Jay Trucks & Associates, P. C.

Saginaw Spinal Cord Lawyer

FREE CASE CONSULTATION

No Fees Unless We Win

Have you suffered a spinal cord injury due to an accident or incident caused by someone else’s negligence? You should not have to bear the financial consequences of a life-altering spinal cord injury that wasn’t your fault.

A Saginaw spinal cord lawyer from Jay Trucks & Associates will fight to hold those at fault for your injury accountable for their negligence or recklessness. We have a track record of successful cases, having secured hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for our clients. We will fight hard to get the best result possible in your case.

Contact Jay Trucks & Associates for a free initial case evaluation to discuss your legal options with our Saginaw spinal cord lawyer and learn more about what to expect in the claims process. Let our firm fight for the financial recovery you need after suffering a catastrophic spinal cord injury. You have no obligation to hire us after your evaluation, and even if you do, you owe nothing out of pocket. You only pay if we recover compensation for you.

From day one, my attorney and the office staff at Jay Trucks & Associates went above and beyond what I expected…

- D. Lathrop

Why Choose Jay Trucks & Associates to Advocate for Your Legal Rights After Suffering a Spinal Cord Injury in an Accident in Saginaw?

When you’ve sustained a spinal cord injury, you need all the financial resources you can get to help you recover and resume as full and independent a life as possible. Choosing the right lawyer for your spinal cord injury claim can make a difference in the outcome of your case.

For decades, injured victims in Saginaw and throughout Michigan have turned to Jay Trucks & Associates for help because:

  • We have extensive experience in personal injury law. Our founding attorney, Jay Trucks, has focused his practice exclusively on personal injury since 1979, and our team of attorneys has decades of legal experience advocating for those injured by the negligence of others.
  • We have a proven record of successful case results. Our firm has recovered over half a billion dollars in client compensation through settlements and verdicts, including multiple seven-figure awards for victims of catastrophic injury. Our legal team’s success has earned numerous awards and recognitions from various legal groups and publications.
  • We vigorously fight for you. When you turn to us for help after suffering a spinal cord injury, you’ll find that our legal team will do whatever it takes to get you the compensation you deserve. Our attorneys and staff will put in the hard work necessary to advocate for your rights and secure the best possible results in your case.

Recovering Compensation for a Spinal Cord Injury Caused by Someone Else’s Negligence

After suffering a spinal cord injury in an accident through no fault of your own, turn to a Saginaw spinal cord lawyer from Jay Trucks & Associates to help you pursue money for your ongoing and future losses, including for:

  • Medical treatment and rehabilitation services
  • Costs of travel to obtain specialist care
  • Long-term healthcare and personal support, including home health services, purchases of assistive equipment, or home renovations to install disability accommodations
  • Loss of income while you take time off work to recover from your injury
  • Lost future earning potential and employment benefits if your disabilities prevent you from returning to work
  • Physical pain and distress
  • Emotional trauma and suffering, including due to lost enjoyment and quality of life because of disabilities

When you choose our firm to represent you in your spinal cord injury claim, you can expect us to fight hard to get you the maximum compensation you deserve.

Pursuing Spinal Cord Injury Claims in Saginaw

Under Michigan’s statute of limitations for injury claims, you usually have three years to file a lawsuit to recover compensation after suffering a spinal cord injury due to someone else’s fault. However, you may have different filing deadline if you sustained a spinal cord injury as a victim of certain criminal acts, medical malpractice lawsuit, or a government body contributed to your injury.

Finally, if you have a spinal cord injury claim against the state government, the law requires you to file a written notice of your claim within a year of suffering your injury.

Given the various deadlines that may apply to your spinal cord injury claim, immediately contact a Saginaw spinal cord lawyer at Jay Trucks & Associates to ensure you timely pursue your claims.

About Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries occur in various ways and have a wide range of consequences.

Types of Spinal Cord Injuries

Doctors classify spinal cord injuries as either “incomplete” or “complete” injuries.

  • An incomplete spinal cord injury means the spinal cord has not entirely severed. An individual with an incomplete spinal cord injury may retain some feeling and motor function below the level of the injury.
  • With a complete spinal cord injury, the spinal cord has completely severed, cutting off all signals between the brain and the parts of the body below the level of the injury.

Medical professionals also classify spinal cord injuries by the region of the spinal column where the injury occurred:

  • Cervical spinal cord injuries. The cervical spine makes up the top region of the spinal column, stretching from the base of the skull through the neck into the upper back. Cervical spinal cord injuries usually have the most severe effects, affecting the entire body from the neck or upper shoulders down.
  • Thoracic spinal cord injuries. The thoracic spine makes up the middle part of the spinal column, stretching from the upper back into the mid-to-lower back. Thoracic spinal cord injuries will affect the lower torso and, depending on the location of the injury, the abdomen, chest, and arms.
  • Lumbar spinal cord injuries. The lumbar spine makes up the lowest region of the spinal column. Lumbar spinal cord injuries usually only affect the legs and pelvis. Injury victims may retain or regain the ability to walk after a lumbar spinal cord injury (often with assistive devices), depending on the location of the injury.

Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries

At Jay Trucks & Associates, we represent clients who have suffered spinal cord injuries because of:

  • Car accidents
  • Truck accidents
  • Motorcycle accidents
  • Boating accidents
  • Construction accidents
  • Workplace accidents
  • Medical malpractice
  • Nursing home abuse and neglect
  • Defective products

Signs and Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injuries

Symptoms of spinal cord injuries vary depending on the type and severity of the injury.

Signs that a person may have sustained a spinal cord injury include:

  • Severe pain or pressure in the head, neck, or back
  • Weakness, incoordination, or paralysis
  • Numbness or tingling in hands and feet
  • Loss of or altered ability to feel touch, heat, or cold
  • Loss of bladder or bowel control
  • Exaggerated reflexes or muscle spasms
  • Difficulty walking or maintaining balance
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Odd positioning or twisting of the neck or back
  • Changes in sexual function or sensitivity

Treatment of Spinal Cord Injuries

Although current medical science cannot repair a spinal cord injury, treatments can help prevent further damage and enable an injured person to resume an active, independent life. Initial treatment after a spinal cord injury will focus on stabilizing the spinal column, maintaining the injured person’s ability to breathe, and avoiding complications with the circulatory, respiratory, digestive, and urinary systems. Doctors may also perform surgery to repair vertebrae, remove bone fragments and foreign objects, and install hardware to stabilize the spine and prevent future deformities or pain.

Once a patient’s condition stabilizes, treatment shifts towards rehabilitation and managing secondary complications of the injury.

A person with a spinal cord injury may require a rehabilitation team that includes:

  • Physiatrists (doctors who specialize in physical medicine)
  • Physical and occupational therapists
  • Recreational therapists who assist with time management and resuming social activities
  • Rehabilitation nurses
  • Rehabilitation psychologists
  • Dietitians
  • Social workers

Rehabilitation will initially focus on maintaining and strengthening motor function and learning adaptations for daily tasks. Providers will also help the patient understand the effects of their injury and how to avoid health complications.

Long-term treatment may also include medications to manage pain and other injury complications, such as improving muscle tone, bone density, bladder and bowel control, and sexual function. Patients may also receive equipment and technology to help with mobility and independence, such as more mobile wheelchairs or electronic aids around the house.

The long road to recovery that many spinal cord injury victims face makes it critical for our firm to work aggressively to get clients the financial resources they need to ensure a bright future.

Long-term Complications of Spinal Cord Injuries

A spinal cord injury usually results in some degree of permanent paralysis that will have long-term health complications. The exact difficulties a spinal cord injury victim may experience will depend on the extent of the paralysis.

Examples of common long-term complications from spinal cord injuries include:

  • Chronic pain or pain and soreness from overexertion of specific muscles
  • Difficulties with bladder and bowel control leading to increased risks of bowel obstructions, urinary tract infections, and kidney stones
  • Increased risk of pressure ulcers/bed sores due to lack of movement and inability to feel pain
  • Circulatory problems, such as swings in blood pressure and increased risk of blood clots
  • Respiratory issues, including the need to use a respirator or increased risk of infections
  • Loss of bone density and increased risk of fractures
  • Loss of muscle tone or spasticity
  • Increased risk of weight gain and obesity due to a more sedentary lifestyle
  • Changes in sexual health, including loss of function, sensitivity, or fertility
  • The onset of severe anxiety or depression

You can expect the attorneys of Jay Trucks & Associates to fight for the compensation you deserve after your spinal cord injury complications altered your quality of life.

Don’t Let the Insurance Company Deny You the Compensation You Need for a Life-altering Spinal Cord Injury

Although a spinal cord injury can devastate an accident victim’s life, insurance companies won’t make it easy for an injured person to recover the financial resources they need for their treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term needs. Insurers have many tactics to get injury victims to accept less than the full compensation they deserve.

Insurance adjusters may deny you the money you need for your spinal cord injury by:

  • Finding you at fault for the accident that caused your spinal cord injury without any supporting evidence
  • Delaying the investigation of your injury
  • Failing to respond promptly to your calls, emails, and letters
  • Misrepresenting the availability of coverage, including asserting that your claim falls within a policy exclusion or misstating the applicable insurance coverage limits
  • Pressuring you to accept a quick settlement before you’ve completed treatment/rehabilitation or have a definitive prognosis
  • Claiming that the insurance company will not negotiate or increase its compensation offer

A Saginaw spinal cord lawyer from Jay Trucks & Associates will fight to get you the compensation you need and deserve after suffering a spinal cord injury due to someone else’s negligence.

While you focus on your treatment and rehabilitation, let our firm handle every aspect of your legal case, including:

  • Investigating the accident or incident that led to your injury to secure evidence and identify who may have the liability to compensate you
  • Documenting your ongoing expenses and future anticipated needs to ensure we recover the full amount of financial resources that will help you during your recovery and afterward
  • Working with accident reconstruction, medical, vocational, and financial experts to build a strong case
  • Filing your legal and insurance claims and handling all communications with adjusters, defense lawyers, and other parties
  • Aggressively negotiating for fair compensation for you in a settlement or taking your claims to court and trial if necessary to demand a proper result for you

What Steps Should You Take After Suffering a Spinal Cord Injury in an Accident?

You can best protect your legal rights and options for recovering compensation after a spinal cord injury by taking the following steps:

  • Follow your healthcare team’s treatment plan and instructions. Do not put off any procedures or course of treatment.
  • Keep copies of all bills, invoices, and receipts of expenses you incurred.
  • Gather your pay stubs or income statements to help calculate your lost income or lost future earning potential.
  • Keep a diary or journal to document your recovery and the pain and your injury’s impact on the quality of life that you experience.

Contact a Saginaw spinal cord lawyer from Jay Trucks & Associates to discuss your legal options and next steps for pursuing compensation and justice from those responsible for the harm you’ve suffered.

Contact a Jay Trucks & Associates Experienced Saginaw Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

A spinal cord injury can permanently alter your life. You deserve to pursue the compensation you need for your recovery from those responsible for your injury. Contact Jay Trucks & Associates for a free, no-obligation consultation with a Saginaw personal injury lawyer to learn more about how our firm can help with your case. Call us at 989-254-6113 or contact us through our website.