Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injuries following an accident of any kind can be devastating for you and your family. So, when you’re hurt because of the negligence of another person, you may be entitled to compensation to cover your medical bills, lost wages and long-term recovery. To get the most effective representation, call on one of the top spine injury law firms in New Jersey at RAM Law. You’ll find experienced spinal injury attorneys who stand up for you against the insurance companies and businesses that want to downplay their involvement in paying you for your injuries. Don’t wait; contact your spinal cord injury lawyer as soon as you can following an accident.

What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?

Damage to the spine that results in permanent or temporary dysfunction or pain is called a spinal cord injury. When the spinal cord is injured, it can disrupt communications inside the body, resulting in varying degrees of paralysis and loss of sensation below the injury site, which then can extend to other parts of the body.

Spinal cord injuries can be caused by trauma in a truck or car accident, from a fall or sports injury, as well as non-traumatic reasons, such as illnesses, infections or degenerative disorders. Paralysis from spinal cord trauma manifests in two-ways:

Complete, when the spinal cord injury leaves you paralyzed with no sensation or voluntary movement below the level of the injury
Incomplete, you have some sensation and voluntary muscle control below the level of the damage

The level of the damage you end up with after an accident of any kind depends on the medical care you received after the incident. Surgeries, physical therapy, counseling and doctor’s bills add up. If the accident was caused by another’s negligence, you may be entitled to recover most of those costs.

To understand what your compensation includes and how much you’re entitled to, you need a spinal cord injury lawyer that understands New Jersey personal injury law. One of the best laws firms for spinal cord injury cases in NJ is RAM Law. Ideally, you should contact the spinal cord injuries lawyer as soon as possible after the accident to shore up your case.

How Often Do Spinal Injuries Happen on the Road?

In 2024, motor vehicle accidents caused nearly 40 percent of new spinal cord injury cases, mostly due to rear-end accidents. Accidents involve the full range of vehicles on the road, including:

Big rigs
18-wheelers
UPS and FedEx trucks
Box trucks
School buses
Charter and Greyhound buses
Taxis
Uber and Lyft rideshares

Spinal cord injuries occur in a variety of locations, including residential, commercial, private and public settings, leading to the potential for a premises liability claim. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries on New Jersey roads, which is why your personal injury lawyer must be experienced with NJ traffic and personal injury laws in the state.

Where Else Do Spinal Injuries Happen?

Spinal injuries can happen anywhere, from a slip and fall to a motorcycle accident. Boating accidents and swimming pool accidents are other causes of painful spinal injuries. No matter where or how you’re hurt, if it’s not you’re not at fault, you need a spinal cord injury lawyer.

A spinal cord injury can be catastrophic, and even lead to death, especially if it impairs vital functions like breathing and heart rate. Law firms for spinal cord injury like RAM Law deal with minor and severe accident lawsuits that lead to a full range of consequences associated with back injuries, including:

Whiplash
Shoulder injuries
Neck problems
Closed head or brain injuries
Amputations
Broken bones and fractures

What Are the Symptoms of a Spinal Cord Injury?

The signs that you’ve damaged your spinal cord depend on the severity of the injury. Some symptoms occur immediately after an accident, while others appear gradually over time. Don’t refuse medical care or tests if you’re involved in a traffic accident because you don’t know if symptoms may start later on. Commonly observed symptoms include:

Numbness or tingling in your extremities
Weakness or paralysis in the arms, legs or both
Difficulty breathing
Loss of bowel or bladder function control
Severe muscle spasms
Impaired sexual function, such as changes in libido, sensation and the capacity to get or maintain erections or orgasms
Balance and coordination dysfunction
Difficulty walking and performing activities of daily living

Spinal cord injuries can cause a wide range of even more complex symptoms and long-term consequences, such as:

Abnormal bone development near your joints that cause pain and a reduced range of motion
Extensive internal organ problems, such as persistent urinary tract infections, kidney stones and intestinal blockage
Cardiovascular complications that might include low blood pressure while standing, decreased heart rate and a higher risk of developing blood clots and heart problems
Impaired temperature control, resulting in heat intolerance, excessive sweating or difficulty staying warm
Secondary musculoskeletal issues, such as bone density loss, joint contractures or scoliosis as a result of changes in mobility and a reduced ability to bear weight
Pressure ulcers, called bedsores, which are difficult to treat if you spend a lot of time in bed — and if not properly managed, these may progress into dangerous infections that lead to further complications and hospitalizations
Psychological and emotional effects, including feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, grief and loss of independence, as well as changes in self-image and identity that requires therapeutic and pharmacological remedies
Post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), which is a common response after a trauma that altered your life so much and while treatable, often needs to be dealt with in some form for the rest of your life

What Should I Do after an Accident in Which I Received a Spinal Cord Injury?

The very first thing to do following an accident is to get medical attention as soon as possible. Call 911 for both medical and police assistance. Early intervention is important for reducing problems and improving outcomes. With a spine injury, you’ll be limited in your ability to take certain steps necessary to strengthen your personal injury claim, but do your best or get someone to help you to get the information you need to support a liability case and ensure the scene is safe, including:

Taking measures to avoid additional damage by moving vehicles out of the road and moving you to safety
Allowing emergency medical personnel to stabilize your head and neck to prevent further harm
Reporting the event to the appropriate authorities, such as police enforcement or property owners, depending on the details of the crash
Documenting and photographing the situation
Saving any physical evidence from the occurrence, such as damaged goods or clothing, as it may be required to substantiate your claims
Keeping detailed records of all medical treatments, including hospital stays, surgeries, prescriptions, rehabilitation sessions and doctor’s appointments
Contacting a spinal injury lawyer

In New Jersey, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury claim, including those involving spinal cord injuries, is typically two years from the date of the accident. There may be exceptions or changes that spinal injury attorneys request based on the facts of the case.

After experiencing a spinal cord injury in New Jersey, you have many legal options for seeking compensation and holding the responsible parties accountable. This is why it’s important to hire an experienced spinal cord injury attorney. Possible legal options may include:

Filing a personal injury claim. This involves seeking repayment from the at-fault party or their insurance company.
Seeking Worker’s Compensation. If you received a spinal cord injury at work, you may be eligible for mandated benefits for medical care and replacement for lost wages.
Applying for Social Security Disability Insurance. If an injury keeps you from working for a lengthy period, you may be eligible for benefits from the Social Security Administration.
Making a product liability claim. If your spine was injured as a result of a defective product, you may be able to sue the manufacturer or distributor.
Premises responsibility claim. If you were injured on someone else’s property as a result of their negligence, your spinal injury lawyer may seek compensation through a premises liability claim.

How Can a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Help Me?

A spinal cord injury lawyer who specializes in personal injury, understands the complexity of the law and helps you navigate the legal system. Experienced spinal injury attorneys help you and your case in several ways, including:

Examining the facts of your case, identifying liability and advising you on the options available to you
Performing a thorough examination of the circumstances of your injuries by obtaining sufficient evidence to substantiate your claims
Working with insurance companies or other parties to ensure that you’re fairly compensated for your injuries and losses
Representing you in court, advocating for your interests throughout the process
Accessing a wide network of medical experts, specialists in accident reconstruction and other professionals to provide testimony and evidence to back up your claims

Spinal injuries may turn out to be permanent and have an impact on both you and your family. These injuries, whether they result in permanent paralysis or not, are frequently caused by the fault of others, which effective spine injury law firms work tirelessly to prove.

How Much Compensation Can My Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Get for Me?

The amount of compensation you receive is established by several factors, including the severity of your injuries and the insurance coverage available. In New Jersey, if you’ve had a spinal cord injury due to someone else’s negligence, you may be eligible for various types of compensation, including:

Medical expenses, such as payment for the ambulance ride and immediate medical costs, future medical care, prescription medicines, treatment and rehabilitation
Lost income that includes the wages you lost while you were being treated for your spinal cord injury, as well as possible future earnings due to being unable to work while healing
Disability and impairment that’s not uncommon when severe spine injuries occur and create long-term impairment, disfigurement or incapacity, and may also include loss of future earning capacity
Caretaker costs if you require help with daily duties and need to employ professional caregivers
Punitive damages may be awarded when the responsible party acted with excessive negligence or misbehavior, as these also serve to encourage the perpetrator to avoid harming others in the future
Pain and suffering, which covers physical pain as well as PTSD and long-term trauma, as well as associated mental health treatment you may require to fully recover

Insurance companies may try to delay the claims process. Delays can occur for a variety of reasons, such as the need for additional investigation, disagreements about liability or coverage, an administrative backlog or just errors in the insurance company’s systems. In addition, some insurance companies may purposely delay processing claims to pressure you into accepting smaller settlements.

How Is Liability Determined in Spinal Cord Injury Cases?

New Jersey rules and regulations, such as traffic laws and premises liability standards, are considered when determining liability. Your spinal cord injuries lawyer gathers evidence that aids in determining liability. They construct a solid case on your behalf, primarily based on negligence, which can involve multiple elements, such as:

Duty of care. This means that the negligent party has a duty to the general public and specific visitors to provide and maintain a safe environment. It also refers to drivers who have a responsibility to operate their vehicles safely.
Breach of duty. This means that the person who was negligent failed to perform their duties as expected. For example, business owners are expected to keep their floors dry and free of debris to prevent slip and fall accidents; drivers are expected to refrain from speeding <Link to Speeding Accidents> and driving while texting so as not to cause an accident.
You may file a case for cause if your spinal cord injury was directly caused by the other person’s negligence, and it was reasonable to assume that the cause was foreseeable and preventable if appropriate safety measures were taken.
When your spinal injury attorneys file for damages, it means that you have experienced actual losses, such as medical bills and lost wages as a result of the other person’s carelessness.

To strengthen your case and bolster your claims, your spinal cord injury attorney relies on the testimony of expert witnesses who offer their own brand of knowledge and professional opinions to your case. They may send in a written statement to be added to your file and also testify in court proceedings if your case goes to trial. Various types of expert witnesses establish the severity of your injuries and the depth of your damages. Your personal injury lawyer at RAM Law may call experts, such as those who testify as:

These are people who actually saw the accident or the events that led up to it and can add their perspective on how your spinal cord injury occurred.
Medical professionals. Doctors, nurses, therapists and other medical professionals who are treating you present their expert testimony about the extent of your injuries, how long and how well you may recover and what kinds of future treatments and medical needs you might incur.
Accident reconstruction specialists. These are professionals who specialize in analyzing accidents to discover how they happened. They provide forensic evidence that establishes liability by providing facts about impact speeds, weather, interfering parties and other forces that played a role in the accident.
Friends and family. People who know you well may be asked to testify about your condition before and after the injury, as well as how the spinal cord injury has affected yours and their everyday life.

In cases involving motor vehicle accidents, the drivers who caused the accident may face liability. This could include drivers who were speeding, driving dangerously, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or breaking other traffic laws. Other parties responsible may include:

Property owners. If the accident occurred because roads weren’t kept up properly or important signage was missing, the property owner may be held responsible.
If your injury occurred while working, your employer may be held accountable for failing to provide a safe working environment or not giving you and your co-workers sufficient training.
If the spinal cord injury was caused by defective safety equipment or car parts, the product’s maker or distributor could be held accountable.
Governmental organizations. In rare situations, blame may extend to government organizations in charge of maintaining public roadways, sidewalks and other infrastructure.

What Factors Decide if a Lawsuit Can Go to Litigation?

Your experienced spinal cord injuries lawyer advises you on the best course of action based on the specifics of your case. A spinal cord injury lawsuit may need to go before a judge and jury for a variety of reasons, including:

If there’s disagreement about who is to blame for the injury
If the parties can’t agree on the extent of the damages or the amount of compensation
If attempts to settle the lawsuit through discussion or other conflict resolution procedures fail
If your case involves complicated legal issues
If several different parties have a stake in the outcome and can’t find common ground

If you’ve experienced a spinal cord injury in New Jersey, contact RAM Law, one of the best spine injury law firms immediately. They are experienced in spinal cord injury lawsuits, both in court and through significant settlements.

When You Have a Debilitating Spinal Chord Injury, Our Injury Lawyers at Rebenack, Aronow & Mascolo, L.L.P. Will Help

An injury to your spinal chord can be life-changing and saddle you with mounting medical expenses, loss of income or mobility, pain and suffering. Our seasoned Personal Injury lawyers at Rebenack, Aronow & Mascolo, L.L.P. can help. Call 732-247-3600 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. We are located in New Brunswick, Somerville, and Freehold, New Jersey, and we serve clients in Middlesex County, Monmouth County, and Somerset County.

Sources:

https://ramlawnj.com/truck-accidents/common-injuries-in-truck-accidents/spinal-cord-injuries/

https://lawyer1.com/spinal-cord-injury-lawyer/#faqs

https://www.lynchlawyers.com/new-jersey/spinal-cord-injury-lawyers/

https://www.gairgair.com/brain-spinal-cord-injuries.html

https://nixlaw.com/practice-areas/catastrophic-injury-lawyers/spinal-cord-injuries/

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/acute-spinal-cord-injury

https://www.impactlaw.com/personal-injury/catastrophic/spinal-cord

https://www.defranciscolaw.com/spinal-cord-injuries.html

https://spinalcordinjurylawyers.com/

https://newjerseyspinespecialist.com/spinal-injuries-from-car-accidents/