just money. They hold negligent parties legally accountable for their actions. They shed light on issues within systems, such as safety in the workplace or on Fort Lauderdale’s roads. They punish those whose reckless or unlawful acts leave victims permanently injured or killed. Finally, they can offer financial relief and closure for those living with spine injuries because of someone else’s lapse in judgment. If you or a loved one has sustained a spinal cord injury in an accident, you need advice from an experienced team of attorneys. Chalik & Chalik may be able to help recoup some of your medical expenses and lost time from work. For a free consultation, contact us today.