Whether you are injured in a car accident or while at work, navigating the legal system after a spinal cord injury can feel overwhelming. With new physical challenges, medical bills, lost wages, and more on your plate, a lawsuit may be necessary to recover damages. Finding the right lawyer for your unique situation makes all the difference. They should understand spinal cord issues in depth and build a personalized strategy around your needs. This guide covers tips survivors should know when choosing a lawyer to pursue their best interests.
1. Know Their Experience with Spinal Cord Injury Cases
An attorney experienced in handling spinal cord injury legal cases knows this area of law inside-out. They will understand the full scope of damages to seek compensation for, like medical expenses, assistive equipment, home accessibility modifications, rehabilitation, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and more. Importantly, a lawyer with experience litigating these cases can accurately assess the settlement value and build the strongest argument for adequate compensation. Ask questions about their background handling spinal cord injury lawsuits specifically.
2. Verify That They Have Resources to Handle Your Case
Law firms vary widely in size and breadth of resources. Complex spinal cord injury lawsuits often involve substantial medical records to obtain and review, numerous expert witness opinions, vocational assessments, and Life Care Plans to project future costs. Make sure your lawyer has the staff, connections with professionals, and financial capability to thoroughly work up your case.
3. Check if They Specialize in Catastrophic Personal Injury
While spinal cord injury cases fall under the umbrella of personal injury law, you want an attorney who specializes specifically in catastrophic injury litigation. The degree of damages involved makes these cases unique and high stakes. A catastrophic injury specialty ensures your lawyer laser focuses on the complex legal issues stemming from severe, life-altering harm like spinal cord trauma.
4. Find Out How They Involve Clients in the Legal Strategy
As a client, you should actively participate in developing your legal strategy. An effective spinal cord injury lawyer understands no one knows your new reality better than you. They should regularly inform you of case developments, progress, and obstacles and seek your input when major decisions need to be made. You know best what losses have devastated your finances, health, employment, independence, and emotional well-being.
5. Understand Their Fee Structure
Every lawyer charges differently – hourly fee, flat fee, contingency fee based on a percentage of final settlement amount, or combination models. The fee structure impacts how much money you ultimately recover from your case. Contingency fees of 33%-40% are typical for spinal cord injury suits. Understand all payment options and ask your attorney for a clear written fee agreement. Also, clarify what case expenses you may be responsible for upfront versus what they advance on your behalf.
6. Consider the Logistics of Communicating and Meeting
Due to new mobility limitations, logistics play a heightened role when choosing legal counsel after a spinal cord injury. Convenient access to your lawyer matters – consider if they have multiple office locations or remote video conferencing, offer accommodations for wheelchair users, or can travel to you when needed. Furthermore, your lawyer must have capacity amidst their caseload to be responsive. Ask how they prefer to communicate with clients and reasonable response time expectations.
Finding the right lawyer sets the stage for your spinal cord injury lawsuit and ability to recover losses. Lawyers with focused experience litigating these catastrophic cases, ample resources, specialization in this unique niche, collaborative approach with clients, favorable fee options, and strong accessibility and communication practices deliver better representation.
If you’re looking for an experienced team of lawyers who have dealt with spinal cord cases in the past, contact our experts at Cassisi Law Firm.
Pop into our office at 10208 101st Ave Ozone Park, NY 11416.
You can also call now for a free consultation on (718) 441-5050.
