Georgia Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

November 15, 2023 | Attorney, Matthew Dolman

Spinal cord injuries can have devastating and life-altering effects, often leading to long-term disability and requiring expensive medical treatment and care. If you or a loved one suffered a spinal cord injury in Georgia due to the negligence of another party, promptly seek legal assistance.

At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, our team is dedicated to helping individuals who've sustained such significant injuries. Our team understands the complexities and unique challenges associated with these types of injuries, making us well-equipped to fight for your rights and ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.

We recognize that spinal cord injuries not only bring physical pain but also emotional trauma and financial stress for victims and their families. Our objective is straightforward: ease this burden by tirelessly working on your case so you can focus entirely on recovery.

Whether your injury resulted from a car crash, slip-and-fall accident, or other circumstances that another party caused, we're ready to put our extensive experience in personal injury law into action for you. Trust our Georgia spinal cord injury lawyers as your advocates in this challenging time, and let us handle the legal complexities while you concentrate on healing.

How Dolman Law Group Can Help You With Your Case

Georgia Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we understand the physical, emotional, and financial toll that a spinal cord injury can take on you and your family. That's why we're here to handle each aspect of your case from start to finish with the utmost compassion and determination.

Our approach involves:

  • Comprehensive Case Review: We begin by conducting an exhaustive analysis of your case, which includes understanding how the injury occurred, who is liable, and estimating fair compensation for all losses incurred.
  • Gathering Evidence: We work tirelessly to collect all necessary evidence, including medical records, accident reports, witness statements, and more, to build a strong case for you.
  • Negotiating with Insurance Companies: Dealing with insurance companies can often be frustrating. Our team has extensive experience dealing with these entities, including those of large corporation giants, and will negotiate assertively on your behalf, aiming for a fair settlement without having to go to trial when possible.
  • Taking Your Case to Court: We are litigation bulldogs. If negotiations do not result in adequate compensation, we can take your case to court, where our skilled trial lawyers will passionately advocate for your rights.
  • Keeping You Informed: Throughout this process, our team remains committed to updating you about every development in your case while answering any questions or concerns you may have along the way.

We’re proud of the relationships we've built with clients over the years, as evident in numerous testimonials from those we've had the privilege of serving. Our objective extends beyond obtaining monetary damages. For our team, it's about helping victims regain control over their lives after a catastrophic incident like a spinal cord injury through dedicated service and legal prowess.

Contact Our Georgia Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Today

Types of Spinal Cord Injuries

A spinal cord injury is a serious condition that occurs when any part of the spinal cord or nerves at the end of the spinal canal are damaged. The impact can cause permanent changes in strength, sensation, and other bodily functions below the site of the injury.

There are two primary types of Spinal Cord Injuries:

  • Complete Spinal Cord Injuries: A complete injury is diagnosed when there's no sensation or voluntary movement on either side of your body below the level of injury. These injuries often result in total paralysis, leading to conditions such as paraplegia (paralysis from the waist down) or quadriplegia (paralysis from the neck down).
  • Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries: If you have some motor or sensory function below the affected area, your injury is called incomplete. The degree to which an incomplete injury affects a person can vary widely; while some people may have symptoms similar to those with complete injuries, others may experience minimal effects.

Long-term effects and potential complications associated with these injuries can include extensive loss of mobility, sexual dysfunction, pain, and mental health issues like depression or anxiety due to lifestyle changes post-injury.

If you're dealing with a spinal cord injury in Georgia due to someone else's negligence, you can secure the finances necessary for long-term care and rehabilitation.

Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries in Georgia

A variety of incidents can lead to spinal cord injuries, such as physical assault, sports injuries, and work-related accidents. Sadly, many spinal cord injuries are preventable and result entirely from the negligence or recklessness of another party. Here are some common causes of these serious injuries for which you can seek compensation. 

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Motor vehicle accidents, including those involving cars, trucks, and motorcycles, are a leading cause of spinal cord injuries. High-speed collisions can result in direct trauma to the spine or generate sufficient force to cause dislocation, fracture, compression, or burst injuries to the vertebral column, resulting in damage to the spinal cord. Even low-speed impacts can lead to significant spinal cord injuries if they result in violent movement of the head and neck - for instance, causing whiplash.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Slips, Trips, and Falls

Falls account for a large number of spinal cord injuries, particularly among older adults. A fall from a significant height, such as from a ladder, stairway, or through an open hole or surface at a construction site, can lead to serious injury. Slip-and-fall incidents due to wet floors, loose carpeting, inadequate lighting, or other hazardous conditions can also result in traumatic injury. Property owners may be held liable under premises liability laws if it is found that they neglected their duty of care towards maintaining safe environments.

Medical Malpractice

Spinal cord injuries could also occur due to medical malpractice when healthcare professionals fail to provide the standard care required, which leads to patient harm. This might involve surgical errors during procedures involving the back or neck where the spinal cord is accidentally nicked or severed during surgery.

Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of conditions affecting the spine could also allow disorders like infections and tumors enough time to escalate into causing irreversible damage. Negligence in administering epidural injections for pain relief could have similar consequences by directly injuring the spinal cord.

In all these cases where another party's negligence causes an individual’s spinal cord injury, victims have legal rights under Georgia law and can seek compensation for their damages with help from skilled Georgia personal injury attorneys at Dolman Law Group.

The Financial Impact of Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries often come with a significant financial burden, one that can add considerable stress to an already challenging situation.

The staggering costs associated with these injuries can extend well beyond initial medical treatment.

  • Immediate Medical Costs: After a spinal cord injury, the immediate medical costs can include hospital stays, surgeries, medications, and emergency transport fees.
  • Ongoing Medical Care and Therapy: Once discharged from the hospital, most individuals will require follow-up medical care, including routine doctor’s visits, physical therapy, or rehabilitation services for years or even a lifetime.
  • Assistive Devices and Home Modifications: Many spinal cord injury victims will need assistive devices such as wheelchairs or walkers for mobility. Homes may also need to be modified for accessibility, which might involve installing ramps, widening doorways, or renovating bathrooms – all of which come at significant cost.
  • Lost Wages and Earning Capacity: Given the severity of these injuries, returning to work may not be possible immediately, if at all, leading to lost wages. In some cases, sufferers may only return in a reduced capacity or have to switch careers altogether, resulting in diminished future earning potential.
  • Non-Medical Personal Care Costs: Depending on the extent of disability from spinal cord injury – individuals may also require caregivers for assistance with daily tasks like dressing, bathing, etc., adding further ongoing expenses.

While every individual's situation is unique, the immense economic impact of these injuries can add up. That’s why you must consider current and future losses when determining compensation in personal injury claims related to spinal cord injuries.

If you or a loved one has sustained a spinal cord injury due to the negligence or wrongful conduct of another, you have legal rights under Georgia law. You may recover significant financial compensation for medical expenses, losses related to inability to work, pain and suffering, and other damages.

The first step is filing a personal injury claim against the party at fault: a reckless driver, an organization such as a corporate entity responsible for unsafe premises where a fall occurred, or even healthcare providers in case of medical malpractice.

T prove negligence under Georgia law, four key elements must be established:

  • Duty: The defendant owed you (the plaintiff) a duty of care.
  • Breach: The defendant breached this duty.
  • Causation: The breach caused the spinal cord injury.
  • Damages: As a result of the injury, you suffered damages.

Damages in these claims may divide into economic and non-economic categories.

  • Economic damages include tangible losses such as past and future medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost wages and income, and loss of future earning potential.
  • Non-economic damages are intangible losses, including pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of companionship or consortium.

Georgia does not cap economic or non-economic damages in personal injury cases. However, Georgia follows modified comparative negligence rules, so if you were partially at fault for your injuries, your total recovery amount could decrease proportionately by your percentage of fault.

Navigating complicated litigation processes requires extensive knowledge of laws, medical terminology, and insurance company tactics. This is why experienced attorneys like Dolman Law Group can secure full compensation for your losses after spinal cord injuries.

How Long Do I Have to Seek Compensation? 

In legal terms, the statute of limitations refers to the timeframe within which you must initiate a lawsuit following an injury or wrongful act. Once this time limit passes, you may lose your right to pursue legal action and seek compensation for your injuries.

In Georgia, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases, including those involving spinal cord injuries, is generally two years from the accident.

However, exceptions may apply in certain circumstances, and determining when exactly these timelines begin and end can depend on specific factors surrounding each case, which makes experienced legal counsel crucial.

Dealing with a spinal cord injury can be one of the most challenging experiences in life. The severity of such injuries and the complexity involved in seeking justice demands the assistance of experienced legal professionals.

Dolman Law Sexual Abuse Lawyer Team standing and sitting behind large table

At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we understand this struggle and are committed to standing by you throughout this journey. From investigating your claim and negotiating with insurance companies to representing you in court if necessary, our dedicated team is prepared to go above and beyond to ensure that you get the compensation and justice you deserve.

Don't let the clock run out on your right to file a claim. If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury, we urge you to contact us immediately for a free consultation about your case.

Remember, there are no fees unless we win your case; allowing us to serve as your advocate during this trying time won’t add financial stress on top of everything else.

So take the first step towards reclaiming control over your future — reach out to Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers today by calling (833) 55-CRASH or contacting us online.

 

Matthew Dolman

Personal Injury Lawyer

This article was written and reviewed by Matthew Dolman. Matt has been a practicing civil trial, personal injury, products liability, and mass tort lawyer since 2004. He has successfully fought for more than 11,000 injured clients and acted as lead counsel in more than 1,000 lawsuits. Always on the cutting edge of personal injury law, Matt is actively engaged in complex legal matters, including Suboxone, AFFF, and Ozempic lawsuits.  Matt is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum for resolving individual cases in excess of $1 million and $2 million, respectively. He has also been selected by his colleagues as a Florida Superlawyer and as a member of Florida’s Legal Elite on multiple occasions. Further, Matt has been quoted in the media numerous times and is a sought-after speaker on a variety of legal issues and topics.

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