While you come to terms with the challenging new reality of living with a spinal cord injury (SCI), the legal and financial complexities shouldn't add to your burden. At Law Bear, we understand both the immediate and long-term implications of spinal trauma, from incomplete cervical injuries to complete thoracic cord damage.
Through years of connecting spinal cord injury clients in Mesa and beyond with qualified legal representation, we've built relationships with attorneys who work with trusted life-care planners, rehabilitation specialists, and medical professionals who provide vital testimony and services for their clients. Let us connect you with attorneys who can build the case you may be unable to build on your own-the entire Law Bear referral network is on your side. Call us today at (309) 365-6510 for a free consultation about connecting with a Mesa spinal cord injury attorney.
The Impact of a Spinal Cord Injury Can Be Limitless
A spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the nerves that run down the middle of your back. These nerves transmit signals between your brain and body, and they're responsible for more than most of us realize.
The effects of spinal cord injuries vary widely depending on the location and severity of the damage but can include:
- Partial or complete paralysis
- Loss of sensation
- Breathing problems
- Bowel and bladder dysfunction
- Sexual dysfunction
- Chronic pain
- Muscle spasticity (which can mean excessive stiffness and exaggerated reflexes)
The trauma doesn't end with the physical symptoms. Many SCI survivors experience profound emotional challenges as they come to terms with permanent changes to their independence, relationships, career prospects, and everyday activities they once took for granted.
Types of Spinal Cord Injuries and Their Symptoms
Spinal cord injuries are classified according to both location and completeness. Based on the completeness of the injury, SCIs fall into two main categories:
- Complete injuries: These result in total loss of sensory and motor function below the injury level, with both sides of the body equally affected.
- Incomplete injuries: These allow for some degree of function below the injury site, with varying patterns of preserved movement or sensation.
The location of the injury along the spinal column determines which body functions are affected. You might be suffering from:
- Cervical (neck) injuries, which are the most severe, potentially affecting all four limbs, trunk, and respiratory function, resulting in quadriplegia/tetraplegia
- Thoracic (chest-level) injuries, which typically affect the legs and lower trunk, resulting in paraplegia while preserving arm and hand function
- Lumbar injuries, which impact the hips and legs with various degrees of lower body weakness or paralysis
- Sacral injuries, which mainly affect bowel, bladder, and sexual function, also have the potential to cause leg weakness
One of the gravest mistakes you can make is to ignore or underplay symptoms of spinal cord injury. Some early symptoms that might indicate a severe spinal cord injury include:
- Extreme pain or pressure in the neck, head, or back
- Weakness, incoordination, or paralysis in any part of the body
- Numbness, tingling, or loss of sensation
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Difficulty breathing or clearing secretions from the lungs
- Unusual lumps or twisting along the spine
Secondary complications like pressure sores, respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, and blood clots often accompany the physical challenges of an SCI. A Mesa spinal cord injury attorney from Law Bear's network will fight for all the compensation you need to address these and any other SCI-related symptoms you face properly.
Recoverable Damages for Spinal Cord Injury Victims
The attorneys we connect you with will paint a vivid picture of how your spinal cord injury has discouraged you, caused you pain, limited you physically, and cost you financially. They will fight to ensure you receive compensation for both short- and long-term damages.
Some of the damages attorneys often see in clients with SCIs are:
- Current and future medical expenses, including emergency care, surgeries, and ongoing treatments
- Rehabilitation costs
- The cost of medical equipment, as many with SCIs need wheelchairs and other assistive devices
- Caregiver costs
- Lost earnings (which are often permanent)
- Diminished earning capacity
- Pain and suffering (which tends to be uncommonly costly in these catastrophic injury cases)
- Loss of consortium for the impact on your marital relationship
The value of these damages varies significantly based on the severity of your SCI, your age and previous earning capacity, the circumstances of the incident, and other factors. The attorneys in our network will work with medical experts, economists, and life care planners who can help them evaluate the cost of your injury-related damages.
Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries in Mesa (All of Which Can Result from Negligence)
Due to the years the attorneys in our network have put into helping clients with SCIs, they have seen the many hazards that can cause these debilitating injuries. In Mesa, spinal cord injuries commonly result from:
- Auto accidents
- Motorcycle collisions
- Falls from heights
- Diving accidents
- Sports injuries
- Violent acts
- Pedestrian accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Industrial accidents
- Recreational vehicle accidents
The commonality between the spinal cord injury cases our referred attorneys handle is negligence. In the vast majority of these cases, someone has acted in some way they should not have, and their failure to exercise caution or common sense has left a victim suffering the catastrophic effects of an SCI.
Types of Negligence That Lead to Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries often result from specific forms of negligence that should never have happened if only the negligent party had considered the potential consequences of their reckless or careless actions.
Some common forms of negligence in Mesa spinal cord injury cases include:
- Distracted or impaired driving
- Failure to maintain safe premises at businesses or residences
- Improper training or supervision in workplaces
- Medical errors
- Inadequate safety measures at construction sites
- Failure to provide proper protective equipment for dangerous activities
- Neglect of traffic laws and signals
- Inadequate security in areas with known crime risks
- Manufacturing defects in vehicles, medical devices, or safety equipment
- Failure to follow established protocols in recreational facilities
This list shows just how vast the hazards that can lead to spinal cord injuries are. It takes everyone to act with care and caution to prevent innocent parties from suffering SCIs. When a single person or organization fails, and a victim like you suffers, Law Bear is here to connect you with attorneys who will demand justice.
Building Compelling, Successful Cases Is an Everyday Thing for the Attorneys in Our Network. Here's How a Mesa SCI Attorney We Connect You With Will Lead Your Case.
The attorneys we refer handle every aspect of your case while you focus on your medical care and adjustment to the difficult realities that a spinal cord injury thrusts on you. When you partner with a Law Bear-referred spinal cord injury attorney, they will:
- Connect you with appropriate medical specialists and rehabilitation resources
- Conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances of your injury
- Consult with medical experts to understand the full extent of your condition
- Document all aspects of your damages, including future care needs
- Identify all potentially liable parties to maximize your recovery
- Handle all communications with insurance companies and opposing counsel
- Negotiate aggressively for a fair settlement that addresses your long-term needs
- Prepare your case for trial if a reasonable settlement cannot be reached
- Provide compassionate guidance and support throughout the entire process
Insurance companies are not on your side. They look out for insurance companies, even if that's at the expense of someone with a devastating spinal cord injury. Contact Law Bear to be connected with attorneys who will fight for your interests, and they will show you what a ferocious legal advocate is.
Want a Mesa Attorney Who Will Ferociously Claw for the Money You Need? Choose Law Bear's Network.
When your world has been suddenly thrown into uncertainty by a spinal cord injury, who you choose to fight isn't just a legal decision-it's a decision that can shape your future for decades to come.
Law Bear isn't just another referral service with flashy billboards. We connect Mesa residents facing the hardship of a catastrophic injury with attorneys who bring something different to the table, and that "something different" includes:
- Medical fluency that matters: The attorneys we refer don't just read your medical records; they understand how each level of injury affects your daily life and future needs.
- Local connections that open doors: They've built relationships with doctors, rehabilitation experts, economists, and other experts in the Mesa area who may play an instrumental role in securing the compensation you deserve.
- Financial resources that level the playing field: They advance all costs for expert witnesses, medical exhibits, and other services that can strengthen your case.
- Personal attention when it counts: You'll have your attorney's cell phone number, not just an assistant's email address.
- Battle-tested courtroom experience: Insurance companies recognize their willingness to take cases to trial, and this gives them a leg up during negotiations.
- Invaluable knowledge about the toll of spinal cord injuries: They've helped clients secure smart-home technology, specialized wheelchair vans, and home modifications beyond basic ramps.
The Law Bear referral network was built around the idea that catastrophic injury victims deserve extraordinary advocacy. The attorneys we connect you with offer many years of combined experience and a deeply personal understanding of what's at stake for you.
How the Attorneys We Refer Make the Process Ahead Easy for You
Being connected with qualified legal representation through Law Bear means you can focus on your health. Nobody who's rehabbing to regain strength, coping with the psychological toll of a serious injury, or dealing with the other challenges an SCI presents should have to worry about an insurance claim or lawsuit. Let your referred attorney deal with that.
The attorneys in our network make the client experience as pain-free as possible through:
- Regular case updates delivered in a way you can understand, not shrouded in legal jargon
- Home or hospital visits, so you never have to travel to meet them
- Productive coordination with your medical team
- Careful documentation of every way your injury has impacted your life
- Strategic timing of settlement discussions to maximize value after medical stability
- Post-settlement support with financial planning for long-term needs
When insurance adjusters see the letterhead of the attorneys in our network on your case, they know they're not dealing with settlement-hungry negotiators but battle-tested trial lawyers who won't rest until your future is secure.
Contingency Fee Structure Means "No Recovery, No Fee"
A spinal cord injury has exposed you to more than enough stress. The attorneys we connect you with will ensure that financial concerns about hiring a Mesa SCI attorney do not stress you further.
With the attorneys in Law Bear's network, you:
- Put zero dollars down to launch your fight: Begin your legal battle without reaching for your wallet, as they don't ask for an upfront fee.
- Rest assured that their payment comes only after yours: They collect legal fees only when they've delivered compensation into your hands, not a moment before.
- Get risk-free representation when you need it most: Your family's finances remain protected while they shoulder the burden of building your case.
- Know that their incentives perfectly align with yours: The better they perform for you, the better they do, and this creates a true partnership in pursuit of justice.
This arrangement allows you to focus entirely on your medical care and rehabilitation while your attorney handles the fight for your compensation. You'll never receive a bill from your lawyer unless they recover money for your injuries, and their fee is a predetermined percentage of the final settlement or verdict.
The Statute of Limitations: Reason to Call Law Bear Now.
Arizona law imposes strict deadlines for filing personal injury claims, including those involving spinal cord damage. Missing these deadlines can permanently prevent you from receiving compensation.
The sooner you contact Law Bear after a spinal cord injury, the better positioned the attorneys we connect you with are to abide by the filing deadline, gather time-sensitive evidence, and make a stronger case.
Do Not Wait. Call Law Bear Today for Your Free Consultation About How a Mesa SCI Lawyer from Our Network Will Fight for You.
Few injuries are as completely and immediately overwhelming as spinal trauma. Whether you're paralyzed or not, these injuries can shake you to your core, and the symptoms of these injuries do not subside quickly-in some cases, the symptoms are permanent.
Don't let the physical, emotional, and financial burden of a spinal cord injury shape your future. Take control of your recovery journey by reaching out to Law Bear today. Call us at (309) 365-6510 for a free consultation to be connected with a Mesa spinal cord injury lawyer who understands what you're going through and will fight to secure the compensation you deserve.