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San Antonio Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers

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Hire San Antonio-Based Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers

A spinal cord injury can happen to anyone and is often progressive. Some accident survivors suffer immediate injuries, while others experience mild neck and back pain initially, but as inflammation increases, the spinal cord damage worsens.

If you’ve suffered a head, neck, or back injury in an accident that wasn’t your fault, it’s vital to consult a San Antonio spinal cord injury lawyer.

Personal injury attorney and founder of Patino Law Firm, Dr. Louis Patino, helps victims recover from the devastating impact of spinal cord injuries. From our office in San Antonio, we seek to hold others accountable for causing the catastrophic injuries that befall our clients. However, we serve the entire region and surrounding counties, and we can come to you if you are in:

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Had A Spinal Cord Injury Car Accident? Our Expert Lawyers Can Help Get You Compensation. Call Now

What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?

The spinal cord is the central bundle of nerves that carries signals from the brain to other parts of the body. Together, the brain and the spinal cord make up the central nervous system (CNS) — the operations center responsible for controlling most body and mind functions. When the spinal cord is damaged, the brain cannot send messages to different parts of the body. Individuals can suffer a range of incapacitations, and symptoms vary from person to person, depending on the location of their injury.

Spinal cord injuries can cause:

  • Loss of movement;
  • Loss or altered sensation;
  • Loss of bowel or bladder control;
  • Exaggerated reflexes or spasms;
  • Changes in sexual function, sexual sensitivity, and fertility;
  • Pain or an intense stinging sensation;
  • Difficulty breathing, coughing, or secretions from your lungs; and
  • Paralysis or a complete loss of control of some parts of their body.

Types of spinal cord injuries include:

  • Complete spinal cord injuries: A complete spinal cord injury causes the loss of all feeling and motor function below the point of spinal cord injury.
  • Incomplete spinal cord injuries: An incomplete spinal cord injury causes the loss of some feeling or motor function below the point of spinal cord injury. There are varying degrees of incomplete spinal cord injuries that range from minor annoyances to severe incapacitation.
  • Temporary nerve damage: Sometimes, the spinal cord injury is temporary, resulting in nerve damage that usually resolves quickly.

If you are suffering from a spinal cord injury after an accident, a spinal cord injury lawyer in San Antonio can help you get the compensation you deserve for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.

We offer a free consultation to review your situation and see if you have a viable claim. There is no obligation to choose us, and we will never pressure you to make a decision.

Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers

What Causes a Spinal Injury in San Antonio?

Spinal cord injuries often result from auto accidents. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, vehicle crashes are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries, responsible for 39.3 percent of all injuries.

Many traffic accidents occur due to negligent or wrongful actions or a failure to act by a motorist, and all have the potential to cause a devastating spinal cord injury. These actions include:

Speeding: Failing to follow posted speed limits increases the risk of accidents. Additionally, faster-moving cars cause a greater impact, resulting in more severe injuries, such as spinal cord injuries.

Disobeying traffic signs and signals: Drivers and pedestrians must follow traffic signs and signals intended to control the flow of traffic. Ignoring stop signs, signal lights, and yield signs contributes to many collisions, especially at intersections.

Reckless driving: Reckless driving is the “willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.” It is distinguished from negligence to comprise a particularly egregious — or even intentional —act. Examples of reckless driving include changing lanes erratically, driving excessively over the speed limit or too fast for weather conditions, and road rage.

Driving under the influence: The legal blood alcohol limit in Texas is 0.08 percent. Driving while intoxicated is a significant problem in San Antonio and the wider state. Drivers might also use drugs, such as marijuana or prescription medications, which impair driving ability by impacting decision-making and reducing reaction speed.

Distracted driving: Drivers generally don’t have much time to react to changes in road, weather, or other conditions. Most drivers maintain a two or three-second “safe distance” from the vehicle ahead, so being distracted for just a few moments can lead to a devastating accident. Reading a text, changing a song, and inputting GPS coordinates all seem like quick, inconsequential tasks, but even the smallest distraction can result in a life-changing traffic accident.

San Antonio roads are among the most dangerous in Texas and even the country. Bexar County highways and intersections regularly feature on lists of the most accident-prone roads in the U.S. These include:

  • Loop 1604
  • Interstate 10
  • Northwest Loop 410
  • US 281
  • Interstate 35
  • West Loop 1604 North
  • Highway 16
  • Northeast Loop 410
  • Alamo Ranch Parkway
  • Westwood Loop.

An auto accident is the most common cause of spinal injuries, but it’s not the only one.

Contact our San Antonio spinal cord injury lawyer if you’ve suffered a back or neck injury after an auto accident or any other type of trauma. We can help you recover compensation after any of the following:

At your free, no-obligation consultation, we’ll evaluate whether you have a claim and explain the process of recovering fair compensation for your injuries. Our personal injury law firm puts your best interests first, providing individualized attention and care from beginning to end.

What Is the Impact of a San Antonio Spinal Injury?

Spinal injuries impact individuals in a variety of ways, including:

  • Quality of life: A spinal injury can cause partial or complete impairment of sensation and motor function, so you may no longer complete everyday activities or participate in hobbies. Sometimes, even minor tasks become difficult.
  • Medical: Spinal injuries often require lifelong rehabilitation with no guarantee of improvement. Accident survivors may also develop other physical and mental health conditions, including difficulty breathing, depression, and cognitive impairment.
  • Financial: Spinal cord injuries cause significant financial strain. First, someone suffering from a spinal cord injury must seek medical care. Treatment for a spinal cord injury can prove costly, comprising hospital and emergency room visits, doctors’ fees, surgery, rehabilitation, and assistive medical devices. Second, a spinal cord injury victim often suffers a loss in income due to needing time off work to visit the doctor and recover from operations. Sometimes, an accident victim may be unable to return to work altogether due to permanent disability or job loss. A spinal cord injury victim may also incur expenses to repair their vehicle or modify their home to accommodate their disability.

How Do You Start a Spinal Cord Injury Claim in San Antonio, TX?

The first step in starting an injury claim is to contact a spinal cord injury lawyer in San Antonio to find out where you stand.

You should also seek medical attention as soon as possible after your accident to document your symptoms and begin treatment. Sadly, many spinal cord injuries are permanent, but how soon you begin treatment can make a significant difference to how much function you can recover over time.

It’s also vital to document everything. Evidence is key for successfully recovering compensation — you need to prove your injuries occurred during the accident and because of another party’s negligence. Your medical records, accident report, photographs of your injuries, and conversations with insurance companies are valuable evidence for a claim. Don’t forget to retain receipts, invoices, and estimates for bills you incur, such as for treatment and repairing your vehicle, as you can recover these costs.

You’re also entitled to compensation for the impact of your injury on your life. The best way to support your attorney ‌and set up your claim for success is to record how your spinal cord injury affects you from day to day. It’s helpful to document your progress in a journal. Consider the following:

  • How much pain are you in, on a scale of one to ten?
  • What activities do you go to do but cannot because of your injury?
  • What do you need help with from family and friends?
    • Importantly, how does relying on others make you feel? Loss of independence can have a massive impact on your mental health, and you can recover compensation for the emotional distress your accident has caused.

What Happens After You Start Your San Antonio Spinal Cord Injury Case?

Your San Antonio spinal cord injury lawyer will begin by opening negotiations with the liable party’s insurance company. There are many benefits to settling an insurance claim, including avoiding a lengthy court battle and maintaining privacy. However, if your damages (the monetary worth of your claim) exceed the other party’s insurance, the insurance company denies your claim, or an insurance adjuster refuses to make a fair offer, you might decide to sue.

Few claims reach this stage, but your San Antonio spinal cord injury lawyer will explain your options and the pros and cons of going to trial to help you make a decision.

Before and after filing a lawsuit, your attorney will gather evidence to build a persuasive case. This process — called discovery — involves each side exchanging documents and information and interviewing witnesses by conducting interrogatories and depositions (written and verbal statements taken under oath, respectively).

Expert witnesses in a spinal cord injury case can help determine how an injury happened and its severity. Your personal injury lawyer will decide which witnesses are most beneficial to your case. Witnesses are often essential to a favorable outcome at trial. Medical professionals can help educate the judge and jury about the medical aspects of your injury and your projected recovery, while economic experts can testify to your future costs and projected loss of income.

As your spinal cord injury lawyer in San Antonio, Patino Law Firm seeks to negotiate the best possible settlements for our clients, but we’re also experienced trial advocates who are not afraid to go to court when you’re owed more. Whatever the case, we will represent you zealously to secure the outcome you deserve.

What Compensation Can You Secure for a Spinal Cord Injury?

A spinal cord injury can have a massive physical, emotional, and financial impact, and you may be entitled to a significant payout. Whether through negotiating a settlement or securing a judgment at trial, we will help you secure:

  • Compensation for medical bills related to the injury: This type of compensation includes hospital bills, prescription drugs, operation costs, doctor visits, rehabilitation fees, assistive medical devices, including wheelchairs, home modifications, and vehicle modifications, and future medical expenses.
  • Compensation for lost wages: You can recover lost wages due to missed work and future lost wages resulting from a loss of earning capacity.
  • Compensation for pain and suffering: This type of compensation includes physical and emotional pain and loss of enjoyment if your injury prevents you from doing activities that previously brought you joy.
  • Punitive damages: These damages may be awarded by a jury to punish the defendant for gross conduct and to deter similar actions, such as if you sustained a spinal cord injury in a car accident caused by a drunk driver.

Frequently Asked Questions about Spinal Cord Injuries in San Antonio

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), vehicle crashes are the leading cause of injury, responsible for 39.3% of all spinal cord injuries. Falls are the second most common cause (31.8%), followed by acts of violence (13.5%), sports and recreational activities (8%) and medical malpractice (4.3%). 3.1% of all spinal cord injuries result from other causes that do not fit into the above categories. When spinal cord injuries occur due to acts of violence, gunshot wounds are the predominant cause.

With regards to where in the body most spinal cord injuries occur, the spinal cord comprises five sections: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal.

Most spinal cord injuries occur in the cervical region (the top of the spine, starting just below the skull) and the thoracic region (the middle of the spine, below the cervical and above the lumbar (lower spine) region).

Damage to the cervical spinal cord can be life-changing, if not fatal, and is more likely to be incapacitating than any other type, potentially affecting both sides of the body.

People with cervical spinal cord injuries may experience:

  • Quadriplegia
  • Tetraplegia
  • Loss of function in the hands, arms, and legs
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Loss of bladder and bowel control
  • Loss of sexual function.

Thoracic spinal cord injuries can be equally life-changing, potentially resulting in:

  • Paraplegia
  • Loss of control over breathing functions
  • Loss of bladder and bowel control
  • Loss of sexual function.

Thoracic spinal cord injuries are also typically harder to identify, making early intervention vital.

The spinal cord is a complex and delicate network of pathways transmitting nerve impulses from the brain to various parts of the human body. When part of the spinal cord is damaged or severed, it effectively blocks the messages from the brain from reaching their destination, resulting in various impairments — including paralysis. The extent of paralysis depends on the location and severity of the spinal cord damage.

Spinal cord injuries are, unfortunately, fairly common. Data from the NSCISC estimates around 296,000 people living with spinal cord injuries in the U.S., with approximately 17,810 new cases each year. However, the real number may be even higher, as the data excludes those who sadly died at the scene where they sustained their injury.

There is currently no known way to reverse a spinal cord injury. The body cannot repair spinal cord damage, but rehabilitation can improve function and help injury victims manage their symptoms. With assistive devices, many people with spinal cord injuries can still lead fulfilling lives. The long-term prognosis of spinal cord injuries depends on several factors, including the location and severity of the injury, how quickly treatment is sought, and the age and overall health of the individual.

Most patients who suffer a spinal cord injury experience most recovery within six months of their injury, but some may not regain function for several years.

A settlement is an agreement reached between two parties after an accident resulting in injury. In exchange for an agreed-upon sum, the injured party agrees not to pursue legal action. The benefits of a settlement include speed and privacy, but it is vital to ensure your settlement fairly compensates you for the long-term consequences of your injury. Once you sign a settlement agreement, you cannot sue, even if your injuries worsen. A San Antonio spinal cord injury lawyer will consult experts to ensure any settlement offer is fair.

A claim almost always begins with settlement negotiations; if these fail, you may proceed to a personal injury lawsuit. This is a formal legal action involving going to trial and arguing your case before a judge or jury. A lawsuit in Texas must be filed within the statute of limitations — two years from the date of your accident. Going to trial can be time-consuming, as there is a formal legal process that must be followed, and there is no guarantee of success. However, a favorable verdict can result in significant compensation.

The average settlement for a back injury varies based on several factors. More severe injuries will often require more extensive and longer-term treatment — resulting in more expensive medical costs — and typically have a bigger impact on an individual’s life. Settlements also vary based on the strength of evidence supporting a claim, the other party’s willingness to accept liability, and whether you are partly responsible for the accident that caused your injury.

A whiplash injury that causes short-term pain may result in a five-figure settlement, whereas a traumatic spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis from the waist down, preventing an individual from working again, requiring lifelong rehabilitation and significant home adjustments, and causing significant emotional distress and loss of independence could warrant a million-dollar settlement.

Every case is unique, and a back or spinal cord injury will impact everyone differently. You can use our personal injury settlement calculator for a rough estimate of how much your claim might be worth. However, we advise consulting a spinal cord injury attorney in San Antonio for a more accurate estimate based on your specific situation.

Call Our Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers in San Antonio Today

If you’re suffering from a spinal cord injury after an accident that wasn’t your fault, you may be entitled to compensation.

Call Dr. Patino and his team at the award-winning Patino Law Firm by calling 855-LAW-NINJA or filling in our confidential contact form.

You can reach us 24/7, and you do not pay until we win.

You can reach us 24/7.

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