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Buffalo Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
No one works harder for Buffalo accident victims living with spinal cord injuries
According to the New York State Department of Health, approximately 1,100 New Yorkers suffer traumatic spinal cord injuries every year. Spinal cord injuries can be incredibly serious and have the potential to fundamentally alter a person’s life. While every case is different, our team has seen firsthand just how catastrophic these injuries can be and how profoundly they can affect a person’s functioning and future in the blink of an eye.
We commonly encounter spinal cord injuries in car and truck accident cases, as well as in personal injury claims involving falls and recreation-related accidents. When another person’s negligence causes an accident that results in someone suffering a spinal cord injury, there may be legal options available to help the injured party pay for their medical care and other losses. Not every spinal cord injury has legal implications, of course, but those that do may serve as the basis for significant claims for compensation.
At O’Brien & Ford, PC, we represent spinal cord injury survivors who were harmed by someone else’s negligence. Because these injuries can be catastrophic in nature, we think it’s particularly important for survivors and their loved ones to gain a clear understanding of the legal options that may be available to them.
If you or someone you care about suffered a spinal cord injury in a traumatic accident and you think another party’s negligence may have been to blame, we would love to talk you through possible next steps for helping you get justice. Contact us today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a member of our team. We are standing by to listen to your story and handle your case with the care and consideration you deserve.
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More than $100 million recovered in verdicts and settlements for those injured in New York.
What is a spinal cord injury?
The term “spinal cord injury” generally refers to an injury that involves damage to any part of the spinal cord. On a day-to-day basis, most of us don’t even think about the important role our spinal cord plays in helping us complete basic life tasks. If we zoom in a little, however, we’ll find that the spinal cord is responsible for sending messages from the brain to other parts of the body. If this system doesn’t work properly, our muscles, nerves, organs and other body parts may not be able to function appropriately.
When the spinal cord is damaged in some way, the resulting injury is referred to as a spinal cord injury or SCI and may trigger symptoms like:
- Tingling or loss of sensation
- Full or partial paralysis
- Muscle spasms
- Changes in reflexes
- Respiratory problems
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Severe or chronic pain
- Loss of coordination or balance
- Reduced muscle control
Spinal cord injuries tend to range widely in severity depending on where the injury occurred and how extensive the damage was. Medical professionals commonly classify SCIs as either “complete” or “incomplete” based on their impact on the patient’s motor function and level of sensation.
Complete injuries often result in a total loss of feeling and control below the location of the injury. Incomplete injuries may leave survivors with some feeling and muscle control, but the effects of these injuries can vary significantly from patient to patient.
More severe injuries tend to require intensive medical treatment, and some survivors may need mobility aids, accommodations or even round-the-clock medical care for the rest of their lives. These catastrophic injuries often come at a particularly high financial cost in addition to the pervasive personal effects associated with suddenly becoming paralyzed or dependent on others for your basic care needs.
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What Our Clients Say About Us
“I cannot say enough good things about Chris Pannozzo and this law firm! From start to finish, the professionalism, communication, and dedication was exceptional. I always felt supported, comfortable, listened to, and confident that I was in good hands. My case was handled with the utmost care and attention, and I couldn’t be happier with the way everything was resolved. I would highly recommend the firm to anyone.”
“The professionalism I received from the entire staff was great. Christopher Pannozzo, Annat and John worked tirelessly to get me the justice I deserve. Even Patrice the receptionist was professional and always a joy to talk to. Thank you guys for the hard work and taking my case.”
“I highly recommend O'Brien & Ford, P.C. to anyone who has been injured and needs someone they can trust. I’m extremely thankful for everything Anant and his team did for me and for the way I was treated throughout the entire process. They were professional, knowledgeable, and always took the time to explain things clearly and answer my questions. I would highly recommend this law firm.”
Common causes of Buffalo spinal cord injuries
Trauma is one of the leading causes of spinal cord injuries. This trauma can be direct (like a hard fall) or indirect (like a sudden jolt in a car accident). Many different accident scenarios could result in a victim suffering a spinal cord injury, but our team commonly handles cases involving:
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle crashes
- Truck rollover accidents
- Pedestrian and bicycle crashes
- Diving-related accidents
- Trampoline incidents
- Falls from significant heights
- Construction and machinery-related accidents
- Violent assaults
Some of these accident scenarios may be unavoidable or lack any meaningful legal implications. For example, if you slipped on a patch of ice on your own driveway and suffered a spinal cord injury, you may not have much recourse available to you in terms of holding someone else legally accountable.
If, however, your injury can be traced back to another party’s negligence in some way, you may be within your rights to pursue a claim for compensation against the alleged at-fault party. Our team conducts thorough investigations into our clients’ claims in order to assess whether there is a viable path forward for them under New York law.
Who can be held liable for a spinal cord injury?
In a negligence claim, before you can hold someone else legally accountable for your spinal cord injury, you have to be able to show that they owed you a legal duty of care, violated that duty and proximately caused your harm. For example, if your spinal cord injury happened in a car accident, you’d have to be able to show that the other involved driver caused the accident by violating a traffic law or failing to exercise reasonable care for the safety of others.
Some cases involve multiple liable parties, while others don’t have any clear source of liability. Our team works to identify all potential sources of liability in personal injury claims because this helps to ensure our clients are fighting for the maximum amount of compensation that may be afforded to them under New York law.
Depending on the facts of your case, you may be within your rights to take action against a motorist, property owner, business owner, property management company, transit company, motor carrier, vehicle maintenance provider or product manufacturer, among others. In negligence cases, it comes down to who owed you a legal duty of care and whether or not the facts support that they injured you by violating that duty.
What compensation can I recover in a spinal cord injury claim?
The lifetime costs associated with spinal cord injuries can range from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars in some cases. Because of the extensive nature of the harm associated with SCIs, it’s important for survivors to fight for the value of their past, present and future losses.
Depending on the facts of your case, this might look like recovering compensation for economic losses like medical bills, rehabilitation expenses, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, nursing care costs and more. You may also be entitled to compensation for the personal impact of your injury. Major changes in a person’s health and abilities can contribute to depression, anxiety and a reduced quality of life, and these mental and emotional challenges can permeate into multiple aspects of a survivor’s relationships and routine.
Non-economic damages may be available to address the harder-to-quantify losses associated with these cases. In some cases, plaintiffs may be awarded compensation for pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of use of one or more limbs or loss of enjoyment of life. While these losses may be invisible to the naked eye, they are very real for survivors and their loved ones, and they deserve to be taken seriously throughout the legal process.
Why work with O’Brien & Ford, PC?
We fight hard so you don’t have to. When you’re already dealing with the fallout of a catastrophic injury, the last thing you need is to worry about whether your legal team is actually fighting for what’s in your best interest. We deliberately limit our caseload so our lawyers can provide each client with the individualized attention and proactive support they deserve.
When you work with O’Brien & Ford, PC, you can expect:
- Individualized legal support from a team who knows your name
- To be connected with a lawyer within two minutes of your phone call
- Proactive, hands-on attention from your legal representatives
- Trial readiness throughout every step of your case
- A 100% free, no-obligation consultation that provides you with the information you need to make the next big decision in your case
- No upfront attorneys’ fees. Ever.
Trying to manage the fallout from your accident is hard enough without the added stress of working with an inattentive, slash-and-cash law firm. We want to do right by our clients and give them the space they need to focus on healing while we handle the hard stuff. Our team stays active in the local community to remind us of who and what we are out there fighting for, and we would love the opportunity to show up for you during this difficult time.
Frequently asked questions about spinal cord injury claims
Do I have to be completely paralyzed to recover compensation?
No. Even survivors of incomplete SCIs may be entitled to compensation if the facts support a finding of negligence in their case. Incomplete injuries can still require extensive medical intervention and have long-term health implications, and a claim for compensation can help you ensure your needs are met in the months and years ahead.
What if I contributed to the accident that injured me?
How long do I have to file a spinal cord injury lawsuit in New York?
How much is my spinal cord injury case worth?
Will my spinal cord injury case go to trial?
Speak to a Buffalo spinal cord injury lawyer
If you or someone you love suffered a spinal cord injury in a traumatic accident, you deserve to know that there are legal options available to help you move forward. We cannot turn back time or bring back your sense of normalcy, but we may be able to help you advocate for the compensation you need to regroup and rebuild.
Give us a call 24/7 at 716-222-2222 or stop by one of our Buffalo offices at 4549 Main St., Suite 201, or 701 Seneca St., Suite 208, to set up a free consultation with a member of our team. We won’t charge you any upfront fees or pressure you to take any legal action until you’re ready. If you choose to partner with O’Brien & Ford, PC, just know that no one will work harder for you and your future.