New Jersey Spinal Cord Lawyers
Fighting for those suffering from spinal cord injuries throughout New Jersey
Severe spinal injury, as is the case in a cervical, lumbar or thoracic spinal injury, can result in life-altering physical disability for the victim. These disabilities include: loss of bowel or bladder function, loss of respiratory function, loss of blood pressure regulation and loss of motor function. In addition to the terrible physical pain caused by traumatic spinal injury, there also comes a terrible emotional pain. Mazie Slater has experienced attorneys for all New Jersey back injury lawsuits that can help you get the compensation that you deserve.
New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury Statistics
From the New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Research (NJCSCR), in 2022 approximately 6,000 New Jersey residents live with spinal cord injury. Additionally, roughly 500 New Jersey residents experience a new spinal cord injury each year. The Northern New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury System (NNJSCIS), which serves Northern and Central New Jersey, treats over 100 newly injured persons with traumatic SCI annually and provides outpatient follow-up to over 1,500 persons with chronic SCI per year.
While these statistics are specific to New Jersey, it’s worth noting that they align with broader national trends in spinal cord injury incidence and prevalence.
What Are Common Spinal Cord Injuries?
There are different levels of spinal cord injury. Some common results of spinal injuries are:
- Nerve Damage & Numbness
- Contusions
- Compression
- Lacerations
- Bruising of the Spinal Cord
- Paraplegia
- Quadriplegia
- Hemiplegia
- Loss of Motor Function
- Bowel & Urologic Difficulties
- Sexual and Reproductive Difficulties
Specifically, victims who are paralyzed become severely depressed and feel helpless. That’s why spinal injury is among the most devastating because of the toll they take on a person and their family. Treatments will be ongoing and expensive, which can cause tremendous strain. It’s important to have an experienced quadrapelgic or paraplegic accident lawyer to help you understand what you need for your future.
A spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis is not only devastating physically and emotionally, but financially, as you or your family member may be unable to return to your prior career or place of employment. This often can result in a substantial loss of income for your family. Although you may become eligible for disability benefits, these are not likely to completely replace your prior income.
What Are Common Spinal Cord Injuries in New Jersey?
Spinal cord injuries can result from all types of incidents, with the following being the most common causes that often lead to spinal cord lawsuits:
- Motor Vehicle Accidents: The leading cause of spinal cord injuries, including car, truck, and motorcycle crashes.
- Slips & Falls: Particularly prevalent in workplace accidents, construction sites, and premises liability cases.
- Acts of Violence: Including assaults, gunshot wounds, and knife attacks.
- Sports and Recreational Activities: Especially high-impact sports, diving accidents, and injuries from defective sports equipment.
- Medical Malpractice: Errors during surgery or other medical procedures involving the back and neck.
- Defective Products: Faulty safety equipment, vehicle components, or other products that fail to protect as intended.
Each case requires a thorough investigation by an experienced back injury lawyer to determine liability and pursue appropriate compensation for the victim.
Who is Liable for my Spinal Cord Injury
Determining Liability
Establishing liability often requires proving negligence, which involves demonstrating that:
- The responsible party had a duty of care
- They breached that duty
- The breach directly caused your injury
- You suffered damages as a result
Potential Liable Parties
Here are a few examples of people who could be held liable for your spinal injury depending on how your injury happened.
- Negligent Individuals: If your injury resulted from someone else’s careless or reckless actions, such as in a car accident or a slip and fall incident, that person may be held liable.
- Property Owners: In cases where the injury occurred due to unsafe conditions on someone’s property, the property owner might be responsible under premises liability laws.
- Employers: If the injury happened at work, your employer could be liable, especially if proper safety measures were not in place.
- Product Manufacturers: For injuries caused by defective products, the manufacturer, distributor, or retailer might be held accountable under product liability laws.
- Medical Professionals: In cases of medical malpractice leading to spinal cord injury, healthcare providers or facilities could be liable.
- Reckless Car, Truck and Bus Drivers: In serious accidents, drivers and passengers may suffer spinal cord injuries that may cause paralysis, paraplegia or quadriplegia.
Injuries from Falls
Falls, the second leading cause of spinal cord injuries, often involve premises liability. Property owners have a duty to maintain safe conditions. If they fail to address known or foreseeable hazards, they may be held liable for resulting injuries.
Injuries from Medical Malpractice
When medical professionals’ negligence leads to spinal cord injuries, they may be held accountable. Examples include:
- Anesthesia errors
- Emergency room mistakes
- Surgical malpractice
- Misdiagnosis of spinal injuries
Injuries from Defective Products
If a faulty product, such as a defective seat belt or airbag, caused your spinal cord injury, you might have a claim against the:
- Product designer
- Manufacturer
- Retailer
Our experienced New Jersey spinal cord injury lawyers will thoroughly investigate your case to identify all potentially liable parties and pursue appropriate compensation for your damages.
How Do I Pursue a Spinal Cord Lawsuit?
The first step to pursuing a spinal cord injury lawsuit is to seek immediate medical attention to ensure a thorough evaluation of your injuries, as this documentation is vital for your case. Afterward, it’s essential to consult with an experienced spinal cord injury attorney who can assess the strength of your claim and guide you through the legal process. Your spinal cord injury lawyer will gather all of the necessary evidence, including medical records, accident reports and witness statements, to build a compelling case. We will also identify the parties responsible for your injury and calculate the full extent of your damages, which may include current and future medical expenses, lost wages, and compensation for pain and suffering. Once your case is prepared, your back injury attorney will file the lawsuit and negotiate with the opposing party to seek a fair settlement. If negotiations do not yield satisfactory results, we will be ready to take your case to trial.
How Can an Experienced New Jersey Spinal Cord Lawyer Help?
An experienced New Jersey spinal cord injury lawyer can provide crucial assistance in several ways:
- Legal Expertise and Case Management
- Maximizing Compensation
- Negotiating with Insurance Companies
- Litigation Support
- Let You Focus on Recovery
- Valuing Your Case
By hiring a skilled New Jersey spinal cord injury lawyer, you significantly improve your chances of receiving fair and full compensation for your injuries and losses.
New Jersey Spinal Injury Attorneys
Our New Jersey personal injury and spinal injury lawyers recognize that the paralysis victim and his or her family need aggressive representation to pursue compensation for the emotional stress, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life they experience. Furthermore, it is important for victims to seek financial security for the lifetime of future medical care needs and loss of earnings that can be devastating to the victim and their family. With the representation of a skilled New Jersey spinal injury attorney you may be entitled to recover monetary compensation for your injury, pain and suffering, hospital costs, doctor bills, and loss of wages.
Our New Jersey spinal injury lawyer team has the experience, resources and knowledge that can be an important step to getting your life back to a somewhat normal state. Our New Jersey law firm represents clients who have suffered quadriplegia, paraplegia, hemiplegia and other serious car accident spinal injuries, which were the result of paralysis from car accidents, bus accidents, truck accidents, automobile accidents and other motor vehicle accidents. We have a team of dedicated, caring and aggressive New Jersey spinal injury attorneys (a status held by less than 2% of New Jersey’s lawyers), experienced paraplegic attorneys and spinal injury professionals who are ready to help you or your loved one today. We have also been named to the Best Lawyers in America publication.
How Much is My Back Injury Lawsuit Worth?
The value of a back injury lawsuit can vary widely based on several key factors:
- Severity of the Injury: More serious injuries, especially those that require extensive treatment or lead to permanent disability, generally result in higher compensation.
- Medical Expenses: Current and anticipated costs such as medical bills, treatments, surgeries and rehab, play a significant role in determining the value of a claim.
- Lost Wages: Compensation for income lost during recovery and potential future earnings that may be affected by the injury.
- Pain and Suffering: Non-economic damages that account for physical pain, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life.
- Impact on Daily Life: How the injury affects a person’s ability to perform daily activities and enjoy life.
Many spinal cord legal cases result in substantial settlements. Each case is unique, and the final compensation will depend on individual circumstances and the strength of the evidence presented.
We have knowledgeable spinal cord accident attorneys for Newark spinal cord lawsuits, Jersey City spinal cord lawsuits and everywhere in between, ready to help you get a settlement.
New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury Settlements
Read about the landmark $135 million jury verdict that our car accident spinal injuries lawyers obtained on behalf of one of our clients paralyzed from the neck down after being hit by drunk driver. You can also read about the landmark $125 million settlement that we obtained for a woman who was crushed by a utility pole and suffered paralysis. This is the largest personal injury settlement in New Jersey history. We have also handled other significant spinal cord injury cases, such as the $33.9 million product liability settlement we won on behalf of a client who suffered severe spinal injuries. Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
Contact The New Jersey Spinal Injury Lawyers Near You
If you or a loved one has been the victim of paralysis, paraplegia, quadriplegia or other spinal injuries due to a car accident, bus accident, truck accident, automobile or other motor vehicle accident in New Jersey, please contact the aggressive spinal cord injury lawyers at the New Jersey law firm of Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman and we will contact you as soon as possible to discuss your back injury lawsuit.
Frequently Asked Questions about Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuits
-
What Should I Do After a Spinal Cord Injury?
After a spinal cord injury, your immediate priority should be seeking emergency medical attention to stabilize your condition and prevent further damage. Once your condition is stable, follow your doctor’s instructions carefully, including any prescribed medications, rehabilitation exercises, or lifestyle adjustments. It’s crucial to connect with a support network, including family, friends, and support groups, to help you cope with the emotional and psychological impact of the injury. Additionally, consult with a specialized spinal cord injury attorney to understand your legal rights and options for compensation, especially if your injury resulted from someone else’s negligence. Finally, focus on your long-term recovery by actively participating in rehabilitation programs and making necessary adaptations to your daily life.
-
How do I prove my spinal cord injury case?
To prove your spinal cord injury case, you’ll need to gather and present several types of evidence:
- Medical records: Obtain comprehensive medical documentation, including: emergency room and hospital records, diagnostic images, surgical reports, rehab records, and doctors notes.
- Accident/incident reports: Collect official reports documenting how the injury occurred, such as: police reports, workplace incident reports, or property incident reports.
- Witness statements: Gather accounts from any eyewitness.
- Employment records: Ensure you gather proof of lost wages, and changes in job duties due to inability to work.
- Personal documentation: Keep a journal detailing: your pain levels and symptoms, how the injury impacts your daily life, and emotional and psychological effects.
-
How Do Attorneys Decide How Much Spinal Injury Claims are Worth?
Attorneys determine the value of spinal injury claims by considering several key factors:
- The severity and permanence of the injury, including its impact on the victim’s quality of life and ability to work.
- Current and projected future medical expenses, including ongoing treatments, rehabilitation, and potential long-term care needs.
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity resulting from the injury.
- Non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
- The strength of evidence supporting the claim and the clarity of liability
-
How Does the Insurance Company Figure out What Is a Fair Claim?
Insurance companies determine fair claim values through a comprehensive process that involves:
- Conducting a thorough investigation of the incident and resulting injuries, including reviewing medical records, police reports, and witness statements.
- Evaluating the severity and long-term impact of the injuries, considering both economic factors (like medical expenses and lost wages) and non-economic factors (such as pain and suffering).
- Using internal guidelines, claim evaluation software, and historical data to calculate a baseline value, which is then adjusted based on the specific circumstances of the case.
- Considering the strength of liability evidence and any potential comparative negligence that might affect the claim’s value.
- Factoring in local legal trends and potential jury verdicts in similar cases within the jurisdiction.
-
How Long Do I Have to File a Medical Claim for a Spinal Injury?
In New Jersey, you generally have two years from the date of the injury or when you discovered (or reasonably should have discovered) the injury to file a medical malpractice claim for a spinal injury.
