Facing a Spinal Cord Injury? We're Here to Help
Spinal cord injuries are among the most catastrophic injuries anyone can sustain. They often result in permanent disabilities that change your life forever.
If you or a loved one has been affected by a spinal cord injury in Los Angeles due to someone else's negligence, the compassionate and experienced spinal cord injury lawyers at Cohen & Marzban are here to provide dedicated legal support and guidance.
We understand the profound physical, emotional, and financial challenges you face after a spinal cord injury. Our team will fight tirelessly to protect your rights and secure the full compensation you deserve for medical expenses, lost income, adaptive equipment, home modifications, and long-term care.
Our Los Angeles spinal cord lawyers will stand by you throughout the complex legal process, providing compassionate advocacy and helping you receive the resources you need to rebuild your life.
Understanding Spinal Cord Injuries
The spinal cord is a vital part of the central nervous system. It transmits signals between the brain and the rest of the body. A spinal cord injury occurs when this cord is damaged, which disrupts the signals and leads to a wide range of debilitating symptoms.
The severity of spinal cord injuries depends on the location and extent of the damage. They range from incomplete injuries, where some function is preserved, to complete injuries, where all feeling and movement below the injury site are lost.
Common causes of spinal cord injuries in Los Angeles include:
- Motor vehicle collisions: On Los Angeles highways and streets, high-impact collisions in car, truck, motorcycle, and pedestrian accidents are frequent causes of spinal cord injuries.
- Falls: Falls from heights, such as ladders, roofs, or balconies, can result in significant spinal trauma; slipping and falling on wet or uneven surfaces can also cause spinal cord injuries, particularly in older adults.
- Sports and recreational accidents: High-impact sports such as football, hockey, and rugby, as well as activities like diving and skiing, can lead to spinal cord injuries.
- Acts of violence: Gunshot wounds, stabbings, and other violent acts can directly damage the spinal cord.
- Medical malpractice: Negligence or errors during surgery or other medical procedures can lead to spinal cord damage.
While some spinal cord injuries occur due to unavoidable accidents, many are preventable. A life-changing injury is even more devastating when it is caused by another person’s recklessness or negligence.
Symptoms of a Spinal Cord Injury
The symptoms of a spinal cord injury vary widely depending on the location and severity of the injury.
Some common immediate and long-term effects include:
- Loss of movement: Impairment of the arms, legs, or other parts of the body below the injury site is common, ranging from weakness to complete paralysis.
- Loss of sensation: Numbness, tingling, or complete loss of feeling in the areas of the body below the injury level can occur, affecting the ability to feel pain, temperature, touch, and pressure.
- Difficulty breathing: Injuries high in the cervical spine (the neck) may require a ventilator or other breathing assistance.
- Loss of bowel or bladder control: Spinal cord injuries can disrupt the nerves that control bladder and bowel function, leading to partial or total incontinence.
- Chronic pain: Pain may be present at the site of the injury as well as in other parts of the body due to nerve damage, muscle spasms, or changes in posture.
- Spasticity: Some injuries cause involuntary muscle spasms and tightness, which can make daily activities difficult.
- Autonomic dysreflexia: A potentially life-threatening condition that causes a sudden spike in blood pressure, headache, and sweating and can occur in individuals with injuries above the mid-thoracic level.
Any symptoms of a spinal cord injury after an accident should be evaluated by medical providers. When you have stabilized, you can discuss your legal options with a Los Angeles spinal cord injury attorney.
Time Limits to File a Spine Injury Claim in Los Angeles
In the months after a spinal cord injury, you may be more concerned about your health and your loved ones than about taking legal action. However, it is crucial to act quickly to secure the compensation you deserve for your medical expenses, your lost income, and all of the new challenges you face.
Every state has strict deadlines, which are known as statutes of limitations, for filing personal injury claims. In general, you have two years from the date of your spinal cord injury to file a lawsuit in Los Angeles. If you fail to file a claim within this two-year window, you may lose your right to seek compensation altogether.
However, there are some exceptions to the California statute of limitations:
Given these deadlines, it's strongly recommended that you contact a Los Angeles spinal cord injury attorney as soon as possible after your injury. An experienced lawyer can assess your specific situation, determine the applicable deadlines, and file your claim properly and on time.
Compensation for Your Spinal Cord Injury
We will fight to recover the full compensation you deserve, including:
- Medical expenses: Past and future medical bills for hospitalization, surgeries, rehabilitation, medications, adaptive equipment, and any ongoing needs.
- Lost wages and earning capacity: Income lost due to your time off work, as well as any future lost earnings if your spinal cord injury prevents you from returning to work.
- Pain and suffering: The physical and emotional impacts you have endured and continue to experience.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: The loss of your ability to participate in activities you previously enjoyed.
- Home modification costs: The costs of modifying your home to accommodate your disability, such as installing ramps, widening doorways, and adapting bathrooms.
- Long-term care costs: The resources you need for your future comforts, such as assistance with daily living tasks or specialized medical care.
Some types of losses are not apparent until long after your injury. An experienced spinal cord injury lawyer knows how to calculate these potential costs and will aggressively seek to recover them from the at-fault party.
Why Choose Cohen & Marzban as Your Spinal Cord Injury Law Firm?
Our Los Angeles spinal cord injury attorneys rise above the rest.
You can rely on us for:
We are dedicated to fighting for the rights of injury victims and their families — and our team’s efforts have led to our recovery of awards totaling over $2 billion for clients like you.
