The spinal cord—which is a collection of nerves running through the center of the spine’s vertebrae—is one of the most important and one of the most sensitive parts of the body. Because it connects the brain to the rest of the central nervous system, it allows you to move and feel sensations from head to toe. If it gets damaged, it cannot heal on its own like other body parts, which is why it could result in permanent paralysis.

These injuries are usually serious enough to justify legal action if it came directly from another person’s negligence or from an accident at work – especially in the maritime industry, which is common in the Bayou area. However, getting a positive result will be difficult without a skilled catastrophic injury attorney. Fortunately, the Patrick Yancey Law Firm has a Houma spinal cord injury lawyer with a long track record of case success.

Different Types of Spinal Cord Injuries

Nearly every spinal cord injury is potentially life-changing, but the seriousness of the injury will usually determine how much money the case might be worth. The more that the injury affects your regular life, the more damages you may be able to recover.

For example, someone who suffers an injury to the lower part of their spinal cord may experience paraplegia (paralysis below the waist) as a result, which may change the kind of work they can do, but usually does not prevent them from working permanently. On the other hand, someone who becomes quadriplegic (paralyzed below the neck) because of an injury higher up the spinal cord may need to recover for a lifetime’s worth of lost wages. Our Houma attorney can provide all legal assistance necessary to file a proper spinal cord injury claim.

Proving Fault for Spinal Cord Damage

Another thing a legal professional can help with during a spinal cord injury lawsuit is gathering, preserving, and making good use of all available evidence that identifies who was at fault. No matter how bad an injury is or what caused it, failure to prove someone was at fault will mean you cannot recover any money for your losses. Important evidence needed to support an injury claim can include, but is not strictly limited to:

  • Testimony from witnesses to the accident
  • Footage from surveillance and/or dashboard cameras of the accident
  • Photos of the accident scene
  • Police accident reports, if the injury was caused by a traffic collision
  • Medical records detailing how bad the injury is and what treatment the injured person has already received

You should contact a spinal cord injury lawyer in Houma as soon as possible to make sure this evidence is still accessible and has not been lost or destroyed.

Consider Working with a Houma Spinal Cord Injury Attorney

Spine trauma is one of the most harmful outcomes from a motor vehicle crash, a slip and fall, or major machinery malfunction. While money alone cannot overcome any disability you experience, it can still improve your overall quality of life and stabilize your personal finances in the aftermath of your accident.

Assistance from a Houma spinal cord injury lawyer will make it much easier for you to get paid what you deserve. Learn more by calling the Patrick Yancey Law Firm today and setting up a free consultation.