New York Personal Injury Lawyers / Boston Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

Boston Spinal Cord Injury Attorney

Spinal cord injuries constitute horrific injuries that can forever change your life and your family’s future. Not only can this injury cause you to miss out on significant life milestones, but it can also impact your relationship with your spouse and kids, your ability to work, and even your ability to walk. Worse yet, the medical expenses that result from this tragic ordeal can leave you with a massive amount of stress and numerous questions about how you will get your life back on track.

However, if you endured this type of injury because of another person’s wrongful, negligent, or reckless actions, you should get the legal help that you can trust to get you through this challenging situation. Fortunately, with the Boston spinal cord injury lawyers at Jacoby & Meyers LLP on your side, you can get this help, plus much more. Our team of attorneys stands ready to fight on your behalf, pursue justice for your situation, and go after compensation to cover the full cost of your injuries.

About Jacoby & Meyers LLP

Since our founding in 1972, Jacoby & Meyers LLP has grown to become one of the country’s largest and most innovative law firms. Our dedication to providing clients with high-quality legal representation and personal services to protect our clients’ dignity and privacy set us apart from our competitors. We make sure to keep all communications clear and straightforward while also providing case evaluations that you can easily understand.

Once you retain Jacoby & Meyers LLP to take on your case, you can expect:

• Free responses to all of your legal questions and concerns;
• Free visits to your location (home or hospital) if you cannot travel; and
• Free and secure online access to your case filings.

As one of the nation’s largest personal injury law firms, we have taken on tens of thousands of cases and have obtained millions of dollars in compensation on our client’s behalf through settlement negotiations and jury verdicts. Although we cannot guarantee these same results for every case we take on, when you work with Jacoby & Meyers LLP, you can rest assured that our legal team can fight hard for maximum compensation given your specific circumstances.

About Spinal Cord Injuries

A spinal cord injury can often result from a sudden cut to the spine, a sudden blow to the spine, or damage to the spinal cord nerves at the end of the spinal canal. As a result of these injuries, an individual can suffer permanent changes in the body’s sensation, strength, and other body functions below the injury site.

Although rehabilitation and assistive devices can allow many individuals with this type of injury to lead independent and productive lives, no definitive cure exists for a spinal cord injury currently.

Common Spinal Cord Injury Symptoms

Unfortunately, spinal cord injuries can often result in numerous symptoms, including:

• A loss of movement
• An altered sensation including the inability to feel cold, touch, or heat
• A loss of bladder control
• A loss of bowel control
• Exaggerated spasms or reflex activities
• A change in an individual’s sexual sensitivity, function, and fertility
• An intense stinging sensation caused by damage to the spinal cord nerves
• A hard time breathing, coughing, or clearing secretions from the lungs

However, if an individual experiences extreme pressure in the head or neck, paralysis anywhere in the body, impaired breathing, or an oddly positioned or twisted neck, that individual needs to immediately seek medical help.

The Most Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries in Boston

Many unique accidents can lead to a spinal cord injury. However, in Boston, certain types of accidents can cause this devastating injury more often than others. The most common causes of spinal cord injuries include the following:

Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Accidents

Motor vehicle crashes and motorcycle accidents constitute the leading cause of spinal cord injuries in the country, accounting for almost half of the new spinal cord injuries every year. Due to the high speeds of these vehicles, these crashes can cause a sudden blow and damage to the spinal cord and its surrounding areas, such as the ligaments, vertebrae, discs, and nerves.

Although these accidents can occur all over Boston, some intersections in the city tend to prove more problematic than others, resulting in more frequent accidents.

These danger zones include:

• North Washington Street and Boston’s Central Artery
• Morton Street and Harvard Street
• Columbia Road at the Expressway

Slips and Fall Accidents

If an individual slips, trips, and falls on someone’s property, it can result in various injuries, including fatal spinal cord injuries. Studies have even shown that falls make up about 31 percent of all spinal cord injury cases.

These injuries can include a partial or a complete tear of the spinal cord, which can cause injured individuals to lose their ability to perform certain functions or control their limbs.

Biking Accidents

Biking constitutes an incredibly popular activity in Boston, and residents and tourists alike frequently bike to get around the city or commute to the various Universities in the area. In fact, Commonwealth Avenue, located right by Boston University, constitutes one of the most common sites for bicycle collisions in Boston. However, with the little protection these bikes provide, spinal cord injuries frequently result when a car strikes an individual.

Acts of Violence

Acts of violence constitute another common cause of spinal cord injuries. For example, intentional actions, such as stabbings, firearm shootings, and physical fights, can lead to tearing, crushing, and even severing of the spinal cord.

Other Types of Accidents

Even though motor vehicle accidents, acts of violence, and trips and falls constitute some of the more common sources of spinal cord injuries in Boston, other causes exist that can lead to this traumatizing injury, including trucking accidents, medical malpractice incidents, machinery failures, worksite accidents, construction site accidents, sporting accidents, and defective product incidents.

Following your spinal cord injury accident, you should reach out to an experienced spinal cord injury attorney as soon as possible to provide you the legal help you need and help you fight for compensation.

Time Limitations For Filing a Spinal Cord Injury Claim in Boston

If you think you may bring an injury claim following a Boston accident, you need to know that you only have a certain amount of time to do so. Every state has a statute of limitations law. This law dictates the amount of time you have to file a claim following an alleged offense. If you do not file this claim within this deadline, you may miss out on your opportunity to pursue compensation for your injuries and losses.

In Massachusetts, the statute of limitations provides individuals who sustain a preventable spinal cord accident within three years from the accident date to file a claim. However, numerous exceptions exist to these regulations that can reduce or lengthen the amount of time you have to file your claim. For these reasons, if you suffered a spinal cord injury in an accident, you shouldn’t wait to get started. Instead, you need to contact a skilled spinal cord injury attorney, such as those at Jacoby & Meyers LLP, as soon as you can. Our lawyers not only can figure out the maximum amount of time you have to file your claim, but they can also ensure the timely and proper filing of all legal documents.

Actions You Should Take Following a Boston Spinal Cord Injury Accident

Although the scene following a spinal cord injury accident can prove chaotic, you need to realize that the actions you take following this incident will not only affect your health and safety but your legal rights as well. For these reasons, following your accident, you should consider taking the following steps:

Contact the Appropriate Authorities Immediately

Following your spinal cord injury accident, you should call 911 as quickly as you can, particularly if you or anyone else involved in the accident has sustained injuries. This constitutes the quickest way to notify emergency personnel that you or someone at the scene requires medical treatment and to get the accident on record.

Once the police arrive at the scene, they can investigate the incident and jot down their findings in their police report. If you decide to pursue an injury claim following your accident, this report can provide you with valuable information.

See a Healthcare Professional as Soon as You Can

Even if you believe that you only sustained minor injuries, you still need to get to a doctor as soon as you can. Oftentimes, severe spinal cord injuries may not manifest directly after the incident. In some cases, it can take days or weeks for these injuries to show up. However, if left untreated, these injuries can lead to catastrophic results.

In addition, this prompt medical treatment can also help your case. Insurance companies will look for any reason to deny your claim. By not getting immediate medical assistance, these insurers will argue that you only suffered minor injuries or that your injuries stem from a subsequent event. Fortunately, when your doctor examines you following the incident, your doctor can document your injuries in the medical report and provide you with evidence of a direct connection between your accident and your spinal cord injuries.

Gather Evidence From the Accident Scene

If you do not require immediate medical help and you feel safe doing so, try to take as many pictures and videos of the accident scene as possible. Make sure you include photos of your visible injuries, any other cars involved in the crash, the position of these vehicles on the road, any skid marks on the street, any other dangerous conditions on the property, the weather conditions at the time of the accident, and anything else that can help show what happened.

Get Personal Information From the Others Involved

Try to exchange information with all the other people involved in the accident, including names, insurance information, driver’s license numbers, and contact details.

Obtain Witness Details

If individuals at the scene saw what happened, make sure you get their names and phone numbers as well. These witness statements can often provide you with helpful evidence regarding the accident and also back up your claim. However, if these individuals do not want to offer you these details, do not force them.

Make Sure to Keep Records and Bills Related to Your Spinal Cord Injury Accident

For you to get as much money as you can following your spinal cord injury accident, you need to provide reliable evidence that proves your damages and your losses. For this reason, you should hold onto all of your bills, records, expenses, and statements related to your spinal cord injury accident. These documents can help your spinal cord injury attorney prove the full extent of your losses and pursue the total compensation you need.

Be Careful What You Say to the Others at the Scene

As you speak to other individuals at the accident scene, you need to watch what you say. This means you want to avoid making any definitive statements about the spinal cord injury accident, taking the blame for anything that happened, or apologizing for what occurred. These types of comments can come back later and hurt your claim and the amount of money that you ultimately receive.

Discuss Your Spinal Cord Injury Accident With Experienced Legal Counsel Before You Speak With the Insurance Company

If the insurance company contacts you following your Boston spinal cord injury accident, you should first speak with a skilled Boston spinal cord injury attorney, such as those at Jacoby & Meyers LLP. These lawyers can help you understand how talking to the insurance company can ultimately affect your legal claim and make sure that you avoid making any mistakes that may impact your recovery.

Boston Spinal Cord Injury FAQs

If you have suffered a spinal cord injury in a Boston accident because of another person’s wrongful actions, you likely want answers. That is why the legal team at Jacoby & Meyers LLP has prepared responses to the following commonly asked questions our clients often have after a spinal cord injury accident. We hope with this information, you have a better understanding of the legal remedies you can pursue and how our legal team can help you get through this traumatizing ordeal.

1. How Will I Know If I Have a Valid Boston Spinal Cord Injury Case?

If you have suffered a spinal cord injury in a Boston accident, you may wonder if you have a viable injury claim. However, the only way to know for sure is to reach out to an experienced spinal cord injury accident lawyer, such as those at Jacoby & Meyers LLP.

These attorneys can go over your case with you and discuss the factors and questions that can help them determine if you have a viable case, such as whether:

• Your spinal cord injury was the result of another individual’s wrongful, negligent, or reckless actions.
• You endured significant medical expenses because of these injuries.
• You missed work because of your spinal cord injury.
• The statute of limitations has passed to file your injury claim, or do you still have time to proceed.
• There is insurance available for you to collect following your spinal cord injury accident.

2. Following My Boston Spinal Cord Injury Accident, What Types of Compensation Am I Entitled To?

Following a spinal cord injury accident in Boston, you may be entitled to certain types of compensation. This compensation often includes the following damages:

Economic Damages: These damages include easily measurable losses from an accident, such as

• Medical bills including past, present, and future medical expenses (surgeries, emergency room stay, doctor appointments, hospital visits, medical devices, and prescription medications)
• Lost wages and earning capacity
• Rehabilitative therapy such as occupational and physical therapy
• Personal property repairs
• At-home nursing care
• Replacement household services such as child care costs
• Other out-of-pocket expenses

Non-economic Damages: These damages often refer to the subjective losses that result from an accident that are not easy to measure.

They include:

• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Disfigurement
• Scarring
• Loss of a limb
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of reputation
• Loss of consortium

Fortunately, when you work with a skilled Boston spinal cord injury attorney, these lawyers can help you figure out which of these damages you may be able to pursue and also ensure they fight for the maximum compensation you deserve.

3. Are Punitive Damages Available to Me Following My Boston Spinal Cord Injury Accident?

Unlike compensatory damages, which are meant to compensate the victim for their losses and harm, punitive damages are intended to punish the wrongdoer for their egregious actions and to deter others from committing this act in the future. However, in Massachusetts, these punitive damages are not awarded in every injury lawsuit. Instead, the state only allows these damages if the defendant causes a death through their willful or wanton conduct or gross negligence.

That is why, if you have lost a loved one following a Boston spinal cord injury accident, you should reach out to an experienced legal team such as those at Jacoby & Meyers LLP. These attorneys can go over your case, determine if you can pursue punitive damages, and help you go after all the compensation you are entitled to.

4. How Much Money is My Boston Spinal Cord Injury Case Worth?

Unfortunately, no attorney can tell you precisely how much money your spinal cord injury case is worth. Since each accident is unique, there are just too many factors that can impact the amount of money you can receive.

Take, for instance, the following factors:

• The extent of your spinal cord injury
• The type of medical treatments you need now and will need in the future
• The ability to work following your spinal cord injury accident and whether you lost wages because of it
• The credibility of the evidence and witnesses presented
• The defendant’s culpability
• The need for at-home services following the accident

Even though a lawyer can not tell you exactly how much your case is worth, when you work with a knowledgeable Boston spinal cord injury attorney, these lawyers can figure out which of these factors can influence your claim and make sure to prepare the strong case in response to them—fighting for all the money you deserve.

5. Why Does a Boston Spinal Cord Injury Accident Need to be Investigated As Soon As Possible?

The best way for your attorney to figure out what happened and who was responsible for your spinal cord injuries is to perform a thorough investigation into the accident as soon as possible. This investigation will include gathering relevant evidence, interviewing witnesses, and collecting valuable medical and police reports.

However, the faster your attorney can start this investigation, the more likely it will be that evidence will be in their post-accident condition, and the attorney can get to this evidence before it gets lost or disappears. You need to remember that this investigation is important to your claim and getting you the money you need. For these reasons, you need to reach out to a skilled Boston spinal cord injury attorney as quickly as possible so that they can start looking into your accident, establishing liability, and figuring out the extent of your injuries.

6. Will Experts Need to Be Retained in My Boston Spinal Cord Injury Case to Prove Fault and Damages?

Your spinal cord injury case may require an expert to be retained. In general, spinal cord injuries are severe injuries that can impact your whole life. This means that even if it seems apparent that the defendant caused your injury, you will still need strong arguments and evidence to establish fault and damages. That is why these experts, such as accident reconstructionists, doctors, engineers, and human factor experts, are so important to the success of your claim as they can speak to the accident’s liability factors and help your attorney establish fault, and show the full extent of the harm you endured.

Fortunately, when you work with an experienced Boston spinal cord injury attorney like those at Jacoby & Meyers LLP, you will not have to find these experts on your own. These attorneys can obtain these experts for you and prepare the strongest arguments on your behalf.

7. How Long Will It Take for My Boston Spinal Cord Injury Case to Resolve?

Since each spinal cord injury lawsuit is different, there is no way to figure out how long a specific case will take.

In truth, there are just too many different elements that can affect the length of a case, such as:

• The severity of the spinal cord injury
• Whether you still need medical care
• If the other side or the insurance company will negotiate

In addition, settling before you know the full extent of your spinal cord injury is a huge mistake that can cost you in the long run. That is why many times, these cases can take a few months to a few years to resolve, especially if the case goes to trial.

However, when you work with a knowledgeable Boston spinal cord injury lawyer, these attorneys can not only walk you through this whole process, making sure you understand what is going on every step of the way. But they can also ensure that they fight hard for every last dollar you deserve until the case resolves.

8. If the Insurance Company Wants a Statement From Me Following My Boston Spinal Cord Injury Accident, Should I Provide It To Them?

You need to understand that the insurance company is not your friend. Although they may seem compassionate when they speak with you, they are not there to help you get the money you need. Instead, they are a business, and like other businesses, they want to make a profit. Luckily for them, by paying you out less, the more they end up making. Because of this, adjusters will say anything or try any tactic to get you to admit fault for the accident so that they can deny your claim or reduce the amount of money you receive.

For these reasons, always stay cautious when discussing anything with the insurance company, and before you provide them any statement, speak to a skilled Boston spinal cord injury lawyer, such as those at Jacoby & Meyers LLP. These attorneys can not only make sure that you do not say anything that can impact your claim, but they can also take over these conversations and discussions for you, ensuring you do not make any mistakes that can affect your case.

9. I Was Offered a Settlement Following My Boston Spinal Cord Injury Accident. Should I Accept It?

In some cases, the insurance company may offer you a settlement shortly after your spinal cord injury accident. However, even though it may seem like a no-brainer to accept this money, it may not be in your best interest.

Typically, if the insurance company offers you money shortly after your accident, it is likely they are trying to get you to accept the least amount of money possible as fast as they can in hopes that you will not speak with an attorney regarding the offer. Insurers know that with medical bills piling up that you are vulnerable. As a result, they will use this challenging time to settle the accident without getting you all the money you deserve.

For these reasons, before you accept the first offer you receive, you should reach out to an experienced spinal cord injury attorney, who can go over your claim, figure out what types of treatments you will need now and in the future, and determine if this offer is fair to you. If it is not, they can proceed with negotiations with the insurance company and fight for an offer that is.

10. Following My Boston Spinal Cord Injury Accident, Do I Need to Retain an Experienced Spinal Cord Injury Attorney?

To bring a successful injury claim following a Boston spinal cord injury accident, you need to be able to provide relevant evidence and sound legal arguments that can support your case. However, following this accident, this is likely the last thing on your mind. Fortunately, when you have skilled legal counsel on your side, such as the attorneys at Jacoby & Meyers LLP, you will not have to worry about tackling this legal battle on your own.

Once retained, these lawyers can:

• Go over your spinal cord injury accident in detail, figure out if your injury claim is viable, and discuss the legal options you can pursue.
• Answer all of your questions and concerns, and provide you the legal support you require during this difficult time.
• Investigate your Boston spinal cord injury accident and secure the evidence necessary to show fault and damages.
• Make sure that documents and legal motions are filed before the statute of limitations expires.
• Ensure that all those responsible for your spinal cord injuries are held accountable for the damages and losses you suffered.
• Handle all the negotiations with the other side, including the insurers, and go after the fair settlement you need.
• Take your case to trial if the other side is unwilling to negotiate and fight for maximum damages.

If you suffered a spinal cord injury due to another person’s fault, do not wait any longer to get the legal help you need. Instead, contact the experienced personal injury lawyers at Jacoby & Meyers LLP today at (877) 472-3061 for your free case consultation, and let us show you how our legal team can fight for justice and compensation on your behalf.

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