Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers
One of the most devastating types of injuries connected to accidents in Kentucky is a spinal cord injury (SCI). Damage to the spine can lead to permanent, irreversible loss of feeling and function in the affected limbs, known as paralysis. If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal injury, you may be entitled to financial compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. Contact Bryant Law Center to discuss your legal options with one of our local attorneys at no cost or obligation.
Why We’re the Right Choice for Your Spinal Injury Claim
- We are compassionate about helping others. Attorney Mark Bryant, a former prosecutor, founded a personal injury law firm out of a true desire to help people. You will receive one-on-one care and personalized legal services from your spine injury lawyer.
- Our lawyers have vast experience negotiating with insurance companies for a settlement. And if we have to go to trial, we know how to win cases and get the best verdict for our clients. We have what it takes to get the results that you deserve for a severe spinal cord injury. Our law firm has recovered over $100 million in past verdicts & settlements.
- Bryant Law Center takes all spinal injury and paralysis cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that you won’t pay us anything upfront to take your case. You will only pay your attorney if compensation is won for your injuries and losses.
What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?
A spinal injury refers to damage or harm to any part of the spinal cord. The spinal cord is a column of vertebrae – bones – and disks that cushion the vertebrae. A spinal injury can stem from anything that hits, fractures, dislocates, compresses, overextends, punctures or crushes the spine. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, there are about 17,900 new spinal cord injury cases each year.
Since the spinal cord is responsible for conveying messages from the brain that control the movements of the body, as well as the central nervous system that controls sensation, a spine injury can interfere with this system. While some spine injuries are treatable and patients can make full recoveries, others can cause permanent paralysis.
Levels of Paralysis
Paralysis occurs when an injury disrupts the nerve signals sent to muscles. It results in the inability to move or control the affected parts of the body. Paralysis typically affects all of the limbs and body parts located below the point of injury. For this reason, injuries higher up on the spinal cord are generally more catastrophic. There are four levels of spinal cord injuries:
- Cervical SCI. Damage to the uppermost portion of the spine, the cervical spine, can cause quadriplegia – paralysis in all four limbs and the trunk of the body.
- Thoracic SCI. The thoracic spine affects the upper chest, mid-back and abdominal muscles. Injuries here can cause lower-body paralysis, known as paraplegia.
- Lumbar SCI. A lumbar spinal cord injury impacts the lower half of the spine. It can cause paralysis that affects the hips and legs.
- Sacral SCI. An injury to the lowest portion of the spine generally does not cause paralysis but can impact the hips, buttocks and pelvic organs.
A spinal cord injury can be complete or incomplete. A complete SCI severs the spine entirely, resulting in permanent paralysis. An incomplete injury only partially affects the spine; a victim may retain some level of function. All spinal cord injury diagnoses are serious, however, and can have life-changing impacts.
Common Causes of Spinal Injuries and Paralysis in Kentucky
Many different types of accidents can injure the spine and cause pain, immobility, nerve damage and paralysis. At Bryant Law Center, our personal injury lawyers represent clients who are injured in all types of accidents in Kentucky. Some of the most common causes of spine injuries are:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Semi-truck accidents
- Bicycle or pedestrian accidents
- Slip, trip and fall accidents
- Workplace incidents
- Acts of violence
- Sporting accidents
- Medical malpractice
If you or a loved one was diagnosed with a spinal cord injury after any preventable accident, we can help. Our attorneys will investigate the accident, collect any available evidence of negligence, and pursue financial compensation from one or more responsible parties on your behalf.
Elements of a Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuit
You may have grounds to file a spinal cord injury lawsuit in Kentucky if one or more parties contributed to your injury, such as through negligence. Negligence is the failure to act with reasonable or appropriate care, resulting in harm to another person. When filing a spinal injury or paralysis lawsuit, you or your attorney will need to provide evidence of the four elements of negligence:
- Duty of care
- Breach of duty
- Causation
- Damages
You or your lawyer must show that the defendant had a legal obligation to treat you a certain way, failed to meet this obligation and that this caused your spinal cord injury. Your lawyer must also demonstrate your compensable losses. Your lawyer must prove that what you are claiming is more likely to be true than not true. This is known as a preponderance of the evidence.
Compensation Available for Spinal Injuries
As a spinal cord injury survivor, you may be eligible for financial compensation for several types of losses connected to your injury or disability. This compensation, referred to as damages, is meant to make you whole again. It is the purpose of filing a personal injury lawsuit – to make up for the losses that you’ve suffered because of a defendant. Your list of damages in a spinal injury case could include:
- Medical costs (present and future)
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation
- Medical devices and medications
- Lost income from the inability to work
- Lost capacity to earn in the future
- Diminished quality or enjoyment of life
- Property damage from the accident
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional harm or psychological distress
- Loss of consortium
- Punitive damages
After a preventable accident, you can seek monetary damages for both economic (specific) and noneconomic (general) losses connected to your spinal cord injury or paralysis in Kentucky. The amount available could be significant with a catastrophic injury such as paralysis. Our lawyers at Bryant Law Center will use proven legal strategies to pursue maximum financial compensation.
Contact a Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Attorney Today
At Bryant Law Center, we have the staff, resources and commitment to justice that you need for a spinal cord injury or paralysis lawsuit in Kentucky. We are passionate personal injury lawyers with dedicated teams of attorneys and case managers willing to work to achieve the results that you deserve. We are a small local law firm that gets big results, even if that means going to trial for our clients. Find out how we can help you with a case. Contact us today.
