NYC Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

Now our NYC personal injury lawyers are ready to fight to make things right for you. Contact our law office in Manhattan, serving the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Westchester, and surrounding areas, to schedule a free consultation now.

How The Platta Law Firm Can Help if You’ve Suffered a Spinal Cord Injury in NYC

A spinal cord injury can change your life forever. It can limit your mobility, force you to stop working, and even prevent you from engaging in activities you once loved. That doesn’t even factor in the high costs of medical treatment and long-term care that you may require to accommodate your debilitating injury. When someone else is responsible for causing your spinal cord injury, they have to be held accountable. Our NYC personal injury lawyers are ready to make that a reality.

With our top-rated trial attorneys on the case, other parties and insurance companies will know that you’re serious about getting the compensation you deserve. We’re well-known and respected in the New York legal community. Our reputation for going above and beyond for our clients – and getting top results in the process – is firmly established. Our team will take care of every aspect of your spinal cord injury claim:

• Counter efforts to point fingers and blame you for your spine injury.
• Negotiate with insurance companies and other parties on your behalf.
• Prepare to reject lowball offers and bring your case to a jury in New York City, if necessary.
• Oversee a thorough investigation into the accident or incident that led to your spine injury.
• Gather medical records, accident reports, witness statements, photographs, video footage, etc.
• Consult with orthopedic surgeons and other medical professionals, vocational rehabilitation specialists, and other experts who can provide insight into the more complex aspects of your case.

The Platta Law Firm knows that the costs of a spinal cord injury can be extremely high. We don’t want you to avoid seeking legal assistance because you’re afraid you can’t afford it. We work on contingency, so there’s no cost to you unless we win your spinal cord injury claim or lawsuit. If our New York City spinal cord injury lawyers don’t win, you don’t pay – it’s that simple. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our NYC law office to arrange a time for a free, no-obligation case evaluation to learn more now.

What is a Spinal Cord Injury and How Common are They?

Every year, it’s estimated that there are 17,810 new reports of severe spinal cord injuries across the United States. Roughly 1,100 new spinal cord injuries are reported in the state of New York annually – accounting for about 6 percent of the nation’s total. Nationwide, about 288,000 people are already living with paralysis and other long-term consequences of a prior injury to the spine.

So what exactly is a spinal cord injury?

Broadly defined, a spinal cord injury refers to trauma that disrupts the normal function of your spinal column. The spinal column is a long, flexible column of bones that runs from the base of your neck to your tailbone. It’s made up of 24 small individual bones – or vertebrae – and has a bundle of nerves inside (that’s the “spinal cord”).

The nerves relay information between the brain and the rest of the body. Whenever vertebrae or nerves in the spinal cord become damaged in any way, the body’s ability to communicate and function properly is impaired. Trauma to the spinal column or spinal cord can cause:

• Difficulty breathing
• Temperature dysregulation
• Limited mobility or paralysis
• Difficulty chewing, swallowing, or controlling the bladder and bowels
• Weakness, tingling, numbness, and loss of sensation in the extremities

It’s not just conscious movements and actions that can be affected. The spinal cord plays an integral role in your autonomic nervous system, so everyday bodily functions that you don’t even think about can be affected, too.

Types of Spinal Cord Injuries: Complete vs. Incomplete

Typically, there are two ways to classify a spinal cord injury: complete and incomplete.

Complete spinal cord injuries occur when the affected nerves are completely and permanently damaged. It is impossible to repair a complete spinal cord injury. These tend to have the most serious consequences, including paraplegia (loss of function below the waist) and tetraplegia (loss of all function below the neck).

Incomplete spinal cord injuries occur when the spinal column and cord are partially damaged. The prognosis for an incomplete spine injury depends on how badly the nerves and vertebrae were damaged, as well as the location of the injury on the spine. An incomplete spinal cord injury can result in mild symptoms and effects or cause more serious adverse events, including paralysis.

Levels of Spinal Cord Injuries

The severity of a spinal cord injury doesn’t just depend on whether it’s complete or incomplete trauma. The location of the injury – or the level of the spinal cord injury – is critically important. The entire part of the body below the level of injury can be affected. So, as a general rule, the higher the level of injury (closer to your head), the more catastrophic the injury. There are four major parts of the spine: the cervical spinal cord, thoracic spinal cord, lumbar spinal cord, and sacral spinal cord.

Cervical Spinal Cord

The cervical spinal cord is located in the neck and is comprised of seven vertebrae: C-1 to C-7. Cervical spine injuries tend to be the most severe, as the are that’s compromised is closest to the brain and responsible for major bodily functions. Tetraplegia and quadriplegia are common consequences.

Thoracic Spinal Cord

The thoracic spinal cord is located in the upper and middle back and is comprised of twelve vertebrae: T-1 to T-12. Depending on the specific location, the thoracic spinal column is responsible for movement in the upper chest, mid-back, and trunk (abdominal region). The lower part of the thoracic spinal cord is responsible for movement and control of part of the back.

Lumbar Spinal Cord

The lumbar spinal cord is located in the mid-to-lower back and is comprised of five vertebrae: L1 to L-5. This region of the spinal cord is generally responsible for movement of the hips and legs, as well as muscles and organs in the area.

Sacral Spinal Cord

The sacral spinal cord is located at the base of the spinal column, just above the coccyx, or tailbone. It consists of five fused bones, S-1 to S-5. Injuries to the sacral spinal cord can impair bladder and bowel control, as well as limited or loss of mobility in the legs.

I’ve Suffered an Injury to my Spinal Cord After an Accident in NYC – What’s my Case Worth?

According to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, the most telling factors in calculating the cost of living with a spinal cord injury will hinge on the victim’s age and the severity of the injury.

In the first year of having a spinal cord injury, the average annual expense (medical bills and living expenses) can range from $379,698 for an injury that impairs function at any level to $1.1 Million for a high tetraplegia injury.

Victims can expect to spend $46,119 and $202,032 in each subsequent year they have symptoms, respectively. Over the course of a lifetime, a moderate spinal cord injury can cost a 25-year-old victim $1.7 million, while a high tetraplegia injury could set the same 20-something back more than $5.1 million. A 50-year-old victim may anticipate costs exceeding $2.3 Million for a low tetraplegia injury. Ultimately, the answer is that “it depends.” The cost of a spinal cord injury will ultimately depend on a number of different factors, including:

• Your age
• Whether you are temporarily and/or permanently disabled
• Your ability to continue working and generating an income
• Whether you share responsibility for your spinal column injury
• The medical care and treatment you’ll require – now and in the future
• The type of spinal cord injury you’ve suffered (complete vs. incomplete)
• The level and location of your spinal cord injury (the specific vertebrae affected)
• How the trauma of your accident and resulting spine injury affect you emotionally and psychologically

Your choice of attorney can also affect how much money you can get if you’ve suffered a catastrophic spinal cord injury in New York City, New York. Contact The Platta Law Firm to learn about how our respected NYC personal injury attorneys have helped victims like you win top results in their spine injury cases.

We Handle All Spinal Cord Injury Cases in New York City, NY

Trauma is the leading cause of spinal cord injuries in New York City. At The Platta Law Firm, we represent clients in who have suffered spinal cord injuries as a result of:

If you’ve had a family member die because of a spinal cord injury in a NYC accident, our wrongful death attorneys can help you seek financial justice. Don’t hesitate to call our law office serving all five New York City boroughs and surrounding areas in the tri-state to learn more.

Damages Available in New York Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuits

As the victim of a spinal cord injury in New York, you should be entitled to compensation for your financial losses (economic damages) and the pain and suffering you’ve had (non-economic damages). Examples include:

Our neck and back injury attorneys will also pursue punitive damages if there’s clear and convincing evidence that another party’s conduct was intentional or willful and wanton. In other words, if you suffered a spinal cord injury because of conduct that’s simply inexcusable and unjustifiable, then a punitive award may be on the table.

I’m Getting Blamed for my Spinal Cord Injury – Can I Still Recover Compensation?

As long as you’re not entirely to blame, then yes. New York has adopted a pure comparative negligence system. Damages aren’t prohibited if you share blame, but will be reduced by your degree of fault. If you’re 30 percent responsible for the accident that caused your spinal cord injury, then your settlement or verdict will be reduced by 30 percent to reflect that.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After I’ve Suffered a Spine Injury in New York?

You’ll have just three years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury lawsuit in New York City, NY. Once the statute of limitations expires, so will your opportunity to assert your legal rights and recover the compensation you deserve.

Trusted NYC Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers Here to Fight for You

The costs of a spine injury are high – don’t let those responsible for your devastating spinal cord injury walk away without consequence. Contact The Platta Law Firm and discover how our nationally recognized NYC spinal cord injury lawyers can help you fight back and get the money you deserve. We offer a free consultation at our law office in Manhattan, NY, so don’t delay and reach out to schedule a time for yours today.