Pennsylvania Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuit Attorneys

Spinal cord injuries are among the most severe and debilitating injuries that can happen to anyone. When someone suffers an injury to their spinal cord, it can often mean missing work for an extended period of time, high medical costs, and an enormous amount of stress on injury victims and their families. If you or someone close to you has suffered a spinal cord injury, you may be entitled to significant compensation for your losses.

At Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman, L.L.C., we have been helping victims of spinal cord injury accidents since 1972. Our lawyers have in-depth experience with this area of the law, and we have a successful track record with even the most complex cases. We work closely with our clients, and we are equipped to help you obtain maximum compensation for the hardships you have suffered.

Helping Spinal Cord Injury Victims

If you have suffered a serious spinal cord injury, it is important to work with an attorney who can help you explore all potential sources of compensation. Our lawyers help people who have suffered spinal cord injuries in personal injury accidents as well as those who have been injured in workplace accidents. Many victims of spinal cord injuries are left disabled and are eligible for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits. Our attorneys can help you with all of these areas of law.

A spinal cord injury can result in:

• Paralysis
• Loss of sensation
• Chronic pain
• Paraplegia
• Quadriplegia

Legal Options for Spinal Cord Injury Victims

As we touched on earlier, there are a number of ways that those who have suffered spinal cord injuries can obtain reimbursement for their losses:

Workers’ Compensation Claim

The workers’ compensation system is set up to allow employees who suffer work-related injuries to receive benefits regardless of who is at fault for the underlying accident or event (that led to the injury). But as a trade-off for being a no-fault system, employees are generally prohibited from filing a personal injury lawsuit against their employer.

Most Pennsylvania employers are required to carry workers’ compensation coverage, so if your spinal cord injury is work-related, the first place to start is to report the injury and file a workers’ comp claim with your employer. This will allow you to recover reimbursement for reasonable and necessary medical expenses, a percentage of your lost wages, and some other costs.

Unfortunately, the workers’ comp claims process is far more complicated and confusing than it should be. In addition, employers and their insurers often throw up unnecessary roadblocks in an attempt to frustrate workers into giving up on pursuing the benefits they deserve. This is why it is strongly advisable to work with an experienced attorney to help ensure that you recover all of the compensation you are entitled to.

Another reason to work with an attorney is that you may have other legal options outside of workers’ compensation. For example, if your spinal cord injury was caused by a party with whom you do not have an employment relationship, you may be able to file a personal injury claim against them, which would open the door to recover additional damages.

Examples of third parties that could be responsible for a workplace injury include:

• Negligent subcontractors that work nearby employees.
• Drivers of other vehicles who cause an accident in which an employee suffers a spinal cord injury.
• Product makers and distributors whose defective products malfunction and cause or contribute to the injury.

Personal Injury Claim

Employees who were injured by the actions of an outside party and other individuals who suffer spinal cord injuries because of someone else’s negligence can file a personal injury lawsuit against the responsible party. This allows you to pursue a wide range of damages, which may include:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Loss of future earning capacity
• Pain-and-suffering
• Emotional distress
• Diminished quality of life
• Permanent injury

In more limited cases in which the actions of the party responsible for your injury were especially egregious, punitive damages may also be awarded. Punitive damages are intended to punish the wrongdoer and help discourage similar behaviors in the future.

Victims of spinal cord and paralysis injuries may require a lifetime of medical care. An experienced attorney can help you assess the short-term and long-term needs you will have as a result of your paralysis. This may include extensive rehabilitation, special living arrangements, and adaptive equipment such as crutches, braces and wheelchairs. Our lawyers will work to ensure that your current and future medical needs are addressed, so that you are not left without the financial resources you need.

Social Security Disability Claim

If you have suffered a spinal cord injury and you are not eligible to file a workers’ comp or personal injury claim, you may still be able to recover some benefits by applying for Social Security disability. There are actually two programs that can be accessed through the Social Security Administration – Social Security disability (SSD) and Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI).

To qualify for SSD, you are generally required to have worked for at least five out of the last 10 years. There are also special laws that would apply to younger workers. SSI is a needs-based program that does not require a certain amount of work to be completed, but rather that you meet financial requirements.

Even if you meet the technical qualifications for either these programs and it appears that your injury should qualify for benefits, it is still very difficult to get approved. In fact, the majority of Social Security disability claimants are denied in their initial application and in their first appeal, and the ones who are approved are usually those who are working with an attorney. Our attorneys will help you overcome the hurdles and ensure that your claim is submitted properly.

Contact the Experienced Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys at Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman

Have you or has someone close to you suffered a serious spinal cord injury? Contact us today online or by telephone at 412-391-9860 or toll free at 866-466-5789 to speak with an experienced Pittsburgh spinal cord injury lawyer. Initial consultations are free and confidential.