Norman Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
A spinal cord injury sends the victim’s life spinning off-course in an instant, changing the way their future looks forever. When the injury occurs directly due to another party’s carelessness or reckless actions, the injury is even more traumatic for the victim. Spinal cord injury victims face life-long consequences, including confinement to a wheelchair and an inability to work at their previous capacity or at all, depending on the degree of paralysis they suffer. If you or your close family member suffered a spinal cord injury, the Norman personal injury attorneys at Dan Davis Law are the right way to move forward with prompt action to recover compensation for your significant damages like medical expenses and lost income. Call Dan Davis Law in Norman today so we can set up a free consultation and begin strategizing the best way to recover your losses.
How Can A Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer in Norman from Dan Davis Help?
Despite their compassionate tones and reassuring ads, insurance companies exist to make profits, even at the victim’s expense. Your Norman spinal cord injury lawyer from Dan Davis Law will do the following:
- Offer a free case consultation and develop a personalized strategy for the best possible outcome in your case
- Use our 25 years of experience in Oklahoma personal injury law to put a powerful voice and reputation of success behind your claim
- Investigate all aspects of your injury to document evidence and make a compelling case
- Get to know you and your family to personally witness the full impact of the injury so we miss no avenue available for compensation in your claim
At Dan Davis Law, we don’t believe in a cookie-cutter approach to handling a personal injury claim—especially one as important as a spinal cord injury case. We are dedicated client advocates who want to become a voice for justice in your unique case.
Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries in Oklahoma
Each year, the United States sees an average of 17,730 new cases of spinal cord injuries or about 54 injuries per million people. Common causes of injuries seen in spinal cord injury cases in Norman and throughout Oklahoma include the following:
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Workplace injuries
- Falls
- Diving accidents
- Contact sports injuries
- Defective product injuries
- Medical malpractice
- Violent assaults and gun violence
When someone else’s actions cause a life-altering injury to another, they are liable for damages like medical care, lost income, and compensation for pain and suffering.
How Does A Spinal Cord Injury Impact Mobility?
The spinal cord sends critical messages back and forth between the brain and the body. When damaged, the messages cannot travel beyond the level of the injury. The following effects result from injuries on each of the three levels of the spinal column:
- Injuries to the cervical spine in the neck cause the greatest level of paralysis, known as quadriplegia or tetraplegia. The injury victim has paralysis below the head, in all four limbs, and in the body Injury victims depend on assistive equipment for all functions, including breathing and eliminating waste
- Injuries to the thoracic level of the spine usually allow arm and hand movement but depending on the exact level of the injury, victims may lose function in part of the abdomen as well as the lower body and legs. Those with spinal cord injuries at this level depend on wheelchairs for mobility and typically lose bladder and bowel control as well as sexual function
- Injuries to the lumbar spine result in paralysis of the hips and legs. Injury victims may or may not retain sexual, bowel, and bladder function depending on the exact location of the injury. They typically require a wheelchair but may walk with assistive equipment
- Injuries to the sacral spine result in some loss of function in the legs but injury victims retain bowel, bladder, and sexual function and may walk with braces and assistive equipment
Even the least degree of paralysis requires medical care and intense rehabilitation measures to maximize recovery. All levels of injury to the spinal cord significantly alter the individual’s life.
What Damages Can I Recover Compensation for in a Spinal Cord Injury Case in Norman?
Spinal cord injury results in overwhelming medical expenses and a future of further necessary care as well as an inability to return to work in the previous capacity or at all. A successful spinal cord injury claim against the insurer of the at-fault party—like the at-fault party’s auto insurance after a car accident, or premises liability insurance after a slip-and-fall accident—provides compensation for damages such as the following:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical costs
- Lost wages
- Future income loss
- Diminished earning capacity due to disability
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life compensation
- Loss of consortium
- PTSD
Dan Davis Law carefully calculates damages and seeks the maximum available compensation through a settlement whenever possible. Court litigation only becomes necessary if the at-fault party or their insurance company disputes your claim. If a claim requires a jury in court, your spinal cord injury attorney in Norman will ensure the lawsuit petition is filed within the two-year statute of limitations for personal injury in Oklahoma.
Proving Liability For a Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injuries may result from car accidents, falls, contact sports injuries, workplace accidents, diving accidents, or acts of physical violence. Proving the at-fault party liable for damages requires documenting evidence showing the following:
- The at-fault party owed a duty of care to you and others to take reasonable actions to prevent causing harm
- They breached this duty through negligence, recklessness, or wrongful behavior
- Their breach of the duty of care caused your injury
- You suffered serious economic and non-economic damages from the injury
Although recovering compensation after proving liability does not undo the paralysis or erase the injury from existence, it opens doors to the best care possible, relieves financial stress, and lets you focus on maximizing your recovery with fewer financial concerns holding you back.
Reach Out to the Norman Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers From Dan Davis Law Today
You need a voice for justice and compensation after a spinal cord injury claim in Norman. Call the Norman spinal cord injury attorneys at Dan Davis Law today for a confidential consultation so we can hear your story and start putting a strong legal strategy in place to achieve compensation and accountability for your injury.