3 Reasons to Hire an Attorney after a Spinal Cord Injury from a Traffic Accident

If you have sustained a spinal cord injury from a traffic accident, then you need to contact an attorney as soon as possible. You may have already seen a doctor, or even visited an emergency room, but you still need to see an attorney. The following are three important reasons for this.

To help get you the treatment you need and the compensation

Anytime your back injury has limited your movement to the point where you can't do some of the things that used to be able to do, you need an attorney with experience in spinal cord injury cases. This is assuming that you have already seen a doctor. An attorney will want to know what the doctor told you, along with any tests that were done. A second opinion may be needed. The last thing you want to do is speak to an insurance company. If the accident is recent enough, you may get a quick check and that's the end of it. But spinal cord injuries can be subtle and much worse than they feel. Over time, they can become crippling.

To protect your long-term interests

You may have seen a doctor after a car accident, but no problem was found, and you also felt fine. A few weeks later, you didn't feel so good. Perhaps there was some numbness in y our legs or your feet that concerns you. At this point, you need to speak to an attorney, as well as a doctor. There is no reason to speak to an insurance company. They may not want to talk to you because the accident was weeks ago, and they're not going to give you compensation for your injury. Although neither a doctor nor a lawyer will know the long-term implications of your spinal cord injury, an initial determination can be made, then your attorney can protect your rights.

To document your spinal injury at each step

An attorney will treat your spinal injury as a long-term problem unless the evidence begins to show otherwise. With this approach, whatever your doctor prescribes will be documented. This includes surgeries, injections, physical therapy, and medications. If your injury improves, or you show a complete recovery, then the documentation will not be as important. But if you don't improve, an attorney will have the evidence to negotiate with an insurance company. The worse thing that can happen is failing to consult with an attorney. If too much time goes by before you file a claim. An insurance company will see this large gap between the accident and your claim. The claim will be rejected, and an attorney will have a hard time fighting your case.

An attorney with experience in spinal cord injuries should be there to assist you from the beginning. They can get you the treatment you need, and document the progress of your treatments. And because a spinal injury can be a long-term issue, they can protect your long-term interests.

For help with your spinal cord injury case, contact a local law firm such as Craig P. Kenny & Associates.