Spinal Cord Injuries

A blow to your spinal cord can be a devastating, life-altering event that requires intensive rehabilitation and medical care, as well as often changing the way you live. If you’ve suffered a spinal cord injury due to the careless action of someone else, you may be entitled to collect damages from the responsible party. The Miami serious injury attorney has compassionately represented victims who suffered catastrophic injuries throughout Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. Whether your injury is due to a motorcycle or car accident, or from a fall on someone else’s poorly maintained property, the Law Offices of Robert Dixon can help you pursue proper compensation

Those who suffer damage to their spinal cords may need long-term care for their injuries. Sometimes paralysis, such as paraplegia and quadriplegia, may result from this type of harm, which can require lifetime medical care and a substantial change in lifestyle. These catastrophic injuries can also have a significant impact on whether or not a person can work or earn a livelihood for his or her family. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has estimated that a victim who sustains a spinal cord injury could need millions of dollars to cover their lifetime of care. Car accidents were the leading cause of spinal cord injuries from 2005 and 2012, with falls accounting for the second-most common cause.

In order to receive compensation for a spinal injury, the victim usually tries to prove that another person or entity acted negligently. This means that the injured person must show that:

• The defendant owed him or her a duty of care to act as a reasonable and prudent person would;
• The defendant breached that duty of care;
• That breach caused the victim’s injury; and
• The injury caused the victim to incur damages.

For example, all drivers have a duty of care to operate their vehicles in a safe manner. If a pedestrian is hit in a crosswalk by a speeding car, and as a result is rendered a paraplegic, the careless motorist likely would be found to have breached this duty. Additionally, a property owner could be held responsible if his or her failure to properly safeguard a swimming pool leads to a traumatic accident.

Damages that may be available to a plaintiff injured by someone else’s negligence include past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of income, and loss of earning capacity. Other objective and subjective damages also may be sought, depending on the circumstances of the case.

Personal injury cases in Florida must be filed within four years of the date the victim was injured. Some claims that may arise from a spinal cord injury, such as medical malpractice or wrongful death, have a shorter time frame of two years. These actions may involve some complex preliminary investigations, such as consulting medical experts or reconstructing an accident. Thus, it is important to consult a capable attorney who can guide you through the legal process.

If you need help asserting your rights after a devastating spinal cord injury in Miami, the accident lawyer will be there to offer you the support you need. Do not hesitate to contact the Law Offices of Robert Dixon to schedule a free consultation. Please call 877.499.4878 or contact us online to start a conversation about your case.