Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers in Michigan

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, over one-third of all spinal cord injuries result from vehicle crashes. Back and spinal cord injuries can have far-reaching effects on a person’s life, potentially causing long-term suffering, leaving them permanently disabled, and changing their quality of life forever. 

At Matz Injury Law, we work hard to help our clients get the financial resources and care they need to rebuild their lives. Our Michigan spinal cord injury lawyers have had great success helping spinal cord injury victims get medical care, rehabilitation services, and compensation for economic and noneconomic losses, including pain and suffering.

If you or a family member has suffered a back or spinal cord injury, please contact our law firm. In our free consultation with you, one of our personal injury lawyers will review your spinal cord injury case and explain how we can help you obtain compensation to help cover the costs associated with this type of serious injury.

What are Back and Spinal Cord Injuries?

Damage to the back and spinal cord are some of the most severe injuries a person can suffer from in an accident or other event that led to the injury. Each one can cause symptoms from minor discomfort to severe pain. For others, the damage can be life-changing and have permanent effects, such as paraplegia or quadriplegia.

Back Injuries

Back injuries are any damage to the muscles or bones in your back. Common back injuries include strains, sprains, slipped or bulging discs, and fractured vertebrae. Back injuries can range in severity from temporary pain or discomfort to permanent disability.

Spinal Cord Injuries

The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that runs down the center of your spine, extending from the base of your brain through your back. Its function is to deliver signals between the brain and the body. A spinal cord or brain injury can disrupt this system. Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) occur when the spinal cord or the musculoskeletal structure around the spinal cord suffers damage. These injuries can be temporary or permanent, depending on the extent and severity of the injury. Either way, spinal cord injuries are extremely serious and can have far-reaching effects on the victim’s life. Experts classify spinal cord injuries in two categories: complete and incomplete.

Incomplete spinal cord injuries mean the victim still has signals transmitting past the injury, meaning they still experience some sensory awareness or movement below the injury. A complete spinal cord injury means the victim has suffered a complete loss of nerve function past the area of injury. In this case, the individual experiences both a loss of sensation and loss of movement below the injured part of the spinal cord.

Signs and Symptoms of a Back or Spinal Cord Injury

Individuals who sustain back injuries typically experience similar symptoms, which may include hearing a pop or snap at the moment of injury, numbness or tingling sensations in the hands or feet, an impaired ability to walk, difficulty standing up straight, or trouble bending over. Other symptoms include muscle weakness and pain, which can be acute (short-lived) or chronic (long-term) pain.

Victims of accidents or events that lead to a spinal cord injury may experience numbness or tingling in their hands or feet, feelings of pain or pressure in the head, neck, or back, loss of bowel or bladder control, and paralysis, which can occur immediately or be delayed. Other symptoms linked to spinal cord injury include weakness or inability to control any body part, changes in sexual function, trouble walking, and difficulty breathing.

Common Causes of Back and Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries and back injuries can occur in several ways. Unfortunately, many could have been prevented if another person or entity had acted responsibly and carefully.

Back Injuries

Back injuries can happen suddenly, as anyone who has tweaked their back knows very well. Common causes of back injuries include workplace incidents, motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, and slip-and-fall accidents.

Spinal cord injuries often result from trauma, such as a blow or cut to the spine. Car accidents are the most prevalent cause of spinal cord injuries in the United States, followed by workplace injuries, medical malpractice, slip-and-fall accidents, and intentional violence.

Workplace Back Injuries

Unfortunately, workplace-related back injuries are common, especially in specific professions, such as construction or other physical laborers. The causes may be the result of negligence, repetitive movements, unsafe work practices, or a workplace accident, such as a fall.

Car Accidents

Car accidents often lead to traumatic effects on the body. If you suffered an auto accident, you may have sustained a back or spinal cord injury on impact. A car crash does not have to be serious to cause injury. Even relatively minor accidents can cause a spinal cord injury due to whiplash or airbag deployment.

Michigan’s no-fault insurance system means you do not need to prove fault to receive compensation for your injuries from the insurance company. However, that may not be enough to compensate you fully for your losses. In that case, you can still pursue a liability claim against the at-fault driver for the non-economic damages you have suffered.

Medical Malpractice

Back and spinal cord injuries from medical malpractice are rarer, but sadly, they occur. Doctors may make incorrect diagnoses or provide medical treatment that causes life-impairing back pain. If a doctor’s office, hospital, outpatient facility, or chiropractor’s office caused your back injury, you may be eligible to pursue a claim for medical negligence.

Slip-and-Fall

If a property owner fails to keep a public space or their property clear from obstructions and you are injured in a fall, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit. According to the CDC, older adults are most vulnerable to slip-and-falls. If your elderly loved one sustained a spinal cord injury from a slip-and-fall accident due to someone else’s negligence (such as a nursing home facility), you may be eligible to sue.

Intentional Violence

Intentional violent acts can permanently impact the victim. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, many spinal cord injuries result from violence, primarily from gunshot wounds. If you or a family member suffered an injury due to violence, you may be eligible for civil litigation against the violent party and any other party whose negligence contributed to your injury. For example, if you were shot at a nightclub, you may be able to file a suit against the business owners for negligent security.

Can I Sue the Person Who Caused My Back or Spine Injury?

If your back or spinal injury is due to another person’s negligence, you can sue the at-fault party for compensation for your economic and non-economic damages.

Injury claims for economic damages include payment for medical treatment and healthcare providers, lost wages, and home or vehicle accommodations costs. Non-economic damages are compensation for any non-financial losses you’ve suffered, including, but not limited to, pain and suffering, loss of relationships, loss of quality of life, and an inability to participate in work, home, or leisure activities.

The State of Michigan does not have punitive damages available for victims to pursue. Your injury claim must be for actual compensation, not to punish the wrongdoer. However, you are permitted to seek exemplary damages, which empowers you to collect compensation because of the outrageous behavior or conduct of the offender. This is almost exclusively available to victims of drunk or impaired drivers who have a history of driving under the influence.

The compensation you can be awarded will depend upon the severity of your injuries and how they directly affect your life.

Proving Liability for a Back or Spinal Cord Injury

To prove liability in Michigan for a back or spinal cord injury, the victim must be able to prove the negligent party was at least 50 percent at fault. Next, they must prove they sustained an injury that led to medical bills, loss of quality of life, or lost wages.

To confirm the extent of your injuries, you will be required to undergo medical examinations and likely need to provide expert testimony from your healthcare providers to describe the severity of your injury. Victims who work with spinal cord injury lawyers usually find they can establish a solid case to prove liability and be entitled to compensation to help cover their losses and suffering. Your attorney will examine circumstances, gather evidence, and assemble your case to negotiate a settlement or present in court.

Statute of Limitations on Back Injury and Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuits

The State of Michigan places a three-year statute of limitations for filing a negligence lawsuit for a back or spinal cord injury. It is essential to distinguish that the three-year timeframe begins on the date of the accident, not the date the spinal cord injury claim was filed.

How Can a Michigan Spinal Cord Injury Attorney Help Me?

After a back or spinal cord injury, there may be a need for significant long-term care and rehabilitative services, all of which can be very costly. A successful personal injury case can help pay for these medical expenses.

At Matz Injury Law, our priority is helping our clients get all the medical care, long-term care, physical therapy, and other needed rehabilitative services. Our personal injury attorneys will work with medical specialists to map out the required lifetime of care and services. Then, we’ll stand up for you in settlement negotiations or at trial to obtain full compensation for your losses and all necessary medical care and services.

Michigan attorneys with experience with back and spinal cord injury lawsuits can assist with examining circumstances, collecting essential evidence, and deciding a course of action to help you receive the compensation you deserve.

In Wayne County, we negotiated an agreement with an insurance company for a client who suffered a spinal cord injury. The agreement included compensation for a specially equipped home and a wheelchair-accessible van. We worked with a school district and hospital medical team to provide nursing care and special education services for the client under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.

Whether it involves a herniated disc or paralysis, you can depend on Matz Injury Law for skillful, results-oriented representation. Call 866-226-6833 or reach us online through our contact form to get started. 

We’ll Help Make Your Finances Less Painful

Insurance adjusters are usually out of touch with the reality of what a spinal cord injury victim faces each day. They often simply offer lowball settlements to close the case. By working with a skilled personal injury law firm, you will get the experience of having someone by your side who knows how to deal with insurance adjusters adeptly and can negotiate a fair settlement.

Very few catastrophic injury cases go to trial for injury victims who work with a knowledgeable lawyer. This is because they can accurately explain the daily challenges and life-altering circumstances a victim faces. As a result, they can usually convince the adjuster the company is better off paying a fair settlement than letting the case go to trial.

Whether it involves a herniated disc, paralysis, a separate disability, or another type of injury, you can depend on Matz Injury Law for skillful, results-oriented representation. Call 866-226-6833 or reach us online through our contact form to get started. We proudly serve all Michigan residents from Southfield to Grand Rapids and Houghton.