Spinal cord injuries are often severe and can significantly limit your ability to move around, perform work duties, and enjoy other routine activities. If you suffered a spinal cord injury because of another party’s negligence, you could be entitled to hold them accountable by seeking compensation from them. To bring a legitimate claim against the person or entity that caused your injuries, you must be able to successfully prove your case.
Let’s take a look at five ways to prove your spinal cord injury.
Stay Organized
Suffering a spinal cord injury can throw your life into chaos. In the aftermath of this catastrophic event, it can be difficult to stay on top of medical appointments, and to keep your medical records and bills organized. But organization is essential to building a strong claim.
In the evidence gathering period, you will need to supply your attorney with detailed medical records. One way to make this easier is to compile all your medical providers’ names and phone numbers into one clearly-labeled computer file or notebook. This will also be a good place to record passwords for accessing online health portals.
If you are unable to do the work yourself, you should consider asking a friend or family member to help you log all of this information. Your attorney will also have the resources to help you get copies of your medical records and gather the documentation you need to prove your case.
Keep Your Medical Appointments
Beyond the obvious medical benefit of attending your scheduled doctor appointments, you will also create a convincing paper trail that can be used to prove your injury by following your doctor’s orders. Following through with all recommended treatment shows the insurance company that your injury is truly severe and that you are taking it seriously. Make your medical treatment a priority.
Be Open with Your Treating Physician
Don’t withhold details about any of the symptoms you are experiencing. Some of these symptoms, like the loss of movement or paralysis, may be obvious. Other symptoms, however, might not appear right away. Some may develop over a long period of time. These symptoms could include spasms, reduced muscle tone, changes in sexual function, and lower bone density. Depression is also a symptom that many people with spinal cord injuries suffer from.
Even if you are unsure if your symptoms are related to your spinal cord injury, it is crucial that you disclose everything you’re experiencing to your doctor. You should also be transparent about any preexisting medical conditions that you have. Detailed medical records can be used as proof of your medical costs and can strengthen your claim.
Know the Statute of Limitations for Your Case
You only have a certain amount of time to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. If you have been in a car crash in California, you must generally file a personal injury lawsuit within two years of the date the accident occurred. Your attorney can help you understand the legal deadlines related to your case.
Hire an Experienced Spinal Cord Injury Attorney
You will significantly improve your chances of success by hiring an attorney with extensive experience handling spinal cord injury cases. A skilled legal professional like the attorneys at [insert firm name] can accurately assess your economic and non-economic damages. Once you have a solid estimate of the value of your claim, you’ll have a starting point for settlement negotiations.
You need a lawyer who will move quickly to gather and preserve evidence for your case. Your attorney may present evidence such as hospital bills, medical documentation, and expert witnesses to bolster your claim. Expert witnesses are often asked to analyze crash models, medical records, and other matters. Their field of expertise might be in medicine, accident reconstruction, or another relevant area. Expert witnesses are often called upon to conclusively answer questions related to liability, the seriousness of a specific injury, and other issues.
It is the job of insurance company adjusters to look for any reason at all to downplay or minimize the severity of your injuries. Their unstated goal is to protect the insurance company’s bottom line. They do this by reducing or denying coverage anytime they can find an excuse to. A knowledgeable San Diego spinal cord injury attorney will know how to circumvent any tactics the insurance company uses to mitigate their losses. At Jurewitz Law Group Injury & Accident Lawyers, we will handle settlement negotiations for you, and we won’t hesitate to take your case to court if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair amount.
Contact a San Diego Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Now
Our many years of experience at [firm–name] have been key to obtaining justice for our clients. We will fight for your right to be compensated for your injuries so that you can move on with your life. Call our San Diego spinal cord injury attorneys at [phone–number] to schedule a free consultation with our office.
