Dunedin Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
A spinal cord injury is an injury or trauma to the nerve bundles that run to the spinal cord, which can potentially cause either paralysis and/or atrophy. Because a spinal cord injury involves damage to the nervous system, it can affect other parts of the body as well.
A person with a spinal cord injury due to the negligence of another person should contact a Dunedin spinal cord injury lawyer that has extensive experience working with spinal cord injuries, because these cases are often very complex, and the treatment and the long-term effects are not only costly but sometimes debilitating. Therefore to ensure that a claim is as strong as possible and put forth in the correct amount of time, it is imperative to seek the counsel of an injury attorney in Dunedin.
Common Causes
Some common causes of spinal cord injuries include automobile and motorcycle accidents, boating accidents, industrial accidents, and slip and fall accidents. A Dunedin spinal cord injury lawyer’s duty after such an injury is to protect the rights of the injured party and to ensure they are receiving the care they need.
Seeking Medical Attention
A person who has injured their spinal cord should seek medical attention at an emergency room immediately. It is imperative to document the condition, and to confirm that nothing more severe can occur. Sometimes injuries aren’t immediately apparent, and it may take some time before symptoms arise. A knowledgeable Dunedin spinal cord injury attorney will advise an individual to make sure their injuries are documented in order to properly file a claim.
In addition to keeping all their doctors’ appointments and following through with any recommended treatment, an individual suffering from a spinal cord injury should help their lawyer manage their case by keeping them updated with the medications they’re taking, the treatment that is scheduled for them, and any changes in their diagnosis or treatment plan.
An injury lawyer will not only prepare the appropriate documentation and medical bills to submit to the court, but will also be able to foresee not only the future economic consequences of their client’s spinal injury, as well as the effect that the injury will have on their family members.
Managing the Claim
After a spinal cord injury, the injured person or their family member should contact a Dunedin spinal cord injury lawyer who can help them manage the medical bills, insurance claims, and other documentation that will be coming.
A client should avoid communicating with defendants or their insurance carriers. Those individuals are trained in minimizing their exposure and the money they may have to pay to compensate an individual for their injuries. Any mistakes, which could be as small as a statement made over the phone, can potentially make or break a case.
Gathering Evidence
Evidence could include anything that may prove or disprove the existence of the condition and what caused it. The client may not play a major role in gathering evidence, but their participation is crucial in helping the spinal cord lawyer in Dunedin identify where evidence may exist.
An experienced Dunedin spinal cord injury attorney will not only gather evidence as quickly as possible, they will document the scene of the injury and communicate with potential witnesses that may have information regarding how the injury may have occurred.
Evidence is used to establish liability by demonstrating that the defendant was negligent or liable for the spinal cord injury caused to the plaintiff.