Have you or a loved one suffered a serious spinal cord injury in a preventable accident, such as a motor vehicle collision or fall? If someone else was responsible for the accident, you may be eligible for financial compensation. Contact a Cherry Hill personal injury lawyer for a free consultation.
At Cuneo & Leonetti, our Cherry Hill spinal cord injury lawyers are here to help. We offer a free, no-obligation consultation and never charge a fee unless we win.
Don’t delay working, we will begin working on your behalf immediately to secure the financial compensation you and your family need now and for years to come. Call (856) 869-9066 or book your appointment online today.
Why The Firm Of Cuneo & Leonetti Is Your Choice For Spinal Cord Accidents
As one of Cherry Hill’s top law firms, we are dedicated to recovering maximum compensation for you and your loved ones. We know the strategies opposing legal counsel and insurance companies will try to reduce your damages and understand the best ways to counter them.
At Cuneo & Leonetti, we have won extensive settlements and verdicts in spinal injury cases. Here are some examples of how we have helped New Jerseyans just like you:
- $750,000 Award for Cervical and Lumbar Herniations
- $725,000 Mediation for Cervical Herniations
- $565,000 Verdict for Lumbar Herniations
- $500,000 Verdict for Lumbar Herniations
- $425,000 Verdict for Lumbar Herniations
- $325,000 Mediated Settlement For Cervical Injury
This is just a short list of all the successful spinal cord and column injury cases we’ve won across New Jersey.
Understanding The Spine: Spinal Column Vs. Spinal Cord
The human body’s spinal column is composed of 24 bones, called vertebrae, with spongy cartilage discs in between. Damage to the spine can cause intense, chronic pain, affect your mobility, use of extremities, and even the function of internal organs, depending upon which area is injured and the severity of the injury.
The spinal column is composed of three distinct regions:
- Cervical Spine: this area comprises the first seven vertebrae, which connect the skull to the torso and top of the rib cage.
- Thoracic Spine: this area of the spine is composed of the middle twelve vertebrae, which span from the top to near the bottom of the rib cage.
- Lumbar Spine: this spine area comprises the final five vertebrae, connecting from the ribs to the pelvis.
The spinal column is one of the primary structures that hold humans upright. While it has the primary purpose of providing this structural support, it also protects sensitive nerves and nerve endings – known as the spinal cord – that run from the brain stem in the middle of the vertebrae all the way to the base of the spine (known as the sacrum).
The spinal cord transmits information from the brain throughout the entire body. And while the spinal column protects the spinal cord, it also can damage the cord if the spine experiences blunt force trauma.
Spinal cord injuries are common in car accidents, slip and fall incidents, and work-related accidents. In the event of a car accident, contact a Cherry Hill accident lawyer who is prepared to help navigate your case circumstances.
What Are the Effects of a Spinal Cord Injury?
The spinal cord relays all information and messages back and forth between the brain to the remainder of the body. The impacts of a spinal cord injury depend on the level of the spine where the injury occurs. Injuries that occur high on the spinal cord at the cervical level cause the most severe effects with complete paralysis of the upper and lower limbs and body. An injury at this level also impacts breathing and speech so injury victims must rely on medical equipment and full-time caregivers.
Injuries at the thoracic level cause paralysis in the lower limbs and often in the lower body, with a severity of impairment based on the exact vertebrae level of the injury. Individuals with spinal cord injuries at this level require a wheelchair and typically experience loss of bladder and bowel control as well as loss of sexual function.
Injuries at the lumbar level have the least degree of debilitating effects but may still cause lower limb paralysis. Depending on the exact level of the injury, the injury victim may require a wheelchair or may be able to walk with braces and assistive equipment. Impacts on bladder, bowel, and sexual function depend on the level and severity of the injury to the lumbar level of the spinal cord.
Those with spinal cord injuries often suffer from related medical conditions such as respiratory problems, urinary tract infections, pressure sores, osteoporosis, PTSD, and/or depression, all of which require continued medical care and monitoring for the remainder of the individual’s life.
Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries occur when a blow, strong shake, or puncture wound, causes the protective vertebrae in the spinal column to shatter or burst. Shards of bone may puncture or severe the spinal cord or inflammation from the site of the injury can cause damage to the sensitive nerve bundles in the spinal cord. Common causes of spinal cord injuries include:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Falls from heights
- Workplace accidents
- Slip-and-fall accidents
- Acts of criminal violence, including assault and gunshot wounds
- Contact sports
- Diving injuries
- Medical errors during back or neck surgery
If any of the above causes of injury or another type of accident resulting from someone else’s careless, reckless, or wrongful actions caused your spinal cord injury, you can recover compensation for the life-altering consequences—or “damages” in a personal injury claim. The spinal cord injury attorneys at Cuneo & Leonetti are ready to help you gain financial compensation and a sense of justice.
Signs of a Spinal Cord Injury
Always seek emergency medical care after a car accident, fall, sports injury, diving accident, or any injury or attack that impacts the neck, back, or thorax. It’s critical to avoid moving an injured victim unless they are in immediate mortal danger such as in the flow of traffic or under the water. Instead, keep the injury victim still while you call 911 for emergency services. Hold the head and neck in place or place rolled towels or blankets on each side of their head and neck. If you apply any emergency first aid, carefully avoid moving the head, neck, or back. Doing so can cause further injury and permanent paralysis.
Some spinal cord injuries do not cause immediate paralysis, but the loss of function and sensation occurs slowly due to inflammation or bleeding inside the spinal column. Symptoms of spinal cord injuries include the following:
- A twisted back or neck
- Pain or pressure in the neck or back
- Numbness or tingling in the extremities
- Difficulty walking or balancing
- Trouble breathing
Any serious back or neck injury should be treated as a possible spinal cord injury until a thorough exam proves otherwise. Prompt action can help to minimize the impact of the injury.
Compensation And Damages After A Spinal Cord Injury
Living after a spinal cord injury can not just be physically and emotionally taxing, but financially taxing as well. The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation reports that an individual living with a spinal injury can spend millions each year for medical support, assistance, and other tools to help restore function.
A good spinal cord injury lawyer knows the extensive costs facing the victims of spinal cord injuries. That’s why they’ll do their best to recover maximum compensation in the form of damages in your spinal cord injury case.
Here are examples of the types of costs that a successful settlement or jury verdict could cover:
- Medical Bills
- Long-Term Care or At-Home Health Care
- Home Modifications and Accommodations
- Assistive Devices
- Lost Wages
- Lost Earning Potential
- Training For New Vocation
We always recommend that spinal cord injury victims file a case immediately. Per the New Jersey personal injury statute of limitations, you must file a claim within two years of the incident -or the discovery of the injury.
Who Is Liable for Spinal Cord Injuries?
Personal injury law centers around the presumption that we all owe a general duty of care to take reasonable actions to prevent causing injury to others in our orbit. New Jersey laws hold careless, reckless, or negligent individuals and businesses liable for the extensive, life-long damages associated with spinal cord injuries. Whether it’s a distracted driver in an auto accident or a negligent store owner in a slip-and-fall injury, if they are at fault for the injury, they are liable for damages—typically paid through an insurance policy. In some cases, several parties share liability and compensation may come from more than one insurer. Proving liability requires documenting evidence that the case meets the following legal points of liability:
- The at-fault party owed a duty of care to the injury victim, like a driver’s duty to follow traffic laws and a store owner’s duty to have safe premises
- They breached their duty of care through negligence, recklessness, or wrongdoing
- The breach of duty caused the injury
- The injury victim suffered significant damages from the injury, including both economic and non-economic damages
A skilled attorney investigates all aspects of the injury to gather and document evidence before presenting a demand package to the insurance company of the at-fault party. Your attorney will carefully calculate your damages to maximize the amount of compensation available to you in your claim and then make a compelling claim for full recovery of your present and future damages.
How Long Do I Have to File a Spinal Cord Injury Claim in New Jersey?
New Jersey’s statute of limitations allows spinal cord injury victims up to two years to file a lawsuit in court. This typically occurs only when the insurance company doesn’t offer an adequate settlement for damages and the case goes to court. A lawsuit may also become necessary in spinal cord injury cases if the extensive damages associated with spinal cord injuries far exceed the limits of the insurance policy. The statute of limitations may be extended only under limited circumstances including:
- When an injury victim is under the age of 18 when the injury occurs they have up to two years after they turn 18 to file a claim
- If the injury victim is unconscious or incapacitated after the accident, the two-year time limit begins when they regain consciousness or cognitive function
- The Discovery Rule in New Jersey allows injury victims up to two years after they discover an injury to file a claim in cases where the diagnosis is made sometime after the accident
If you have questions about the impact of the state’s statute of limitations on your case, your Cherry Hill slip and fall attorney from Cuneo & Leonetti can help.
Call Today To Speak To A Trusted Spinal Cord Injury Attorney
If you or a loved one have suffered a serious spinal cord injury, the New jersey lawyers at Cuneo & Leonetti can help. Contact us today to schedule a free, no-obligation case review by calling (856) 869-9066 or by booking online.