Spinal cord injuries can be catastrophic. They can permanently impair your mobility, employment prospects, leisure activities, relationships, and so much more. However, whether you should file a personal injury lawsuit is a question that you should discuss with a qualified negligence attorney.
Have you sustained a spinal cord injury due to someone else’s negligence in Lakeland, Florida? If so, you’ve come to the right place — this negligence lawyer in Lakeland, Florida is going to discuss everything you should know about these types of lawsuits below.
Overview
The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) reports that over 17,800 Americans sustain a spinal cord injury every year, with over 300,000 currently living with a spinal cord injury. The leading causes of spinal cord injuries include auto accidents and falls from heights, followed by violence, adventure sports (such as diving or rock climbing), and medical/surgical errors.
In late 2020, a Florida State University freshman suffered a spinal cord injury and paralyzed herself from the chest down after diving from a boat into shallow water in Naples, Florida. As the Lakeland negligence attorneys at O’Toole Law Group can explain, when assessing the viability of a personal injury claim, the question is whether the injury was caused by third-party negligence. To prove negligence, the plaintiff must establish that the defendant owed them a duty of care, breached that duty, and an injury occurred due to that breach. Because all three of these elements were missing from the teen’s accident, any personal injury claim would have no viability, and therefore her family decided not to file a lawsuit.
How Much Does a Spinal Cord Injury Cost in Florida?
As any reputable negligence lawyer in Lakeland, Florida can tell you, the average annual cost of a spinal cord injury in Florida varies greatly depending on multiple factors. These include the severity of the injury (degree of limited mobility and neurological impairment), the victim’s age and health at the time of injury, and their pre-injury job history, among others.
According to the NSCISC, if you are a healthy 25-year-old and sustain a spinal cord injury that results in paraplegia (or leg paralysis), your estimated lifetime expenditures will be around $2.5 million, with a life expectancy of 65. With a life expectancy of 65, a 50-year-old who sustains the same injury might be looking at lifetime expenditures of about $1.5 million. Keep in mind that this estimate does not account for lost wages or non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium, which could be claimed in a civil lawsuit.
It is worth mentioning that most people who suffer catastrophic spinal cord injuries do not immediately consider pursuing legal action or how they will recover financially from such an injury. They think about their physical recovery, what will happen in the future, and how they will support their family. Some people only reach out to a negligence lawyer in Lakeland, Florida as a last resort, only pursued when the reality of past and future expenses takes hold. This is made worse by the person’s likely diminished earning capacity.
Looking for the Most Trusted Negligence Lawyer in Lakeland, Florida?
If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury due to someone else’s negligence, O’Toole Law Group can help. As the most trusted negligence lawyers in Lakeland, Florida, we have a dedicated legal team that will vigorously pursue your case and fight to help you win the settlement or award you deserve.
Contact us today at (863) 533-5525 to schedule a free legal consultation with our attorneys.
