Morrin Law Office
Kentucky spinal injury attorney
Spinal injuries can cause limitations in mobility, chronic pain, nerve damage, and other conditions that hinder a person’s ability to engage in regular activities. In many cases, spinal injury victims can’t return to work at their previous job, leading to significant income loss. However, the biggest concern for many victims is whether they can function as they did before their injury.
If you or a loved one suffered a spinal injury in an accident and now face severe financial and physical damages, you could recover compensation. A Kentucky spinal injury attorney at the Morrin Law Office will review your case to identify liability for your injury and build a case to demand compensation from them.
Two categories of spinal injuries that qualify plaintiffs for compensation
Spinal injuries occur when the spine experiences severe trauma. Let’s say you were driving through Richmond on I-75 when you got into a multivehicle collision. Each impact to your spinal cord caused by other vehicles crashing into yours from behind can cause severe trauma, resulting in loss of spinal cord function.
According to Cleveland Clinic, spinal cord injuries can be divided into two categories:
- Complete spinal cord injuries: Complete injuries involve paralysis from the neck down (quadriplegia) or the waist down (paraplegia). These injuries affect both sides of the body, meaning each suffered the same level of nerve damage.
- Incomplete spinal cord injuries: Incomplete injuries vary in nerve damage, so one side may still retain function while the other does not. For instance, a victim might lose the ability to move their left leg but not their right.
If your spine-related injury did not result in paralysis but still causes you chronic pain, inflammation, and other discomforts, our attorneys could take on your case.
Medical damages that you could recover
Plaintiffs with spinal cord injuries can pursue compensation for past and future medical expenses related to their injuries:
- Emergency room care, including ambulance rides to the hospital
- Hospitalization and other inpatient services
- Surgeries and follow-up procedures
- Imaging exams, such as X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans
- Doctor’s appointments
- Physical therapy or chiropractic care
- Medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, back braces, and spinal aids
A Kentucky spinal injury lawyer from our firm will request access to your medical records and copies of your medical bills to calculate these damages. They may also consult with your physician or other medical experts to determine how much future treatment you might need to recover from your injury.
If your spinal cord injury is permanent, we can factor in other damages caused by this sudden change in your lifestyle.
We can fight for other damages surrounding your injury and the accident
Because spinal cord injuries can affect a person’s physical abilities, a temporary or permanent injury can significantly affect your life. For example, you could experience:
- Current and future loss of income, benefits, and pensions
- Reduced earning potential
- Permanent disability (paralysis) or physical disfigurement caused by the spinal trauma
- Psychological trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stemming from the accident that led to your injury
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering, both physical and emotional
- Property damage, such as to your car or motorcycle
Your Kentucky personal injury lawyer will determine which economic and non-economic damages you qualify to claim and establish a value for your case based on these damages. This estimate serves as a settlement goal during negotiation meetings and will also be what you demand should you decide to file a personal injury lawsuit against the liable party.
A Kentucky accident lawyer from the Morrin Law Office can manage your case
When you work with a spinal injury attorney from the Morrin Law Office, we offer these services:
- Establishing the framework of your case: First, our attorneys will establish what caused your spinal injury (e.g., an automobile accident, gunshot wound, or violent assault) and who can be named as a liable party.
- Investigating your accident to collect evidence: Next, we will gather as much evidence as possible to support your claims. Evidence can include video footage, photographs, witness testimony, medical records, and police reports.
- Notifying the liable parties about your case and handling communications: One of our attorneys can speak on your behalf whenever insurance adjusters, other attorneys, or court officials reach out for statements, protecting you from accidentally admitting fault. We will also contact the appropriate parties about your case as you begin the claims or litigation process.
- Filing legal paperwork: We can review all liable insurance policies and handle administrative tasks on your behalf. We will also file any legal motions.
- Meeting with the other party to negotiate a settlement: Your case may not have to go to trial. Our attorneys can attempt to negotiate a settlement and advise you throughout the mediation process. Should you accept an offer, your case will settle. If not, we can take your case to court and present it to a judge and jury for a verdict.
Our injury professionals at the Morrin Law Office can also give legal advice while navigating the claims or litigation process. We aim for transparency about our services so that you make informed decisions about your case.
Your personal injury case has a legal deadline in Kentucky that you must follow
Depending on how you sustained your spinal cord injury, you might not have that much time to file your personal injury lawsuit. You will want to act as soon as possible.
Per Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 413,140(1), the general statute of limitations for personal injury cases is about one year from the date of the accident. However, if your case involves an automobile collision of any kind, this deadline changes to about two years from the date of the collision or when the last personal injury protection (PIP) payment was made, per Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 304.39-230(6).
Filing late will kill your case
If you do not submit your case by its filing deadline, it will be dismissed, which would then forfeit your right to pursue compensation.
You want to avoid this outcome, so we often encourage filing a personal injury lawsuit right away — even if we manage to settle your case out of court. In many cases, plaintiffs can negotiate a settlement deal without ever going to trial if they are skilled injury professionals.
Get a free case review when you call the Morrin Law Office
If you sustained a spinal injury in an accident caused by another party, you could pursue compensation. At the Morrin Law Office, we advocate for spinal injury victims like you in court and other settings to recover compensation for their medical expenses and other damages.
Call (859) 358-0300 today to get a free consultation with one of our injury professionals. Start working with a Kentucky spinal injury attorney from the Morrin Law Office today.