Helping You Obtain Compensation for Your Spinal Cord Injuries in Daytona, FL
After a spinal cord injury, you’re dealing with mounting medical bills, lost income, and the anguish of adapting to a new way of life. If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury due to someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing in Daytona, Florida, you may feel overwhelmed, angry, and unsure where to turn for help.
At Steven A. Bagen & Associates, P.A., we understand the immense physical, emotional, and financial toll a spinal cord injury takes on victims and their families.
Our compassionate and experienced Daytona spinal cord injury lawyers are here to fight for the full and fair compensation you need and deserve to move forward with your life. You should not have to bear the burden of someone else’s mistake.
Let us serve as your advocates and allies during this challenging time as we work tirelessly to hold the responsible parties accountable and secure the resources and support to aid in your recovery and improve your quality of life.
How Our Daytona Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers Can Help You Get Compensation
Pursuing compensation for a spinal cord injury is a complex and daunting process, especially when you are already dealing with so much pain and hardship. Insurance companies are not on your side and will try to settle quickly for the lowest amount possible.
At Steven A. Bagen & Associates, P.A., our dedicated Daytona personal injury attorneys level the playing field and fight for maximum compensation.
We will handle every aspect of your case, including:
- Thoroughly investigating the injury-causing event to gather evidence and determine liability
- Identifying all potential sources of compensation, such as insurance policies
- Consulting with medical experts and life care planners to fully assess your damages
- Negotiating aggressively with insurance companies for a full and fair settlement
- Filing a lawsuit and advocating for you in court if the other party refuses to negotiate a fair settlement
- Exploring options to get you the medical care and accommodations you need now
Our goal is to take the legal burdens off your shoulders so you can focus on your health and rebuilding your life. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing upfront and no fees at all unless we recover compensation for you.
What Compensation Can You Get?
Spinal cord injuries often require extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation, and lifelong care and accommodations. Securing full and fair compensation is critical to ensuring access to the services and support you need, both now and in the future.
While money can’t undo the trauma you have suffered, it can provide crucial resources and a measure of justice.
Depending on your case, compensation may include:
- Past, current, and future medical expenses
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish and emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Home and vehicle modifications for accessibility
- Medications, medical equipment, and ongoing care costs
- Assistive technologies and adaptive devices
In cases of gross negligence or intentional harm, punitive damages may go beyond compensating the victim to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar egregious conduct.
Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries in Daytona, FL
Many different types of accidents and incidents can lead to spinal cord injuries.
Some of the most common causes we see at Steven A. Bagen & Associates, P.A. include:
- Motor Vehicle Accidents: Car, truck, and motorcycle crashes are a leading cause of spinal cord injuries. The tremendous forces involved in collisions can cause vertebral fractures, dislocations, or severing of the spinal cord.
- Slip and Falls: Spinal cord damage can occur if someone lands on their head or neck after slipping and falling due to hazardous conditions on someone else’s property, such as slick floors, uneven pavement, or lack of railings.
- Sports and Recreation Accidents: High-impact and high-risk activities like diving, surfing, football, gymnastics, and horseback riding pose risks of spine and neck injuries.
- Acts of Violence: Sadly, violent acts like gunshots, stabbings, or physical assaults can result in spinal cord injuries.
- Medical Malpractice: Surgical errors, misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, improper treatment, and medication mistakes can directly injure the spinal cord or lead to complications like paralysis.
- Workplace Accidents: On-the-job incidents like falls from heights, getting struck by equipment, and motor vehicle accidents can cause spinal cord damage.
- Defective Products: Faulty products such as malfunctioning machinery, safety equipment, medical devices, and dangerous drugs can cause or contribute to spinal cord injuries.
If you suspect that negligence played a role in your or your loved one’s spinal cord injury, reach out to our knowledgeable attorneys. We will review your case for free and advise you of your legal options.
How to Hold Someone Liable for Your Spinal Cord Injury
Holding someone legally responsible for your spinal cord injury and related losses is essential to getting the compensation you need and deserve. Liability hinges on proving that the other party, be it a person, business, or other entity, acted negligently and that this negligence directly caused your injury.
Negligence generally means failing to act with the level of care that someone of ordinary prudence would have exercised under the same circumstances.
To prove negligence, we must show:
- The defendant owed you a duty of care
- The defendant breached this duty
- This breach caused your injury
- You suffered actual damages as a result
For example, all drivers have a duty to obey traffic laws and drive carefully to avoid harming others. If a driver is texting, runs a red light, and crashes into your vehicle, causing you to suffer a spinal cord injury, that driver may be liable.
Similarly, business and property owners have a duty to maintain safe premises and warn of any hazards that could injure guests and customers. If you suffer a serious fall because a store failed to clean up or rope off a spill, the business may be responsible.
In some cases, multiple parties may share liability. For instance, you could hold both a motorist and the manufacturer of a faulty seatbelt at fault for a spinal cord injury from a crash.
Our attorneys will thoroughly investigate your case to identify all potentially liable parties and sources of compensation.
What’s the Spinal Cord Injury Claims Process in Daytona?
The claims process after a spinal cord injury in Daytona generally involves:
- Getting Medical Care: Seek medical attention immediately and follow all treatment recommendations. Seeing a doctor right away is critical to your health and your claim, as it documents your injuries and connects them to the accident or incident.
- Reporting the Incident: Depending on what caused your injury, you may need to report it to the relevant authorities or parties. For example, call the police to the scene of a car accident, report a slip and fall to the business owner, and notify your employer of a workplace injury.
- Gathering Evidence: To the extent you are able, collect evidence from the scene, like photos, videos, and witness names and contact information. Keep copies of medical records, bills, and correspondence with insurance companies. Your lawyer will also investigate and gather additional evidence to build your case.
- Filing an Insurance Claim: You will typically start by filing a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company. Be cautious in your communication and don’t give a recorded statement or accept an early settlement without consulting an attorney. In fact, it’s best to contact an attorney as soon as you can and have them file your claim for you and deal with the insurance company on your behalf.
- Negotiating a Settlement: Your lawyer will aggressively negotiate for maximum compensation, presenting evidence of liability and damages. If the insurance company refuses to make a fair offer, filing an injury lawsuit may be necessary.
- Litigating Your Case: If your case goes to trial, your attorney will present your case in court and a judge or jury will decide the outcome. Many cases settle before reaching this stage. Your involvement will be minimal, as your lawyer will handle the process and advise you along the way.
Our lawyers can ensure you can pay for the medical care you need and properly document the incident that caused your spinal cord injury. We can also handle all aspects of the claims process for you so you can focus on getting better.
How Long Do I Have to Pursue Compensation in Florida?
In Florida, the statute of limitations for most personal injury cases, including those involving spinal cord injuries, is two years from the date of the injury.
If you fail to file a lawsuit within the applicable deadline, you will be barred from recovering any compensation for your injury and losses. These time limits are strict and unforgiving, so speak with an experienced attorney as soon as possible to protect your rights and preserve your ability to pursue legal action.
Spinal Cord Injury Statistics in Florida
Spinal cord injuries are a significant public health issue in Florida and across the United States:
- Approximately 18,000 new spinal cord injuries occur each year in the U.S.
- There are currently around 288,000 people living with spinal cord injuries nationwide.
- Florida has the third-highest number of spinal cord injuries of any state.
- The leading causes are motor vehicle accidents (38%), falls (32%), violence (14%), sports and recreation accidents (8%), medical/surgical incidents (4.6%), and other causes (3.5%).
- The average age at injury is 43 years old.
- The estimated lifetime costs range from $1.2 million to $5.1 million, depending on severity.
These statistics highlight the prevalence and high costs of spinal cord injuries. While no amount of money can reverse the damage, securing fair compensation can provide vital support and resources to improve quality of life and ease the financial burden of ongoing care and treatment.
Why Work with Steven A. Bagen & Associates, P.A.
Rebuilding your life after a spinal cord injury is a long and challenging journey, but you do not have to face it alone. At Steven A. Bagen & Associates, P.A., we are dedicated to providing compassionate, personalized representation to spinal cord injury victims and their families in Daytona and throughout Florida.
Our team of skilled attorneys has over 100 years of combined experience standing up for the injured against corporations and insurance companies that put profits over people.
We have the knowledge, resources, and tenacity to aggressively pursue the full compensation you need and deserve.
Some of the benefits of working with our firm include:
- Free, no-obligation case evaluations
- Contingency fee representation – no upfront costs and no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you
- Extensive experience with complex spinal cord injury cases
- Access to expert medical professionals and specialists to strengthen your claim
- Individualized attention and responsive communication
- Tireless advocacy for your rights and best interests
We understand the immense trust you place in us during this difficult time, and we will work tirelessly to seek justice and accountability on your behalf.
Daytona Spinal Cord Injury Frequently Asked Questions
The value of your case depends on factors such as the severity of your injury, the extent of your damages, and the available insurance coverage. While we cannot guarantee a specific outcome, we will fight for every dollar you are entitled to.
In most cases, yes. Under Florida’s comparative negligence rule, you can still recover damages even if you are found partly to blame, but your award will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
Not necessarily. Many cases are resolved through out-of-court settlements. If a fair agreement cannot be reached, however, we are fully prepared to take your case to trial.
We can explore options such as med pay insurance coverage, liens against your settlement, and deferred billing to get you the care you need right away. We will also work efficiently to resolve your case as quickly as possible.
The timeline depends on the complexity of your case and whether it settles or goes to trial. While we know you need compensation as soon as possible, we will not rush to a resolution at the expense of achieving the best possible outcome for you. Straightforward cases may resolve in a few months, while more complicated ones can take several years.
Contact an Experienced Daytona Spinal Cord Injury Attorney Today
If you or someone you love has suffered a spinal cord injury due to someone else’s negligence in Daytona, Florida, the skilled and compassionate attorneys at Steven A. Bagen & Associates, P.A. are here to help.
Contact us today at (386) 703-1177 for your free, no-obligation consultation and case evaluation. We will listen to your story with empathy, explain your rights and options, and fight tirelessly for the justice and compensation you deserve. Remember, you have a limited time to take legal action, so don’t delay.
Daytona, Florida Office Location
Steven A. Bagen & Associates, P.A.
Address: 128 Orange Ave, Suite 227
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Phone: (386) 703-1177