Spinal cord injuries can be traumatic on both a physical and an emotional level. You may need to get used to a whole new way of life and be unable to keep your current job or even work at all. Simple everyday tasks could become monumental chores, and your relationships and self-image may both change for the worse. Our paralysis injury attorneys in St. Petersburg can help you navigate the legal system and pursue compensation for your losses.
Although we cannot change what has happened, our legal team can help you fight for the funds you need to pay for medical bills and other damages. We offer free case evaluations.
What Kinds of Compensation Can a Paralysis Injury Attorney in St. Petersburg Help Me Seek?
Most of the changes that people who suffer a paralysis injury go through have a financial toll as well as a physical or emotional toll. Our attorneys have seen this firsthand. When the injury involves the actions of another person, Florida law allows a way for the victim to seek compensation for their damages through a civil lawsuit.
Both economic and non-economic damages can be awarded in such a lawsuit. Economic damages are damages that can be calculated, such as lost wages or medical expenses. Non-economic damages include ones that are difficult to put a price tag on such as pain and suffering or loss of companionship.
- Lost wages
- Lost earning ability
- Medical expenses
- Future medical and care expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship
However, each paralysis injury case is unique. By speaking with a knowledgeable St. Petersburg paralysis injury attorney, potential plaintiffs can begin to understand what types of compensation they may be entitled to under the law.
Pure Comparative Fault in Florida
In some paralysis injury cases, there is more than one party at fault, and sometimes even the plaintiff can be assigned partial fault themselves. Under Florida Statutes §768.81(2), the jury may identify a specific percentage of fault that a plaintiff bears for their own injuries.
This percentage would then be deducted from their award. For example, if the plaintiff was speeding at the time of an auto accident that caused their injuries, the jury may decide they were 20 percent liable and hold the defendant liable for only 80 percent of the plaintiff’s total damages.
Plaintiffs should also understand that the comparative fault concept would apply during any settlement negotiations. As such, the plaintiff’s own actions may be used as bargaining chip by the defendant to decrease the amount that the case is settled for. Plaintiffs who believe they may be partially responsible for their own injuries should speak to a qualified paralysis injury lawyer in St. Petersburg about how their cases may be handled.
Get Professional Help from a Paralysis Injury Lawyer
If you suffered damage to the spine at the hands of another person, you may have a lot of concerns to deal with. An experienced and compassionate St. Petersburg paralysis injury lawyer may be able to help with some of them and take the burden off you in the short term by providing the representation you deserve.
In the long term, an attorney could work to pursue fair compensation on your behalf for all the damages you have suffered. Call today to schedule your free consultation and find out more about the financial recovery you may be entitled to.
