Spine Injury Lawyer in Nashville

You May Be Entitled to Compensation

When an impact, injury, or illness damages the nerve fibers in the spinal cord, the damage obstructs the signals that should be traveling throughout the body. A spinal cord injury (SCI) like this can affect all the muscles and nerves below the injured site, affecting many important bodily functions. Worse, nerve fibers rarely heal, meaning that spinal cord injuries often result in permanent paralysis or impairment. Long-term care, physical therapy, specialized medical equipment, and other necessities can quickly add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills, in addition to lost wages and other damages. However, if your spinal cord injury resulted from a car crash or other accident as a result of someone else’s negligence, then you may be able to collect compensation for these expenses.

Attorney Stanley A. Davis has made it his mission to uphold the rights of victims dealing with catastrophic injuries. He has experience with representing victims in these claims, so he does not underestimate the pain and hardship associated with spinal cord injuries. He seeks to provide the most comprehensive and personal assistance possible for victims and their families. In one case, he obtained a verdict of $1,478,159.90 for a spinal cord injury victim who suffered permanent disability when a reckless driver failed to yield the right of way.

What Are the Effects of Spinal Cord Injury?

Depending on the extent and nature of the damage, spinal cord injury symptoms, such as paralysis, may affect one or all limbs, the torso, or pelvic organs.

Spinal cord injuries not only impose many physical limitations, but also may involve secondary issues, such as:

• Blood clots
• Loss of sensation and reflex functions
• Infections
• Motor skill deficit
• Numbness
• Pain and depression
• Permanent disability
• Loss of movement
• Nerve damage
• Difficulty breathing

What Are the Differences Between Complete & Incomplete Spinal Injuries?

There are different types of spinal cord injuries, depending on the site and extent of the damage. Therefore, after an accident, a doctor must first examine the victim to determine the level of spinal injury, as well as which vertebrae the injury affects. Thus, the doctor can determine if the spinal cord injury is incomplete or complete.

These classifications refer to the amount of nerve signals the injury has blocked from passing through the body:

• Complete spinal cord injury: The brain can no longer send any messages below the injury at all, causing paralysis.
• Incomplete spine injury: The nerve signals are not completely impeded, so you may still have movement and sensation below the injury.

The severity of these types of spinal cord injuries also depends on the area of the spine affected. Generally, the higher the injury, the more extensive the symptoms. For example, a complete SCI located at the neck will cause paralysis of all four limbs and may affect the victim’s ability to breathe. On the other hand, a complete spine injury that occurs at the base of the spine, near the hips, will likely affect only the legs. However, any damage to the spine is a serious, disabling injury that could require extensive medical treatment, lifestyle changes, and ongoing therapies.

Stanley A. Davis understands that any type of spinal cord injury can be devastating. This is why he acts as both a trustworthy legal representative and a supportive presence. His goal is to make sure your family has what you need to begin moving forward after a spinal cord injury accident.

Is Recovery from a Spinal Injury Possible?

Spinal cord injuries can lead to disabilities of varying degrees, which can be difficult to cope with, both physically and emotionally. Currently, physicians cannot repair damage to the nerves of the spinal cord. However, there is much hope in the research breakthroughs taking place in the field of spinal medicine.

Depending on your condition, treatment options may include:

• Surgery: Depending on the type of trauma or injury, surgery can relieve pressure on the spinal cord, reducing the damage
• Occupational therapy: Teaches work and daily living skills
• Physical therapy: Improves strength and helps prevent muscle atrophy
• Functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS): Therapy that stimulates the muscles using electrodes on the skin
• Experimental treatments: You may be able to join a study testing new treatments, such as stem cell therapy

New medications, treatments, and other advances are on the horizon. Many therapies and rehabilitation models can also cause significant improvement in symptoms, depending on the type of spinal injury.

How Much Does Living with a Spinal Cord Injury Cost?

Sadly, the cost of providing care for spinal injury patients typically ranges from several hundred thousand to millions of dollars over a lifetime, depending on the severity. Therefore, our Nashville spine injury attorney will work aggressively to pursue a fair amount of compensation for you and your family.

Possible expenses may include:

• Caregivers at home
• Counseling and psychiatric care
• Hospitalization
• Lifetime medical care
• Lost wages
• Modifications at your place of employment
• Prescription drugs and pain medication
• Rehabilitation
• Support services for the victim’s family
• Travel expenses for medical care
• Vehicle conversion and assistance devices
• Wheelchair or other mobility devices
• Home modifications, such as ramps and chair lifts

It is crucial that your legal representation understands the need to gain compensation to cover the immediate costs stemming from the severe back injury and accurately calculates your potential future expenses to cover ongoing spinal injury medical care.

Should I File a Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuit or Accept the Settlement?

Typically, if your spine injury was the result of a car crash or other accident caused by someone else’s negligence, then that person’s insurance company may contact you before you have a chance to consider your legal options. The insurance adjuster will likely offer you a speedy settlement for your injuries and damages. However, these offers are often low, especially because they may not take into consideration the long-term costs of spine injury care.

The insurance company wants you to accept this low offer without argument. Insurance companies are private, for-profit businesses; a reasonable settlement that includes long-term expenses would lower the company’s profits. To ensure you get fair compensation, which could be much greater than the initial settlement offer, it is important for victims to work with an experienced attorney who has a history of success handling spinal cord injury lawsuits.

If you have been offered a settlement by the insurance company or the liable party, contact Attorney Stanley Davis before you accept. As a spinal cord injury lawyer, he can give you honest advice on whether this settlement is fair. Stanley, a Civil Trial Specialist in the state of Tennessee, always prepares each personal injury case with the strength needed to succeed in court. Furthermore, if settlement negotiations do not work, Stanley will represent your spinal cord injury lawsuit in court and fight for a fair judgment.

Questions? Talk to a Lawyer Today

Attorney Stan Davis strives to help his Tennessee neighbors after devastating accidents and injuries. If someone else negligently or intentionally caused you to suffer from a serious or fatal spinal injury, he can assist you and your family when your faith is put to the test. He can negotiate with the insurance company for you to see that you get a fair settlement, even if you are still recovering. This includes compensation not only for past medical bills and expenses but also for future costs associated with ongoing care.

We offer free initial consultations, so if you have questions, call our law office today at (615) 866-3938. Stanley can address your concerns and discuss strategies for seeking the financial support you deserve.

If you are worried about the cost of hiring legal representation, then do not fear. Our law firm only receives attorney fees from your successful verdict or settlement. If the case does not end in your favor, then you owe us no attorney fees. In the past, we have successfully represented clients from across Tennessee. We have the resources to work on behalf of clients wherever an experienced spinal cord injury attorney is needed. Call now to schedule a free review of your case.

What Is the Most Common Cause of Spinal Injury?

The leading cause of spinal injuries is motor vehicle accidents. This includes crashes involving cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. Other incidents, such as construction accidents, are also a frequent cause of these injuries. According to spinal cord injury statistics from the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), there are 17,900 new cases of spinal cord injuries annually. The number of people currently living with spinal injuries is approximately 296,000.

The leading causes of spinal cord injury are:

• Motor vehicle accidents (38.2%)
• Falls (32.3%)
• Acts of violence (14.3%)
• Sports and recreation injuries (7.8%)

Stanley will find out who is responsible for your accident and seek justice for the pain and damage they caused. He believes that all negligent parties have a moral obligation to compensate victims hurt by reckless actions, whether the person or company that caused the accident wants to be held accountable or not.

Information About Filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit After a Fatal Spine Injury

In the worst cases, spinal injury caused by a preventable accident may prove fatal, even years after the event that caused it. When this happens, family members may claim a wrongful death suit. Wrongful death laws exist to provide the chance of compensation for those who have suffered economic and non-economic losses when a loved one dies due to the fault of another person or entity. Particularly, parents, children, and spouses of those who have died from a spinal injury are in the most need of justice.

Survivors may only file for certain damages that directly affect them, like:

• Lost income
• Lost inheritance potential
• Gifts or financial benefits the deceased would have otherwise given
• Funeral and burial expenses
• Intangibles, such as loss of companionship or emotional suffering

Although no amount of money can replace the lost individual, the void your loved one has left is such an emotional and financial strain that the law can order the responsible party to compensate those hurting because of this unfair loss.

We are available to discuss your case. Contact us online or call (615) 866-3938 today.