Tampa Spinal Cord Injury Attorney

Call (813) 639-8111

Home » Tampa Spinal Cord Injury Attorney

If you were injured due to someone else's careless actions, contact a Tampa Spinal Cord Injury Attorney for legal advice.

If you suffered a spinal cord injury due to someone else’s negligence, you can hold them accountable. You don’t have to let them off the hook for losses. A Tampa Spinal Cord Injury Attorney can help you seek damage compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.

Table of Contents

How Can a Tampa Spinal Cord Injury Attorney Help Me?

A spinal cord injury can change how our bodies work and our entire lives. They can be painful and pose limitations on movement and a person’s ability to work. If you suffered a spinal cord injury, contact a Tampa Spinal Cord Injury Attorney who can help you seek recovery by getting financial reimbursement for your losses. While we understand that money can never make up for everything you’ve gone through, it will make your life easier.

If you’re ready to get justice and move forward with your life after a spinal cord injury, reach out to a Tampa Spinal Cord Injury Attorney. Here are some other benefits you can expect when you work with an experienced legal professional:

They will be a source of support and give sound legal advice during this difficult time.
They have the resources and connections to build a winning case. An attorney can bring other experts to investigate, build, and determine a fair value for your Tampa spinal cord injury case.
Your attorney can handle all negotiations and communications with the other party, their attorneys, and insurance companies.
A Tampa Spinal Cord Injury Attorney can represent you in court if your case needs to go to trial.

About Spinal Cord Injuries

The spinal cord is the most important structure connecting the body and the brain. It’s an 18-inch cord surrounded by bones (called vertebrae). The spinal cord runs from the bottom of the skull to the tailbone. The nerves in the spinal cord transmit signals between the brain and the body.

An injury to the spinal cord usually presents symptoms or issues in other parts of the body. Spinal cord damage can affect bodily functions at or below the injury site. The effects of a spinal cord injury will depend on which section of vertebrae or spinal cord was injured.

The four sections of the spinal cord are the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral.

Different Types of Spinal Cord Injury

A spinal cord injury victim will either have a complete or incomplete injury. A complete injury means the injured victim is paralyzed below the injury. Here are some conditions that result from spinal cord injuries:

Compression fractures
Bulging discs
Herniated discs
Nerve damage
Monoplegia (when a single limb is paralyzed)
Hemiplegia (when paralysis occurs on one side of the body)
Triplegia (when someone experiences paralysis of three limbs)
Paraplegia (when a person is paralyzed from the waist down)
Quadriplegia (when a person is paralyzed from the neck down)

These conditions are permanent and can drastically change someone’s life course. They likely need extensive medical treatment, assistive devices, and therapies. Unfortunately, catering to such a life-altering injury can consume a person’s life and put them in a financial hole. Luckily, Tampa Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys work to help injury victims seek justice.

How to Tell if You Have a Spinal Cord Injury

Symptoms of a spinal cord injury can vary depending on the location and severity. Common signs of a spinal cord injury include:

Loss of sensation
Tingling
Numbness
Losing Motor functioning abilities
Spasms
Respiratory issues
Head pain
Neck pain
Spine pain
Inability to control bladder functions

A spinal cord injury is a devastating injury that requires professional medical treatment. No one should ever try to treat a spinal cord injury at home because even a small shift around the vertebrae can cause permanent damage. You should only move someone with a potential spinal cord injury if they are at immediate risk of further injury or death (for example, after a car crash).

Otherwise, always wait for medical professionals or first responders to move a person who might have a spinal cord injury. Then contact a Tampa Spinal Cord Injury Attorney to ensure you know what steps to take next.

Spinal Cord Injuries Can Cause Permanent Damage

According to the National SCI Statistical Center, there are approximately 12,000 new spinal cord injury cases annually in the US. Since spinal cord injuries usually result from accidents, they can happen to just about anyone. The long-term effects of a spinal cord injury depend on which spine region is injured.

Cervical Spine Damage

Cervical spine damage is usually the most devastating type of spinal cord injury. That’s because it often results in quadriplegia or tetraplegia. A cervical spinal cord injury can also cause:

Breathing and respiratory complications
Speech difficulties
Incontinence or bladder and bowel malfunction
Loss of libido

If the lower part of the cervical spine is damaged, the victim might still retain some control over upper extremities like shoulders and upper arms. In some cases, a cervical spinal injury victim can have arm strength but lose sensation in their hands and fingers.

Cervical spinal injuries usually require life-long medical assistance and care. They may also need assistive medical devices like a wheelchair or ventilator.

Thoracic Spine Damage

Thoracic spinal injuries result in paraplegia or paralysis under the waist. Sometimes paraplegia causes bladder and bowel control issues and changes in sexual functioning.

Lumbar Spine Damage

Despite lumbar vertebrae being more sturdy, injury in this section can still be dire. Lumbar spinal injuries often lead to loss of feeling in single or multiple extremities. For example, a person with a lumbar spine injury might experience loss of sensation in the legs and hips. They might also experience bladder and bowel troubles.

Sacral Spine Damage

Sacral spine injuries are not as common as the other three, but they do happen. They usually affect the bladder and bowel and cause sexual dysfunction.

A spinal cord injury is catastrophic, no matter what type it is. The good news is that spinal cord injury victims can work with a Tampa Spinal Cord Injury Attorney to help get financial recovery for their injury. A monetary award may not make their life perfect, but it will make their lives more comfortable. Without the stress of financial strains from medical care, persons with spinal cord injuries can focus on adapting to their new circumstances.

What Causes Spinal Cord Injuries?

The leading causes of spinal cord injuries in Tampa are:

Car accidents
Slip and fall accidents
Recreational accidents
Assault and gunshot wounds
An accident with heavy machinery
Improper or unsafe use of a ladder

In Tampa, spinal cord injuries are considered a personal injuries. As such, injury victims may be entitled to seek damage compensation through a personal injury claim. A Tampa Spinal Cord Injury Attorney could help you file a personal injury claim if you sustained injuries in any of the following types of accidents:

Car Accident
Drunk driving accident
Motorcycle accident
Pedestrian accident
Bicycle accident
Truck accident
Bus accident
Boat accident
Uber or Lyft accident
Amazon delivery truck accident
Defective product accident

If you were injured due to someone else’s careless actions, contact a Tampa Spinal Cord Injury Attorney. Even if it was not through one of the above accidents, you should still speak with a knowledgeable attorney. They can assess your case and determine if you should move forward with a Florida personal injury claim. If so, you may be entitled to substantial compensation.

How Much Can I Get for My Spinal Cord Injury Claim?

That will vary from case to case and depend on the severity of your spinal cord injury. Generally, the more severe your injury, the higher your claim value. To determine an accurate value for your Tampa personal injury claim, your Tampa Spinal Cord Injury Attorney will evaluate the following:

What degree of injury you suffered
The type of spinal cord injury you have
How has your injury affected your ability to work and perform daily activities?
The extent to which your injury has affected your emotional and psychological health
How have your injuries affected your personal relationships?
How has your injury affected your overall quality of life and enjoyment of activities you used to like doing?

An expert Tampa Spinal Cord Injury Attorney knows the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to every case. This may require working with specialists like spinal injury doctors and other specialized professionals. Additionally, they can offer sound legal guidance and insight needed to maximize financial recovery.

What Kind of Compensation Can I Seek for a Spinal Cord Injury?

Florida spinal cord injury victims can seek several different types of damages. In addition, Florida personal injury laws allow victims to seek compensation for economic and non-economic damages.

Economic damages are intended to help you recover economically; they will help you pay for any accident-related bills. Economic damages include present and future anticipated expenses that resulted from your injuries. Examples of economic damages include:

Medical expenses
Future expected medical costs
Lost income
Reduced earning capacity
Physical therapy
Rehabilitative services
Long-term care, nursing care
Medical assistive devices
In-home aids
In-home reconstructive costs for accessibility
Vehicle modifications

Spinal cord injury victims can also recover non-economic damages. Non-economic damages include:

Pain and suffering
Mental and emotional anguish
Anxiety
Depression
Reduced quality of life
Loss of independence
Loss of consortium
Diminished enjoyment in life

How Long Do I Have to File a Tampa Spinal Cord Injury Claim?

Tampa law allows spinal cord injury victims four years to file a personal injury claim. Therefore, you may need a Tampa Spinal Cord Injury Attorney to handle your case. That way, you are sure to take action before time runs out and get the compensation you deserve.