One of the most catastrophic injuries that we encounter in our firm is spinal cord injury. A tragically common result of a serious motorbike or other vehicular accident, spinal cord injuries have an enormous impact on your life. The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center has estimated the annual healthcare and living expenses for people living with a spinal cord injury. The figures vary greatly depending on the severity of the injury, but for people living with high tetraplegia, one of the most severe forms, first year expenses amount to over a million dollars, while expenses in subsequent years come to almost $180,000.
Common causes of spinal cord injuries
Although spinal cord injuries are frequently caused by auto accidents, they can be caused by a number of types of accidents. How best to deal with the aftermath of the injury is largely determined by how the injury came about. Some common causes of spinal cord injuries include:
- Vehicle accidents. The most common cause, by a big margin, of spinal cord injuries are motorcycle and truck accidents
- Falls. Whether suffered in the workplace or in a grocery store, by slipping on a wet floor or falling down a flight of stairs, falls are a major cause of spinal injury
- Sports. Violent impacts on a regular basis in contact sports such as football or hockey can cause spinal injury
- Violence. Less common as a cause of spinal cord injury than it had been during the 1990s, violence remains a major cause
Dealing with insurance claims
Sadly, insurance companies usually place more importance on profits and dividends than on complying with their fiduciary duties to provide a fair settlement when you are injured. You may be dealing with a workers compensation claim, a motor insurance policy claim, or a health insurance claim. In all cases, it is important to understand the true value of your claim, in order to know when to accept a settlement offer and when to press ahead with a lawsuit. Florida law recognizes that insurance companies do not always act in good faith, and provides you with the option of suing the insurer for failing to make a fair offer of settlement. An experienced attorney can aggressively pursue the best settlement for you, advise you on whether a settlement offer is fair, and help you decide on the best course of action.
For more information on how to claim compensation after a spinal cord injury, get in touch with a supportive Florida spinal cord injury lawyer.