Encino Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

Younglove Law Firm is here to help you with all aspects of your claim. Call us today at (602) 737-3333 for a complimentary case review to discuss your claim.

Why Choose Us?

All spinal cord injuries are serious and life-altering. If you or your loved one are facing a spinal cord injury in Encino or the surrounding area, hiring the most experienced and successful Encino injury attorney is critical to the outcome of your case and your future. At Younglove Law Firm, we have tremendous compassion for victims of this type of potentially catastrophic injury. Our experienced legal team will benefit your case in the following ways:

  • We have advanced courtroom experience should your case go to trial, with over 300 successful verdicts in California courts in the past five years
  • We provide client-centered legal services with individual strategies tailored to every client’s unique injury case
  • Our resolution-based approach works toward a substantial settlement for spinal cord injury claims in Encino so you don’t have to face a court appearance, but we are more than ready to take the case before a jury if required to ensure you gain the compensation you deserve
  • We offer free consultations for spinal cord injury cases and contingency-based payment so we only take a fee after we secure your compensation

At Younglove Law, our experienced attorneys are uniquely qualified to investigate the circumstances of your injury, determine the liable party, and negotiate from a position of evidence-backed strength with the appropriate insurance company to maximize the compensation you recover for damages related to your spinal cord injury, including future damages related to a life-altering injury.

When this much is at stake, the best attorney with years of experience navigating personal injury law in California substantially improves the chances of the best possible outcome for your case.

In the aftermath of an accident resulting in a spinal cord injury, it is imperative to consult with an Encino car accident lawyer who specializes in such cases. A dedicated attorney can help you navigate the legal complexities surrounding spinal cord injuries and advocate for compensation to address medical costs, rehabilitation, and long-term care.

What is the Time Limit for Filing a Spinal Cord Injury Claim?

California’s civil courts place a time limit on personal injury cases, including for those with devastating spinal cord injuries in Encino or other life-altering injury claims. California’s statute of limitations for spinal cord injury claims is two years from the date of the accident or incident that caused the injury. Only in unique circumstances does the state extend this legal time limit for injury claims, including under the following circumstances:

  • If a spinal cord injury occurs to a minor, they have until two years after their 18th birthday to file a spinal cord injury claim in California
  • If the connection between the injury and the negligent action that caused it is delayed due to unique circumstances, the court may extend the statute of limitations to two years past the date of discovery or when the victim should reasonably have discovered the injury and the injury’s cause
  • If an injury victim is incapcitated or unconscious for a period of time after their injury, the two-year time limit begins on the date that they regain their cognitive ability

All states place limits on the amount of time an injury victim may make a claim for their injury-related damages. This time limit ensures that evidence in the case is still available should the claim require a lawsuit in front of a judge and jury. It also keeps eyewitness testimony fresh and reliable when a case becomes courtroom litigation.

In the majority of serious injury claims such as spinal cord damage claims in California, an experienced attorney negotiates a settlement with the appropriate insurance company without needing a courtroom. Only in about five percent of cases does a spinal cord injury claim go to trial. Court litigation for a spinal cord injury claim may take longer than a settlement, but the good news is that jury awards for damages are typically higher than the average settlement amount.

What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?

A spinal cord injury is caused by direct injury to the spinal cord or from damage to the tissue and bones that surround it. The spinal cord is responsible for sending and receiving messages to and from the brain. If the spinal cord is damaged, the impact on the body can be significant.

A complete spinal cord injury causes permanent damage to the affected area. Paraplegia and tetraplegia are examples of complete spinal cord injuries. An incomplete spinal cord injury occurs when a person has some function and sensation below the site of the injury.

There are different levels of spinal cord injuries that are based on the area of the body that is injured, as follows:

  • Cervical spinal cord injuries – These injuries affect the area above the shoulders, namely the head and neck. This is considered the most severe type of spinal cord injury.
  • Thoracic spinal cord injuries – Thoracic spinal cord injuries affect the chest, back, and abdomen. However, the spinal cord injury victim may be able to move their arms and hands.
  • Sacral spinal cord injuries – These injuries affect the mid-region of the body, including the hips, thighs, and pelvic organs. People with these injuries may still be able to walk.
  • Lumbar spinal cord injuries – These injuries affect the hips and legs, often causing the inability to walk.

Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal injuries are often the result of trauma in accidents victims experience such as:

  • Car accidents
  • Bus accidents
  • Motorcycle accidents
  • Other motor vehicle accidents
  • Falls
  • Construction accidents
  • Dog bite incidents
  • Sports injuries
  • Surgical complications
  • Gunshot wounds

Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injuries

Signs that you or a loved one may be suffering from a spinal cord injury after trauma include:

  • Oddly positioned or twisted back or neck
  • Extreme back pain
  • Pressure in your back, neck, or head
  • Paralysis, weakness, or lack of coordination in any part of your body
  • Difficulty balancing and walking
  • Muscle spasms
  • Numbness, tingling, or loss of sensation in the extremities
  • Loss of bladder or bowel control
  • Loss of or decreased sensation to feel touch, heat, and cold
  • Respiratory problems
  • Changes in sexual function

Costs to Treat Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries may cause victims to experience paralysis and other long-term injuries that require medical treatment and care. Due to the extensive treatments necessary, victims may spend more than $1 million for treatment and care for the rest of their lives.

According to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, the average first year of treatment for tetraplegia can exceed $1 million, while lifetime costs can approach $5 million for someone who has the injury at 25 or $2.6 million for someone who has the injury at 50 years old. The average first-year costs of treatment for paraplegia are about $500,000, with lifetime costs exceeding $2.3 million for a 25-year-old with this condition. An incomplete motor function at any level can result in first-year costs of about $350,000 and lifetime costs of $1.5 million.

Damages in a Spinal Cord Injury Claim

In California catastrophic injury claims such as those for spinal cord injuries in Encino, the word “damages” refers to all of the consequences of the injury to the victim. These include both economic consequences that are tangible and relatively easy to calculate, and non-economic damages that may be more difficult to assign a dollar amount but are often the worst aspects of the injury to the victim’s life. Common damages claimed in California spinal cord injury cases include compensation for the following:

  • Past and current injury-related medical expenses
  • Future medical expenses for the extensive ongoing care and adaptive equipment most spinal cord injury victims require
  • Lost wages and future income loss
  • Loss of earning capacity due to disability
  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional trauma, depression, anxiety, and/or PTSD
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Loss of consortium (the ability to enjoy a full physical and emotional relationship with a loved one and/or the loss of ability to nurture and support children or engage in physical activities with children in the previous manner

When someone else’s actions directly cause a life-altering physical injury, emotional damages almost always accompany the physical damages. While financial compensation for these intangible damages like loss of enjoyment of life cannot repair the harm, it opens doors to the best possible medical care and relieves the financial hardship often associated with catastrophic injuries such as paralysis due to spinal cord injury.

Let The Attorneys of Younglove Law Handle Your Spinal Cord Injury Claim

When another person or business entity causes a life-changing injury, the ability to gain financial compensation for the damages is also an important voice for justice and accountability. Hiring the best spinal cord injury attorney in Encino is a critical first step toward maximizing your recovery. Your spinal cord injury attorney from Younglove Law will provide the most experienced legal counsel and guidance through the process. We keep open lines of communication throughout all proceedings so you’re never kept in the dark about your case. Your spinal cord injury lawyer will spend time getting to know you to learn about all of the impacts of the injury on your life, family, career, and daily routine so they can help you to recover your losses in the best way possible. At Younglove Law, we handle California catastrophic injury claims for our injured clients by doing the following:

  • Carefully calculating the physical and emotional impacts of the injury to maximize the amount of compensation you can recover
  • Providing skilled investigative methods including examining evidence, viewing medical reports, and consulting with medical experts to understand the life-long consequences of the injury before making a comprehensive claim for damages
  • Representing your best interests throughout the negotiation process to obtain the maximum settlement for your damages
  • Arguing aggressively for full compensation in a jury award for damages should your case require a courtroom to secure the compensation your deserve

An experienced lawyer can help you explore all of your legal options to obtain maximum compensation for your claim. Contact the Younglove Law Firm today at (602) 737-3333 to schedule your free case review.