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:
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:
Types of spinal cord injuries include:
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 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:
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.
Spinal injuries impact individuals in a variety of ways, including:
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:
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.
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:
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:
Thoracic spinal cord injuries can be equally life-changing, potentially resulting in:
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.
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.
Veteran Law Firm Serving Veterans and Their Families with Honor
Available 24/7
Available 24/7
Fill out the form below or call us on
855-LAW-NINJA / 855-529-6465
