JacksonSpinal Cord Injuries

How Do I File a Spinal Cord Injury Claim in Jackson, MS?

If you suffered a spinal cord injury in a Jackson, Mississippi accident, you generally have three years under Mississippi law to file a claim. A Jackson spinal cord injury lawyer at Mama Justice can investigate your accident, deal with insurers, and fight for compensation for medical care, lost income, and pain and suffering. Call 24/7 for a free consultation.

Spinal cord injuries are incredibly devastating, often leading to significant physical impairment and permanent disability, and roughly 18,000 new spinal cord injuries are reported in the United States every year. Victims may experience considerable, chronic pain, as well as partial or total paralysis. The sheer severity of these injuries often leaves victims and their families grappling with immense emotional challenges, not to mention significant financial hardships.

With more than 40 years of combined experience, our team at Mama Justice – MW Law Firm understands exactly what you and your family are going through — and we want to help. From our office in Jackson, our spinal cord injury attorneys provide personalized and attentive legal representation to victims of catastrophic injuries and their loved ones. We know that the legal process can seem daunting, but with our team by your side, you can have the confidence that comes with knowing someone is fighting tirelessly for you, your rights, and your best interests.

There is no cost and no obligation when you speak to a member of our team about your potential case. Call (833) 626-2587 or contact us online today to learn more.

How Long Do I Have to File a Spinal Cord Injury Claim in Jackson, Mississippi?

In Mississippi, you generally have three years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury lawsuit for a spinal cord injury (Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-49). This deadline is called the statute of limitations, and if you miss it, you could lose your right to recover any compensation at all, no matter how serious your injury is.

Three years can sound like a long time, but spinal cord injury cases take time to build. Your medical team needs time to understand the full scope of your injury, especially if you are facing months or years of rehabilitation. Insurance companies also slow things down on purpose, hoping you will run out of patience, or run out of time, before you get fair compensation.

Some claims have shorter deadlines. If your injury happened on the job, or if it involved a government entity like a city bus or a county road crew, special notice rules and shorter deadlines may apply. Because deadlines vary by claim type, it is best to talk to a Jackson spinal cord injury attorney as soon as possible so nothing gets missed.

What Is the Difference Between a Complete and an Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury?

There are many different types of spine and spinal cord injuries, ranging from whiplash and slipped, or herniated, discs to paraplegia, quadriplegia/tetraplegia, and triplegia.

However, all of these injuries are categorized in one of the following two ways:

• Complete: A complete spinal cord injury occurs when all communication between the brain and the body at or below the point of injury is severed.
• Incomplete: An incomplete spinal cord injury occurs when some communication between the brain and the body at or below the point of injury is retained.

In general, complete spinal cord injuries are considered more serious than incomplete spinal cord injuries, but both types can have significant and lasting consequences for victims. That being said, those who suffer complete spinal cord injuries will typically experience some permanent paralysis, whether partial or total, along with other significant complications.

What Are the Most Common Effects of Spine Injuries?

Depending on the location, type, and severity of the injury, a spinal cord injury can have many serious and long-lasting effects.

Some of the most common include:

Spinal cord injuries generally constitute medical emergencies; anyone who suffers a spine injury should seek immediate medical attention. Without proper treatment, these injuries can lead to serious complications and may even be fatal.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries?

Spinal cord injuries typically result from serious accidents and other catastrophic events.

Some of the most common causes of spinal cord injuries include:

Motor vehicle crashes, including a Jackson car accident, remain the leading cause of spinal cord injury nationwide.

All too often, these and other accidents are entirely preventable, occurring only because someone else was negligent, reckless, or intentionally trying to cause harm. At Mama Justice – MW Law Firm, we believe that those at fault for your injuries should be made accountable for the immense pain and suffering you have endured.

Who Can Be Held Liable for My Spinal Cord Injury in Jackson?

Liability for a spinal cord injury depends on what caused it. If a careless driver caused the car, truck, or motorcycle crash that hurt you, that driver and their insurance company are usually responsible. If you were hurt on someone else’s property because of a hazard like a wet floor, broken stairs, or poor lighting, the property owner may be liable under Mississippi’s premises liability laws.

Work related spinal cord injuries are often handled through workers’ compensation, though you may also have a separate claim against a negligent third party, such as a subcontractor or equipment manufacturer, depending on how the injury happened. Sports, recreational, and diving accidents can involve liability on the part of an equipment maker, a facility owner, or another participant.

More than one party can share responsibility for a single spinal cord injury. Our Jackson spinal cord injury lawyers investigate every angle of your accident so that every responsible party, not just the most obvious one, is held accountable for your injuries.

What Damages Can I Recover After a Spinal Cord Injury in Jackson?

Victims of spine injuries will likely need extensive medical treatment and ongoing care. Depending on the severity of their injuries, they may be unable to return to work for months, years, or even the rest of their lives. Victims and their families can easily find themselves facing hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in unexpected expenses and losses, adding significant strain to the physical and emotional challenges they are already experiencing.

Our spinal cord injury lawyers in Jackson understand the importance of recovering fair compensation so that victims can get back on their feet. Because of this, we build powerful cases and fight tirelessly to maximize our clients’ recoveries. Because spinal cord injuries are one of the most serious types of catastrophic injury claims we handle, our team brings the same resources to your case that we use in our biggest catastrophic injury cases.

Depending on the specific details of your case, we may be able to help you recover financial compensation for the following losses:

You should not have to suffer any more because of the negligent or wrongful actions of someone else; turn to our team at Mama Justice – MW Law Firm for the dedicated legal representation you need.

What Is My Jackson Spinal Cord Injury Case Worth?

There is no set dollar amount for a spinal cord injury claim. What your case is worth depends on factors like the severity of your injury (complete or incomplete), whether you have permanent paralysis, your current and future medical expenses, how much income you have lost or will lose, and the physical and emotional toll the injury has taken on you and your family.

Spinal cord injury cases tend to involve some of the highest damages in personal injury law, because the medical care, home modifications, and lost earning capacity can add up to hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars over a lifetime. That is exactly why insurance companies fight so hard to minimize these claims.

We cannot promise a specific result, and past settlements and verdicts do not guarantee future outcomes. What we can promise is that our Jackson spinal cord injury lawyers will fully investigate your damages, work with medical and financial experts when needed, and fight for every dollar you are entitled to under Mississippi law.

What Should I Do After a Spinal Cord Injury in Jackson?

The choices you make in the days after a spinal cord injury can affect both your health and your legal claim. Here is what we recommend:

1. Get emergency medical care right away, even if you are not sure how serious the injury is. Some spinal cord injuries do not show their full effects for hours or days.
2. Follow every recommendation from your doctors and specialists, including rehabilitation and physical therapy, and keep records of every appointment.
3. Report the accident to the appropriate party, whether that is the police, your employer, or a property owner or manager.
4. Avoid giving a recorded statement to an insurance adjuster, or accepting an early settlement offer, before you know the full extent of your injury.
5. Keep copies of medical bills, lost wage records, and any photos or witness information from the scene.
6. Contact a Jackson spinal cord injury lawyer as soon as you are able. The sooner we start investigating, the easier it is to preserve evidence and protect your rights.

If your injury happened near I-55, I-20, or County Line Road, or you are being treated at UMMC or another Hinds County hospital, our team can begin gathering records and accident reports right away.

How Long Does a Spinal Cord Injury Case Take to Resolve in Jackson?

Every case moves at its own pace, but spinal cord injury claims often take longer than other personal injury cases. That is because we need to understand your full prognosis before we can accurately value your claim, and with a catastrophic injury like this, doctors may need months or longer to determine your long-term limitations.

Once your medical picture is clear, we build your case, negotiate with the insurance company, and file a lawsuit in Hinds County Circuit Court if a fair settlement cannot be reached. Many cases settle without a trial, but we always prepare every case as if it is going to court, because that is what gives you the strongest negotiating position.

While we cannot give you an exact timeline, we can promise to move your case forward as quickly as your medical situation allows, without ever rushing you into a settlement that is not enough to cover your future needs.

What If I Was Partly at Fault for My Accident?

Mississippi follows a rule called pure comparative negligence. This means that even if you were partly at fault for the accident that caused your spinal cord injury, you can still recover compensation. Your total award is simply reduced by your percentage of fault.

For example, if a jury decided you were 20 percent at fault for an accident, you could still recover 80 percent of your total damages. This is very different from some states, where any fault on your part can bar you from recovering anything at all.

Insurance companies often try to shift blame onto injured victims to reduce what they have to pay. Our Jackson spinal cord injury attorneys know how to push back against unfair fault arguments and make sure you recover everything Mississippi law allows, regardless of what the insurance company initially claims.

Why Hire a Jackson Spinal Cord Injury Attorney?

Because spinal cord injury claims tend to be high in value, insurance companies are even more invested in disputing or denying these types of personal injury claims. They may offer a lowball settlement that covers your immediate medical bills but does little, if anything, to compensate you for your ongoing and future care, not to mention your lost income and physical and emotional pain and suffering.

At Mama Justice – MW Law Firm, our spine injury attorneys in Jackson know how to fight back against the insurance company’s attempts to get away with paying you as little as possible — or nothing at all. We have built a reputation for providing our clients with personalized and caring support, as well as aggressive and relentless advocacy in and out of the courtroom.

As your legal team, we will handle every detail of your case, allowing you to focus on what matters most: healing. We provide completely free initial consultations with zero obligation on your part. We also offer our legal services on a contingency fee basis, meaning you do not owe any attorney fees unless/until we recover a settlement or verdict on your behalf.

To get started with a complimentary consultation with our Jackson office, call (833) 626-2587 or contact us online today.