Have you suffered a spinal cord injury in an accident in Georgia? Malone Law Medical Malpractice and Severe Injury Lawyers can help when you call (770) 390-7550. We offer a free consultation with a Georgia spinal cord injury lawyer who will take the time to understand your case and help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
Spinal cord injuries can have lifelong consequences, from chronic pain to permanent disability. Our legal team understands the stakes and has the experience to hold the responsible party accountable. Call our Atlanta office today to schedule your free case review and start your path toward justice.
Why Victims of Catastrophic Spinal Cord Injuries in Georgia Choose Malone Law Medical Malpractice and Severe Injury Lawyers
When spinal cord injury victims in Georgia need strong legal representation, they turn to Malone Law Medical Malpractice and Severe Injury Lawyers. Our firm is known throughout the state for its dedication to seriously injured clients and its results-driven approach to catastrophic injury cases.
Here’s what sets us apart:
- Our attorneys bring over 50 years of combined legal experience to every case, offering deep insight into high-stakes personal injury litigation.
- We’ve recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of clients with life-altering injuries.
- Our firm has received recognition from Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America for excellence in trial advocacy.
- Several of our attorneys have earned Martindale-Hubbell’s AV Preeminent rating for professional ability and ethical standards.
If someone else’s negligence caused your spinal cord injury, help is available. Call today to schedule your free consultation with an Atlanta personal injury attorney.
What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?
Your spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that runs from the base of your skull down your back. It’s a vital part of your central nervous system and works like a communication highway—carrying messages between your brain and the rest of your body. Damage to the spinal cord can disrupt those signals and cause serious, sometimes permanent, impairments.
Spinal cord injuries are typically classified as either complete or incomplete:
- Incomplete spinal cord injuries happen when the cord is only partially damaged. Victims may retain some movement or feeling below the site of the injury.
- Complete spinal cord injuries occur when the cord is fully severed, resulting in total loss of sensation and function below the injury point.
Generally, the higher the injury is on the spine, the more serious the effects. In the most severe cases, spinal cord injuries can lead to paralysis and lifelong disability.
What Are the Potential Consequences of a Spinal Cord Injury?
Depending on the part of the spinal cord that’s damaged, whether the injury is complete or incomplete, and other factors, potential consequences of a spinal cord injury can include:
- Loss of sensation in the extremities
- Difficulty breathing
- Spasticity
- Monoplegia (paralysis of one limb)
- Diplegia (paralysis of both arms or both legs)
- Hemiplegia (paralysis of the limbs on one side of the body)
- Paraplegia (paralysis of the legs and lower trunk)
- Quadriplegia (paralysis of all four limbs and the lower trunk)
- Autonomic Dysreflexia (AD)
- Infections
- Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
- Clonus
- Loss of control of the bladder and bowels
- Sexual dysfunction
- Pneumonia
- Organ dysfunction or failure
- Metabolic syndrome
- Neurogenic shock
- Inability to regulate body temperature
- Strokes
Some spinal cord injuries can heal over time. Other victims will be forced to navigate new realities because their spinal cord injuries are so severe that the damage is permanent and irreversible. Either way, it’s important to know that you deserve to be compensated if your catastrophic spinal cord injury is someone else’s fault.
What Can Cause a Spinal Cord Injury?
At Malone Law Medical Malpractice and Severe Injury Lawyers, we fight for victims of spinal cord injuries in cases involving:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Product liability
- Construction accidents
- Workplace injuries
- Medical malpractice
- Surgical errors
- Medication errors
- Birth injuries
- Nursing home abuse
- Slip and fall accidents
Our spinal cord injury attorneys in Georgia also advocate for families when a particularly serious injury causes the wrongful death of a loved one.
How Much Is My Spinal Cord Injury Case Worth?
The value of a spinal cord injury case varies widely based on the facts of each situation. These injuries often require extensive medical treatment, long-term rehabilitation, and lifestyle adjustments that can dramatically increase both immediate and future costs.
When calculating compensation, several key factors are considered, including:
- The severity and location of the injury: Higher or more extensive injuries often lead to greater physical limitations and medical needs.
- Current and future medical expenses: This includes hospital care, surgeries, rehabilitation, medications, and assistive devices.
- Lost income and diminished earning capacity: Many victims cannot return to work or must take lower-paying jobs due to their limitations.
- Pain and suffering: Physical pain, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life are all compensable damages.
- Necessary home or vehicle modifications: Costs related to accessibility improvements may also be included.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: Victims may no longer be able to participate in activities they once loved.
The more severe and long-lasting the impact of your spinal cord injury, the greater the potential value of your claim.
What Damages Can Be Awarded To Spinal Cord Injury Victims in Georgia?
When you file a personal injury lawsuit to recover compensation for a spinal cord injury in Georgia, you can request two different types of compensatory damages: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages cover the financial costs and consequences of your spinal injury, such as:
- Emergency room treatment, hospitalization, surgery, medication, medical devices, and other current medical bills
- Reasonably necessary and reasonable future medical expenses
- Lost wages and benefits
- Diminished earning capacity
- Temporary and/or permanent disability
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Rehabilitation
- Nursing care
Just because a consequence of a spinal cord injury doesn’t have a set financial value doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be compensated for it. That’s the aim of non-economic damages.
Non-economic damages that are often awarded to spinal cord injury victims include:
- Chronic physical pain
- Reduced quality of life
- Loss of consortium
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Embarrassment
Our spinal cord injury attorneys in Georgia will investigate your case, gather and evaluate key evidence, work with experts, and do our best to build a claim that makes you whole.
How Could Georgia’s Comparative Negligence Doctrine Affect My Spinal Cord Injury Settlement?
Under Georgia’s modified comparative negligence doctrine, your right to recover compensation is jeopardized if you share responsibility for your spinal cord injury.
The defense can argue that your contributory fault needs to be taken into consideration. Damages can be reduced proportionately to fault as long as you are less than 50% at fault. For example, if you’re assigned 25 percent of the blame for a car accident in which you suffered a spinal cord injury, your damages will be reduced by 25 percent.
You’ll lose the ability to recover compensation from a negligent third party if they can prove that you share 50 percent or more responsibility for your catastrophic injury.
What Does It Cost To Hire a Spinal Cord Injury Attorney in Georgia?
Our spinal cord injury attorneys in Georgia work on a contingency fee basis. Pay nothing to hire our law firm until we’ve won compensation for you. When we negotiate a favorable settlement or win a verdict for you at trial, our payment comes directly out of that monetary award.
What Is the Statute of Limitations on Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuits in Georgia?
Georgia has a two-year statute of limitations for most spinal cord injury cases. You’ll need to file your personal injury claim with the local court by the second anniversary of the date you suffered your spinal cord injuries.
There can be exceptions, such as cases involving young children. However, those exceptions are few and far between. If you don’t file your claim before the filing deadline, you’ll lose the ability to get compensation for your medical care, lost income, and other damages.
Schedule a Free Case Review With an Experienced Georgia Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
Contact the award-winning legal team at Malone Law Medical Malpractice and Severe Injury Lawyers if you’ve recently suffered a spinal cord injury because of a medical error or an accident in Georgia. You deserve to be compensated for your catastrophic trauma.
Our top-rated Georgia spinal cord injury lawyers are ready to help in any way we can. As fierce legal advocates with 50+ years of combined legal experience, we’ve helped clients win hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. Now, we’re here to help you stand up to a powerful insurance company, hospital, or another bad actor and demand the life-changing monetary award you deserve, too.
We offer a complimentary case review. Call our Georgia law office in Atlanta today.