Fulton County Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
An injury to the spinal cord is one of the most severe forms of injury that could happen to a person since the spinal cord is made up of nerves that control the body’s movement and sense of feeling. Depending on the severity of the injury, a person who damages their spinal cord could suffer from paralysis, loss of mobility, heart rate problems, and chronic pain.
If you or a loved one suffered a spinal cord injury, you may want to reach out to a Fulton County spinal cord injury lawyer as soon as possible. An experienced injury attorney may be able to help you recover compensation for costs associated with the injury.
How Much Does Treatment for a Spinal Injury Cost?
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, about 17,500 new spinal cord injury cases occur each year. The average resulting hospital stay lasts about a month and a half, and the initial medical costs may be as high as $140,000 and could increase to nearly $200,000 during the first year.
Fulton County spinal cord injury lawyers have seen how those expenses can financially cripple a family forever. This is why seeking civil compensation is so important. When someone suffers a spinal cord injury for which a third party was at fault, they may be able to assert a negligence claim against that person or entity and recover damages.
How Does One Prove Negligence in a Spinal Injury Case?
In order to prove that the person who allegedly caused a spinal cord injury was negligent, there are four elements that a Fulton County spinal injury lawyer would need to prove: a duty of care, a breach of duty, the breach causing injuries, and the injuries leading to damages.
Duty of Care
Establishing if the defendant owed the injured party duty of care may depend on several factors, including the relationship between the parties, the situation that gave rise to the injury, and whether or not the injured party was a foreseeable plaintiff.
Breach of Duty
If the defendant failed to meet the accepted standard of care, they could be accused of having breached their duty to the injured party.
Causation
The injured party must prove that their injuries would not have happened but for the defendant’s negligence, and, in some cases, that they were a foreseeable result of that negligence.
Damages
As Fulton County spinal cord injury lawyers know, the state of Georgia recognizes two types of damages that may be compensable in civil court, special damages and general damages.
Special—or economic—damages are objective and can be recovered only if a specific monetary loss is proven.
Conversely, general—or non-economic—damages include injuries that are harder to quantify, such as pain and suffering or loss of quality of life. General damages can be recovered without proving a specific monetary value.
Contacting a Fulton County Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
Spinal cord injuries can be incredibly severe and have long-lasting consequences. If you suffered from a spinal cord injury due to someone else’s negligence, a knowledgeable Fulton County spinal cord injury lawyer may be able to help you get the compensation you deserve. Set up an initial consultation and get started on your case by calling a local attorney today.
