A spinal cord injury is a catastrophic injury that changes a person’s life forever. Although modern treatments help injured people retain more control over their bodies, a spinal cord injury often leads to partial or complete loss of bodily function.
When another party’s negligence contributes to someone’s spine injury, the negligent parties are liable for the injured person’s damages. A Bakersfield spinal cord injury lawyer could determine whose reckless actions led to the accident and hold them accountable.
Consult a knowledgeable catastrophic injury attorney at Colvin Accident Lawyers today when you or someone you love suffers a spinal cord injury in a preventable accident. A compensation award could help you get the medical care you need to live the fullest life possible after your injury.
Someone seeking compensation for an injury must prove another party was at least partially responsible by failing to prevent it from occurring. The legal term for this failure is known as negligence.
Vehicle accidents involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, and collisions between motor vehicles and cyclists or pedestrians are a leading cause of spinal cord injuries. Falls also cause many spinal cord injuries, especially among older adults. Contact sports or diving accidents can cause spinal cord injuries.
A diligent attorney in Bakersfield could investigate a person’s spinal cord injury and determine who should be held accountable. Depending on the circumstances, responsible parties could include drivers, vehicle manufacturers, property owners, employers, sports leagues, or recreation club sponsors. Most responsible parties have insurance coverage that a legal professional could pursue through a claim.
California Civil Code §1714 describes how the state divides responsibility for an injured person’s damages. The law allows a claimant to seek damages even when they are partially responsible for their spinal cord injuries; however, the claimant can only collect the percentage of damages they are not responsible for. So, for example, when the plaintiff is 20 percent responsible for their injuries, they can collect 80 percent of their losses from other responsible parties.
Spine injuries can happen in several ways, meaning several parties, including the injured person, could share responsibility. A dedicated spinal injury attorney in Bakersfield could work to identify as many responsible parties as possible to increase the compensation available to the plaintiff.
Most injury cases never go to trial because the responsible parties prefer the certainty of a settlement to taking their chances at an expensive trial. Anyone suffering from a spine injury needs an aggressive advocate to ensure the court does not prevent them from recovering the payments they deserve.
Processing the overwhelming news of a spinal cord injury can take several months. An injured person and their loved ones might not have the mental capacity to consider possible legal action when worrying about medical care costs or lost income; however, enlisting the help of a legal representative soon after the incident offers multiple advantages.
A Bakersfield lawyer could intervene with health insurers and, when necessary, negotiate a medical lien with providers to ensure the injured person gets proper medical care for their spine injury.
Depending on how the injury happened, the insurance company for the responsible party might approach an injured person immediately after the accident with a settlement offer. These offers usually represent a small fraction of a claim’s true value. When the injured patient has legal representation, insurers can only make settlement offers with the individual’s attorney.
The physical, emotional, and financial trauma of a spinal cord injury cannot be overstated. You should be able to focus your energy on recovery, rehabilitation, and healing rather than dealing with the burden of a lawsuit.
Fortunately, Attorney Donald Colvin could help you secure appropriate compensation. Contact a Bakersfield spinal cord injury lawyer immediately after the accident to begin building your case against the party who hurt you.
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