Skilled Virginia Beach Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers Protect Clients’ Rights
Hampton Roads law firm helps Virginia injury victims collect compensation
Car crashes, falls and other serious accidents can cause spinal cord injuries that require extensive and long-term medical care. When an accident is due to someone else’s negligence, the injured person has the right to seek compensation to pay for doctor bills and other damages. At Ernest Law Group, PLC in Virginia Beach, our spinal cord injury lawyers seek payment for victims of spinal injuries throughout the Hampton Roads area, including Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, Hampton, Suffolk and Northern Virginia..
Spinal cord injuries can be life changing
Many spinal cord injuries are considered catastrophic because they alter the victim’s life. In addition to the chronic pain that can result when nerve fibers in the spine are damaged, a person with a spinal cord injury may suffer partial or complete paralysis. Surgery, rehabilitation procedures, nursing care, medication and adaptive medical equipment might be necessary. The ongoing medical costs from a spinal injury can be staggering. Our attorneys will assess the full costs of your injuries and work to get you maximum compensation.
How Virginia Beach spinal cord injuries often happen
A severe rear-end collision in a car accident can cause spinal injuries. Other types of accidents that are known to cause this type of harm include the following:
- Commercial truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Boating accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Slip and fall incidents
- Defective product malfunctions
Our Virginia Beach lawyers will investigate how your accident happened in order to clearly establish defendants’ fault.
Symptoms of a spinal cord injury
Signs of a spinal cord injury can differ based on where the impact occurred on the body and its severity. Problems associated with spinal damage include:
- Paralysis
- Back, head or neck pain or pressure
- Numbness, tingling or loss of sensation in extremities
- Difficulty breathing
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Problems with walking and balance
When you have been in an accident and have signs of a spinal cord injury, seek immediate medical treatment.
Common treatments for Virginia spinal cord injuries
While spinal cord damage typically cannot be reversed, there are treatments that can prevent further injury and improve quality of life, such as:
- Surgery
- Decompression
- Medication
- Rehabilitation procedures
- Internal fixation such as rods and screws
- Traction, casts and braces
- Steroid infusions
These treatments are often painful and very expensive, which is why we press for settlement or judgment that fully addresses the harm you’ve suffered.
Compensation for a Virginia Beach spinal cord injury
Compensation that may be available in a spinal cord injury claim includes payment for the following:
- Current and future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity when you can’t work at all or at the same level
- Pain and suffering for physical discomfort and emotional distress
Punitive damages meant to punish especially bad behavior may also be available. One example of when these damages may be awarded is if you were hit by a drunk driver. If you are considering a lawsuit, do not wait to file. The statute of limitations is two years in Virginia. If you miss this timeline, you may lose your right to bring a lawsuit and your ability to get compensation from the party who caused your injuries. It is best to start the investigation immediately before evidence and witnesses become difficult to locate. Virginia is a contributory negligence state, which means that if you are held to bear any liability for your accident, you cannot recover damages, even if most of the fault was theirs.
Contact an aggressive Virginia Beach spinal cord injury lawyer for a free consultation
At Ernest Law Group, PLC in Virginia Beach, we fight for the rights of clients throughout the Hampton Roads region who have suffered spinal cord injuries. To schedule a free consultation, call our law firm at 757-289-2499 or contact us online.