Spinal Cord Injury Attorney Miami

Trustworthy & Transparent Service Throughout Florida

Catastrophic injuries like spinal cord injuries are more common than you’d think. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, there are currently over 290,000 individuals who are living with spinal cord injuries in the United States. Flanagan & Bodenheimer Injury & Wrongful Death Law Firm has handled a number of claims for individuals who have injured their spinal cords in accidents and can provide transparent, trusted legal service.

Spinal cord injuries are often permanent and include paralysis, and the costs involved with adapting to this new way of life are astronomical. Hiring a personal injury attorney is the safest and surest way of recovering the maximum amount of compensation that is available to you under Florida law. Our Miami spinal cord injury lawyers have recovered millions and are prepared to provide counsel in your free consultation. We genuinely care about your well-being and can help you outline your next steps, whether we take on your case or not.

Contact us to schedule a free case evaluation online or by phone at (305) 638-4143. We can conduct our services in English and Spanish.

Table of Contents

• About the Spinal Cord
• Types of Paralysis
• Common Spinal Cord and Paralysis Injury Causes
• Damages from Spinal Cord Injury Cases
• Miami Spinal Cord & Paralysis Injury Attorney

About the Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is one of the most important parts of your body because it’s responsible for carrying incoming and outgoing messages between the brain and the rest of your body, allowing you to walk, swing your arms, and activate your reflexes. The spinal cord is a long structure that extends from the end of the brain stem down to the bottom of the spine and consists of fragile nerve endings that are protected by the vertebrae, or 33 back bones that act as cushions.

Though your vertebrae are tough, a sudden jolt or traumatic blow to your spinal cord in an accident can easily fracture your vertebrae or dislocated them to expose and damage your nerves. Once your nerves are damaged, they can’t regenerate, which is why so many spinal cord injuries lead to permanent paralysis and prevent you from using certain parts of your body.

Types of Paralysis

In the realm of personal injury law as well as the medical field, spinal cord injuries are classified as tetraplegia or paraplegia. Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, occurs when your spinal cord is injured in the neck area, resulting in the loss of use and feeling in your body below the neck, which includes both your arms and legs. Paraplegia is an injury impacting your spinal cord below the neck, resulting in the loss of use and sensation in your lower body, including your legs and trunk region.

Spinal cord injuries are also classified as either complete or partial, depending on the damage. These are defined below:

• Complete: There is a complete loss of movement or sensation below the point of injury, and both sides of the body are impacted.
• Partial: There is some feeling and movement ability below the point of injury on the spinal cord, and there may be an ability to move one limb more than the other.

Understanding the severe implications and complexities associated with paralysis injuries is crucial for individuals in Miami who have experienced such traumas. If your injury is the result of negligence, it is critical to seek legal guidance from a paralysis injury lawyer who specializes in these types of cases. Our attorneys possess the expertise and knowledge necessary to navigate the intricacies of paralysis injury cases, ensuring that the rights of the affected individuals are protected.

Spinal Cord Injury Causes

Spinal cord injuries are more commonly associated with car accidents and slip and fall accidents. In a car crash, your spinal cord can be struck and your vertebrae fractured when you’re thrown from your vehicle, or when your vehicle rolls over and crushes you. Slip and falls can easily shatter your vertebrae when you fall from heights or land on your back. If you suspect you have a spinal cord injury, it’s crucial that you remain still and don’t attempt to move until you receive medical attention—have a witness or someone nearby call 911 for you.

The occurrence of paralysis is primarily associated with traumatic injuries to the spinal cord, often resulting from car accidents, falls, medical errors during surgeries or other procedures, sports-related accidents, and acts of violence. In many of these cases, negligence emerges as a key element contributing to the injuries, particularly in situations involving accidents, falls, surgical errors, and instances of medical malpractice.

Some of the common causes for spinal cord and paralysis injuries include:

• Crime & Negligent Security: Assaults, stabbings, and shootings often result in spinal cord injuries, causing nerve damage, hemi-paresis, or paralysis. In cases where these crimes occur on commercial premises, property owners and managers can be held legally responsible for the significant and lifelong injuries sustained by the victims. This applies to various settings, such as malls, banks, bars, clubs, stadiums, apartment buildings, residential developments, schools, educational campuses, and others.
• Falls: Slip and falls from heights, such as on stairs, ladders, or uneven surfaces, can result in spinal cord injuries, especially when the impact is substantial. In accordance with the laws of Florida, property owners and managers bear a legal responsibility to ensure that their premises are maintained in a reasonably safe state for guests, customers, and other lawful visitors. Regrettably, there are instances where some owners and managers fail to fulfill this duty, leading to the creation of hazardous conditions.
• Car Accidents: Car accidents stand as the primary cause of spinal cord injuries in the United States according to the World Health Organization.
• Motorcycle Accidents: Motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable in accidents, and collisions involving motorcycles can often result in spinal cord injuries due to the lack of protective barriers.
• Bicycle Accidents: Collisions involving bicycles and motor vehicles can result in severe spinal cord injuries, especially when the cyclist is struck by a car or experiences a high-impact fall. The vulnerability of cyclists on the road makes them particularly susceptible to spinal cord damage.
• Pedestrian Accidents: Pedestrians are at a heightened risk of sustaining spinal cord injuries when struck by motor vehicles. The impact of such accidents can be catastrophic, leading to long-term consequences for the individual’s mobility and overall quality of life.
• Truck Accidents: Accidents involving commercial trucks, due to their size and weight, can have devastating effects on the human body. Collisions with trucks can result in severe spinal cord injuries, often causing significant impairment or paralysis.
• Workplace Accidents: Injuries sustained in the workplace, such as falls from heights, being struck by falling objects, or accidents involving heavy machinery, can lead to spinal cord injuries and paralysis. Industries such as construction, manufacturing, and transportation pose inherent risks.
• Sports and Recreation Accidents: Engaging in sports or recreational activities carries a risk of spinal cord injuries, particularly in high-impact or contact sports such as football, rugby, or gymnastics.
• Being Struck by Objects: Accidents involving being struck by heavy objects or falling debris can cause severe spinal cord injuries, resulting in life-altering consequences.
• Construction Accidents: The construction industry presents inherent risks, and accidents at construction sites, such as falls from scaffolding or being struck by machinery, can lead to spinal cord injuries.
• Surgical Errors & Medical Malpractice: Surgical errors can lead to spinal cord injuries and subsequent paralysis. When a nerve is mistakenly cut or severed during a surgical procedure, it can result in permanent nerve damage, hemi-paresis (paralysis affecting one side of the body), paraplegia (paralysis of the lower limbs), or quadriplegia (paralysis of all four limbs). These injuries represent particularly severe cases of medical negligence. In the state of Florida, if doctors fail to uphold the standard of care expected from a reasonably competent medical professional in the same specialty, and as a result, a patient suffers significant injury or wrongful death, they can be held legally accountable for the harm inflicted upon their patients.

Damages Our Lawyers Can Recover for You

Spinal cord injuries are catastrophic because they almost always transform a person’s life. A person who may be used to taking daily jogs, playing with their kids, or performing manual labor at work can suddenly no longer do any of those things when they’re paralyzed from the neck or waist down. They may even experience difficulty pouring themselves a glass of water.

With that said, there will likely be major costs involved with treating your injuries and adapting to your new way of life. These costs quickly add up to hundreds of thousands—and even millions—of dollars. Having an experienced and professional spinal cord injury representing you and holding the at-fault party accountable is important.

Our lawyers have experience gathering evidence, calculating damages, and ensuring that negligent drivers, property owners, and other parties don’t get away with the harm they’ve caused. Our dedication and transparency have allowed us to recover the following damages for clients:

• Medical bills, including ambulance rides, surgery, and hospitalization
• Other costs of care, such as an at-home nurse and physical therapy
• Lost wages and income
• Diminished earning capacity
• Disability
• Medical equipment
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of quality of life

Contact Our Miami Spinal Cord & Paralysis Injury Attorneys

We understand how stressful this time may be and have the capacity to stand by your side throughout your case. Other firms are too busy juggling cases to give clients the attention they deserve, but our firm’s small caseload allows us to provide you with personalized service and accessibility. When you join us, you’ll be meeting directly with one of our lawyers to get unparalleled service and helpful feedback that can put your mind at ease.

At Flanagan & Bodenheimer Injury and Wrongful Death Law Firm, our Miami spinal cord injury lawyers specialize in advocating for those who have suffered life-altering injuries. If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury or paralysis after an accident, our attorneys are here to navigate the complex legal landscape on your behalf, allowing you to focus on your recovery.

Our team of Miami personal injury lawyers is dedicated to serving the residents of South Florida across a wide range of neighborhoods and communities. We are committed to providing exceptional legal representation to individuals in areas including Coral Gables, South Miami, Homestead, Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Miami Beach, Kendall, Brickell, Downtown Miami, North Miami Beach, Aventura, Miami Gardens, Sunny Isles, Cutler Bay, Miami Shores, Edgewater, Midtown, Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach. 

Our lawyers have recovered millions for injured clients and have earned selective inclusion in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Get started on your claim today by calling our Miami spinal cord injury attorneys at (305) 638-4143.