At The Seerden Law Firm, PLLC, we understand just how devastating and frustrating these permanent injuries can be, both for the victim and for the whole family. This is precisely why our firm takes the time to carefully investigate each case, while putting our clients first. After a catastrophic injury, your primary goal is to recover and regain as much independence as possible. With our help, you may be able to recover the monetary compensation you need to do that.
As a board-certified personal injury trial lawyer, Andrew Seerden has more than 20 years of legal experience. He began his career defending corporations and large insurance companies. Today, his talents are solely spent fighting for his fellow Texans. Schedule a free consultation today to speak to our Houston spinal cord injury attorney.
How Our Spinal Injury Lawyers Will Fight for You
When people first come to The Seerden Law Firm, PLLC, they are very often in a state of high stress and emotional turmoil. There’s a lot going on after an injury, from doctors’ appointments to possibly trying to get a car fixed. Whether it’s a car accident, a motorcycle crash, or some other type of accident, when a spinal cord injury is involved, people are under a lot of stress.
Therefore, our law firm works to keep things simple and straightforward for clients. The less you have to worry about, the better. With this in mind, here is a simple outline of what you can likely expect when you hire our Houston spinal cord injury lawyer:
- A Thorough and Compassionate Initial Consultation. Many people think a “free consultation” is a sales pitch, so they avoid it. But that’s the wrong way to look at it. Think of a free consultation as an opportunity to give your lawyer a trial run. At our firm, we take the chance to get to know our clients a bit better. We ask important questions about the injury, how it happened, and immediately begin formulating a strategy for success. The earlier you come to us, the better. But even if it has been a while, you can still come by and check to see if we can help. During this appointment, you will begin receiving legal advice to help you plan your next steps.
- In-Depth Investigations. When you have suffered a spinal cord injury, you really need a lawyer who will go the extra step to win. This often means:
- Going out in the field for an on-site investigation
- Interviewing witnesses
- Gathering photo and video evidence
- Talking to police and emergency crews
- Hiring private investigators
- Much more
- Expert Analysis and Review. Once we have the evidence, we carefully begin to review everything, looking for the keys to the case that will make your recovery much more significant. This often means consulting with trained medical experts, forensic engineers, and spinal cord experts, all of whom will help to bring expertise and individual attention to your case.
- Aggressive Negotiations. When it comes to negotiating with an insurance company, you can greatly benefit from working with a former insurance attorney who knows their methods and strategies from the inside. Having worked on the defense side for a number of years, Andrew Seerden understands exactly what it takes to move an insurance company or defense attorney to offer a fair and reasonable spinal cord injury settlement.
- Respected Trial Experience. Ultimately, insurance companies don’t care much about a lot of things. They have plenty of money, and they aren’t really afraid of lawyers. What they do fear is a severe injury, an honest and sympathetic victim, and a lawyer who knows exactly how to present that information to a jury. After all, that’s exactly how large jury verdicts are born.
Compensation for Victims of Severe Back and Neck Injuries
After a serious spinal cord injury accident in Houston, you may be entitled to a wide range of compensation. Sadly, a lot of people don’t really understand what compensation is available or what it means.
Our dedicated personal injury attorneys will carefully document all the economic and non-economic damages you have suffered as a result of your back injury. We will demand maximum compensation for:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of intimacy and consortium
- Loss of a normal life
- Loss of income and future earning potential
- Disfigurement and disability
- Medical expenses
- Future anticipated medical bills and expenses
- Adaptive housing and equipment costs
There is even additional compensation potentially available to a spouse, parent, or adult child who may need to perform assistance with activities of daily living as a regular family caregiver. After a spinal cord injury, many people have found themselves having to quit jobs, move in with family, and even leave high-paying careers to provide daily assistance to a loved one who is now incapacitated in some way. If this sounds familiar, then you may be able to claim additional compensation for these sacrifices as well.
Common Causes of Back Injuries in Houston
The spinal cord is the primary communication center for your brain to send messages to the rest of your body. Once damaged, it can sever those communications to the lower branches of your body. Common causes of a spinal cord injury include:
Spinal Cord Injury Symptoms
Once the spinal cord is damaged, there are two general classifications of the injury: complete and incomplete.
- Complete Spinal Cord Injury. A complete spinal cord injury occurs when there is a total loss of sensation and function at and below the point of the damage. Much like a telecommunications line, if cut, there will be no communication past that point. Patients who have complete injuries are generally confined to a wheelchair, may lose the ability to use the restroom on their own, or may even require assistance with bathing, feeding and other functions. In severe cases where the injury is high in the spine, there can even be a lack of respiratory function, requiring a breathing apparatus.
- Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury. Incomplete injuries are still very much severe and life-altering; however, many patients may retain some sensation or even partial mobility. Depending on the severity of the damage and where the damage is located, some patients may regain the ability to move their legs or in some cases even walk with assistance.
No two spinal cord injuries are the same. One person may be paralyzed for life, while another could potentially walk after therapy and rehabilitation. It all depends on where the injury is located and how badly the damage impacts the spinal cord.
Treatment and Rehabilitation for Spinal Cord Injuries
There are generally just a few types of treatments for a spinal cord injury: surgery, rehabilitation/physical therapy, and medication.
- Surgery. There are aggressive new forms of surgery that are designed to help people with paralysis and other conditions stemming from a spinal cord injury regain the ability to move legs, have sensation in extremities, and even gain the ability to self-ambulate. However, these surgeries are generally only recommended in limited situations. A severe or complete spinal cord injury is rarely capable of being entirely fixed with surgery.
- Physical Therapy / Rehabilitation. Physical therapy is almost always a significant part of the recovery process. By pushing a person to regain muscle strength and stamina, it can help a person to regain more autonomy and overcome some of the challenges associated with a spinal cord injury. Of course, this is not a “cure” but rather a treatment.
- Medication. In many cases, pain medication and other drug treatments may be the only option. These can control tingling sensations, cramps, and other painful stimulus that come from a spinal cord injury.
- Mental Health. While not technically a treatment for spinal cord injuries, it should be noted that mental health and psychiatric services play a key role in the recovery as well. Losing the ability to walk or even have sensation in lower extremities can be an enormous emotional hurdle. Victims often go through complex stages of grief and battle with feelings of anger, resentment, and even suicidal ideation. They may lash out at caregivers, family, and anyone else who comes near. Thus, it is crucial to have a support team in place, which includes trained counselors who can offer guidance.
Contact Our Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys in Houston
After a traumatic injury, it can be difficult to think about talking to a lawyer, but ideally speaking to a trusted attorney should give you and your family hope and a clear path to better days.
At The Seerden Law Firm, PLLC, we look forward to helping you and your family through your recovery and fighting for the monetary compensation that you deserve. The consultation is free, and we only take a fee if we succeed in getting you compensation. Contact us today.
