Florence Spinal
Injury Lawyer

Spinal injuries largely occur as a result of accidents, with vehicle accidents the most common cause. Some severe accidents can cause both spinal and brain injuries, which adds complexity to an injury case. Our team of spinal injury lawyers will pursue the compensation you deserve, particularly because costs associated with severe injuries can be very high and long-term. Other causes include:

• Slip and fall accidents
• Traumatic physical attacks and violent acts
• Accidents from sports and recreational activities
• Workplace accidents
• Medical malpractice
• Injuries from defective products.

If these accidents are caused by another party’s’ negligence or fault, that party can be held liable for the injuries and damages that occur. Depending on the location and severity of the damage to the spinal cord, injuries can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to treat and rehabilitate, and may never heal.

Negligent parties who cause spinal injuries in accidents could be motor vehicle drivers, product manufacturers, property owners or others.

SPINAL CORD INJURIES ARE VERY COSTLY. PEOPLE WHO SUFFER THEM MAY NEED MEDICAL CARE AND OTHER ASSISTANCE FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. OUR FLORENCE SPINAL INJURY LAWYER WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT COMPENSATION YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GET.

If your accident and resulting injury was due to another’s negligence, our spinal injury attorney in Florence, MS, is here for you. We will advise you about your options for bringing a legal claim. Call our law firm at (601) 845-5050.

The spinal cord is made of neurons and long nerve fibers, which, combined with the brain, form the central nervous system. The cord is surrounded by the vertebrae, bones that protect the cord. When there is trauma to the vertebrae, it can lead to nerve damage and loss of functions if the spinal cord can no longer transmit messages below the injury.

Spinal cord injuries may be categorized as complete and incomplete:

• Complete Injury is when there is a total and complete loss of function below the injured area of the spinal cord. With a complete injury, chances are there will be no recovery of function to the paralyzed parts of the body.
• Incomplete Injury is when the spinal cord was not fully severed and there are still nerves that are functioning to a certain degree. With an incomplete injury, there is a greater probability of recovering some functions that were initially lost by the injury.

According to the Mayo Clinic, after a spinal cord injury, ability to control your limbs will depend on the completeness of the injury and where the injury is along the spine.

• Paraplegia – when damage is to the thoracic or lumbar area in the upper, middle, or lower back. This results in paralysis of the lower extremities, and all or part of the trunk, legs, and pelvic organs are affected.
• Tetraplegia, or quadriplegia – when damage is to the cervical (neck) portion. The result is paralysis of most of the body, and arms, hands, waist, legs, and pelvic organs are all affected by the injury.

Some effects of spinal cord injury include:

• Weakness in or inability to move parts of your body or to feel sensations such as heat or cold
• Loss of bowel or bladder control or sexual ability
• Nerve pain, numbness or tingling
• Breathing problems
• Back or neck pain or pressure
• Circulatory problems
• Pressure sores/ulcers.

Spinal cord injury can have life-altering effects on not only the person who is injured, but also their family. Because of the devastating nature of spinal injury cases, settlements may range into the hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars, depending on the circumstances of the case and the extent of damage.

The costs, losses, and injuries that came about from your spinal injury and the settlement award in your case are all called damages. In Mississippi, you may receive compensation for both economic, or monetary, damages and non-economic damages as follows:

Economic Damages in a Spinal Injury Case

Economic damages will cover your monetary costs and expenses caused by the injury, including:

• Medical, hospital, and rehabilitative expenses
• Lost wages and lost future earning capacity
• Costs of continuing life care
• Modifications to home and vehicles, such as to accommodate a wheelchair
• Property damage, such as for a vehicle destroyed in a crash
• Burial and funeral costs, if a death is involved.

Non-economic Damages

Non-economic damages are compensation for intangible losses that do not have a specific monetary value, such as:

• Physical pain and suffering
• Mental and emotional anguish
• Loss of consortium and companionship
• Disability or disfigurement
• Wrongful death.

Punitive Damages

In some rare cases when the defendant acted with extreme recklessness or caused the injury deliberately, punitive damages may also be awarded to punish the wrongdoer and to deter similar behavior in the future.

Mississippi does not cap, or set a maximum limit on, the amount of economic damages, but it does limit non-economic and punitive damages.

No matter how severely you are injured, to win your case, our spinal injury attorneys must prove that it was caused by the negligence, recklessness, or fault of another party (the defendant in your case). Legally, this means showing the following elements:

• The defendant owed you a duty of care to prevent harm.
• The defendant breached this duty by acting or failing to act.
• This breach caused your injury.
• You suffered actual damages as a result.

Proving negligence involves investigating how your spinal injury occurred and locating all responsible parties. Our legal team would gather evidence by:

• Interviewing witnesses and first responders
• Acquiring photos and videos from surveillance or traffic cameras
• Examining medical, ambulance, and police records
• Hiring medical experts to testify about how the injuries have negatively impacted your life and the costs of care you will need in the future and vocational experts to show what you would have expected to have earned over your lifetime if you had not been injured.

In some cases, there may be multiple parties responsible for the accident. Since every potentially liable party may have insurance and personal assets, our attorneys will look to name all of them as defendants in your lawsuit.

Proving negligence is a highly complex process, especially when multiple parties may be involved. Most people are not going to admit that they caused an injury accident. So an attorney has to do that based on all the evidence.

A SPINAL CORD INJURY LAWYER FROM OUR FLORENCE, MISSISSIPPI, LAW FIRM UNDERSTANDS ALL THE COMPLEX STEPS IT TAKES TO PROVE NEGLIGENCE AND PURSUE COMPENSATION. WHEN YOU’VE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT, REACH OUT RIGHT AWAY FOR TRUSTWORTHY LEGAL SUPPORT.

You need an attorney who will fight hard for your rights after an accident. At Ringer Lingold & Spencer, we have handled hundreds of accident cases in the area and understand the physical and financial suffering victims experience. Call us to request a consultation about your case at (601) 845-5050.

Mississippi has some unique laws you should be aware of that may affect your case, including:

Comparative Fault and Contributory Negligence

Mississippi is a pure comparative fault state. According to Miss. Code Ann. § 11-7-15, even if you have done something to contribute to the accident, you may still receive compensation as long as you are less than 100% at fault. Your settlement award will be reduced according to the percentage you are found to be at fault, but you can still collect money for the degree that the other parties were at fault. For example, if the award is for $100,000 and you are 10 percent at fault, you can still collect $90,000.

Statute of Limitations

Mississippi has a statute of limitations, which is a deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit. Generally, you must file a lawsuit within three years of the date the injury occurred if you want the courts to hear your case. Our attorneys are aware of this and will make sure everything is filed promptly.

Mississippi laws regarding spinal injury are complicated, and having a lawyer fight for your rights can help ensure that everything is done correctly and in a timely manner. The Florence, MS, spinal injury attorneys at Ringer Lingold & Spencer know what is a reasonable settlement and can help you get it by:

• Evaluating your case to determine if it is valid and what it may be worth
• Investigating how the injury happened
• Gathering evidence to prove negligence
• Getting witnesses to testify on your behalf
• Negotiating aggressively with insurance companies for a fair settlement
• Filing all paperwork and making all court appearances
• Preparing for and taking your case to trial and arguing in front of a judge and jury, if necessary.

Do not delay. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can start to build your case while evidence is fresh and witnesses can be found. Call Ringer Lingold & Spencer today for a confidential case evaluation at (601) 845-5050.