New Orleans Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

Spinal Cord Injury Attorney in New Orleans, LA

A spinal cord injury is a catastrophic injury resulting in severe pain and the potential for partial or full paralysis. You can file a claim to recover damages if this injury is caused by another person’s negligence, such as a driver, property owner, or product manufacturer. A skilled New Orleans spinal cord injury lawyer with vast experience in personal injury law can help you address your injuries and secure fair compensation from the at-fault party.

When you have a spinal cord injury, it can cause you daily discomfort and pain. Severe injuries like a fully or partially severed spinal cord can limit your mobility, affecting your ability to complete basic tasks, hobbies, work, or even take care of yourself. A claim can offer you some financial relief during this time.

Navigating a Claim for a Spinal Cord Injury in New Orleans With Hammond Law Firm, LLC

The aftermath of a catastrophic injury like a spinal cord injury can be incredibly overwhelming. It can change your entire life, and this does not make it easy to file and navigate a civil claim. You need a legal professional to help you. At Hammond Law Firm, LLC, our New Orleans personal injury attorneys provide tenacious and skilled legal support. We help determine if you have a claim and investigate the cause and at-fault party.

We ensure compassionate support as we help you understand your options for compensation because we understand how difficult this situation is for you and your family. Our team can provide personalized legal advice and walk you through each step of the claims process. We want to help you hold the negligent party accountable. We aim to help you secure justice, and we use our 40 years of collective legal knowledge toward this goal.

What Are Common Accidents That Cause Spinal Cord Injuries?

When you suffer a spinal cord injury, you want to find an attorney who has worked on personal injury claims for accidents similar to yours. Different types of accidents may need unique approaches. Spinal cord injuries have the potential to happen in many types of personal injury accidents, including:

• Motor vehicle accidents. Individuals who are injured in a motor vehicle accident can face many different injuries, including to the neck, back, and spine. Catastrophic injuries like spinal cord injuries are especially likely to occur in collisions involving commercial trucks, motorcyclists, bicyclists, or pedestrians. When someone is injured because of a driver’s negligence, the injured party can file with the driver’s insurer.

• Slips, trips, and falls. Falls due to slipping and tripping hazards or a lack of safety precautions can be especially hazardous when they are from a high height or occur in a dangerous environment. A significant fall can cause spinal cord damage. Catastrophic injuries are more likely when the injured individual is elderly, a child, or disabled. These accidents may result in a premises liability claim.

• Workplace injuries. Hazardous work sites like construction sites or industrial plants and facilities are more likely to cause catastrophic injuries like spinal cord damage. Maritime worksites are especially hazardous. Dangerous equipment, falling objects, and even explosions can lead to spinal cord injuries. These accidents could be addressed with a workers’ compensation claim or, in rare cases, a personal injury claim.

• Violent crime injuries. Assaults and other physical violence can lead to serious injuries, including damage to the spinal cord. An individual who commits a violent crime can be criminally charged and held civilly accountable.

• Sporting accidents. Many high-impact sports and recreational activities can cause serious injuries, including sometimes spinal cord damage. These injuries may not result in a claim because there is an assumed level of risk. An attorney can help you determine if you have grounds for a personal injury claim.

• Defective product injuries. Dangerous products can cause serious injuries, such as defective pharmaceutical drugs, household appliances and tools, malfunctioning car parts, or heavy workplace equipment. Injured parties may have grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer, designer, or distributor of the product.

Not all causes of spinal cord injuries result in valid claims for compensation. It is crucial to talk with a knowledgeable attorney to determine liability and if you can recover the cost of your damages.

Negligence Claims in Louisiana Spine Injury Cases

Nationally, over 15 million people have a spinal cord injury (SCI). There are about 18,000 new cases of spinal cord injuries every year. About 78% of those with an SCI are male.

If you’re filing a claim after suffering a spinal cord injury, proving negligence is the most important element of your case. In Louisiana, negligence is based on four different elements: duty, breach, causation, and damages. A New Orleans spinal cord injury attorney knows how to break down each element and connect them to prove negligence in your case.

Duty of Care

The first thing that you and your attorney must establish is that the party at fault owed you what is legally called a duty of care. We all have a duty to act reasonably and avoid causing harm to those around us.

This means that drivers should follow traffic regulations, store owners should keep their properties safe, and manufacturers should produce safe products. Once you can establish that a duty of care was present, you can then determine if someone breached that duty.

Breach of Duty

After proving the duty of care, you must show that the party at fault breached that duty. A breach happens if someone does not act like a reasonable person in a given situation. If someone was speeding, failed to fix a broken stair, or manufactured a defective product, they have likely breached their duty.

For many spinal cord injury cases, you can prove a breach by collecting police reports, witness statements, maintenance records, and more. An attorney knows how to collect evidence that proves the other party failed to act as they should have.

Causation

The third step to proving negligence is showing causation. Basically, you must show that the breach of duty caused your spinal cord injury.

For catastrophic injury cases, determining causation can be tricky. You need to show that you would not have suffered if the defendant had not acted as they did. Medical records and doctors can help prove that causation exists by testifying to your injuries and what caused them.

Damages

Damages are often the most costly element to prove in a spinal cord injury claim. When you suffer an injury to your spine, you likely do not just suffer from a hefty hospital bill.

Over time, you may require extensive medical care, physical therapy, pay less at work, and experience great physical and mental pain. These are all considered damages that you have incurred because of your accident.

You should prove each damage that you have incurred to show the jury how your life has been altered. If you can prove each of these elements, you can prove negligence. When you hire a spinal cord injury lawyer, they can help you gather the necessary evidence to prove these elements.

Why Hire a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer in New Orleans, LA?

We understand that suffering a spine injury can change your life. While hiring an attorney may seem like just another thing on your to-do list, a New Orleans spinal cord injury attorney can help you make sense of everything. Not only can your attorney sort through your evidence and help prove your damages, but they can also walk you through your case from start to finish.

A knowledgeable attorney understands spinal cord injury laws in New Orleans and can make sure that no detail is missed. With so much on the line, allow us to take care of your case while you focus on your recovery.

What Damages Are Available in a Spinal Cord Injury Claim?

The value of every spinal cord injury claim is different, as the cause and severity of each injury are different. The more serious your spinal cord injury, the more likely you are to recover damages.

If you can prove the other party is entirely liable for your damages, you can recover the full total of your compensatory damages in a personal injury claim. This includes economic and noneconomic damages. The intention of a personal injury settlement is to make you legally whole by compensating you for your financial, psychological, and physical losses due to your injury.

Economic damages are objective, with a clear financial value in place. This includes losses like:

• Medical expenses
• Long-term medical care and at-home care
• Mobility aids and home or vehicle renovations
• Property damage
• Lost income
• Lost earning capacity

Long-term care is especially important in spinal cord injury claims. Individuals who suffer a spinal cord injury tend to require significant adjustments in their lives. The medical treatment for damage to the spinal cord can be costly and time-consuming, requiring treatment and rehabilitation for life. They may need at-home replacement services and potentially at-home medical care and support.

Noneconomic damages are subjective and intangible losses, damages to your emotional, psychological, and physical health. This includes:

• Pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Disability
• Loss of consortium

Getting the damages you are owed is much simpler with a dedicated personal injury attorney. An attorney has significant experience calculating these losses and determining a fair value for noneconomic damages. When you have an attorney by your side, they will not accept a settlement that is lower than your damages are worth.

Hammond Law Firm, LLC: Protecting Your Interests and Representing You Diligently

The consequences of a spinal cord injury can change the rest of your life. A personal injury claim can recover the financial value of your losses, helping you support yourself and your family. Contact Hammond Law Firm, LLC, today to learn how we can help you.

Client Testimonials

“Exceptional service from start to finish. The attorneys were knowledgeable, responsive, and fought hard on my behalf. Their efforts led to positive outcome. Highly recommended!” – Al B.

“I would like to thank Mr. Hammond and his team. When I would have a question or a concern they would be prompt with a response. They did everything to make sure that I received the best outcome possible, and I highly recommend them.” – Denny Henderson

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Hammond Law Firm, LLC – New Orleans Office

650 Poydras St., Ste. 2617
New Orleans, LA 70130