Kansas City Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

A spinal cord injury changes everything in an instant. A serious car crash, a fall, or someone else’s negligence can cause catastrophic injuries and forever change your future. You may be facing permanent health consequences and staggering medical costs.

At Presley and Presley Trial Lawyers, we represent spinal cord injury victims and their families throughout Missouri and Kansas. We focus exclusively on catastrophic injury cases. Our skilled attorneys have the resources and trial experience to pursue spinal cord injury compensation that can cover a lifetime of unexpected expenses. Contact a spinal cord injury lawyer in Kansas City today to learn more in a free consultation.

Common Causes of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injuries

Vehicle crashes and falls account for nearly 70 percent of all traumatic spinal cord injuries in the US, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center. However, life-changing injuries can result from any situation in which the spinal cord sustains a significant impact. Our Kansas City spinal cord injury attorneys have handled personal injury claims arising from a wide range of incidents, including:

• Motor Vehicle Accidents: Car accidents are the leading cause of traumatic spinal cord injuries in the US. The forces involved in a high-speed collision can fracture vertebrae, compress the spinal cord, and produce permanent nerve damage in an instant.
• Commercial Trucking Collisions: The weight and momentum of a moving tractor-trailer make these crashes devastating, especially to occupants of smaller vehicles. The force of impact can cause catastrophic injuries.
• Slip and Fall Accidents: If a Kansas City property owner fails to address a hazardous condition on their premises, visitors can suffer severe injuries. Falls from heights or even hard falls on level ground can transmit enough force to cause a spinal cord injury.
• Workplace Accidents: Construction sites and industrial settings expose workers to the constant risk of traumatic injuries. Falls from scaffolding, collisions with heavy equipment, and other traumatic events can sever or compress the spinal cord.
• Sports and Recreation Injuries: Spinal injuries can result from diving into shallow water, taking a hard hit in a contact sport, or suffering a fall during an extreme sport. These incidents can all generate the kind of sudden spinal compression or hyperextension that causes lasting damage.

Understanding the Levels of Spinal Cord Damage

The consequences of a spinal cord injury depend largely on the location of the damage. As a general rule, the higher the injury site, the more of the body that is affected. An injury to the cervical spine (the neck region), for example, can result in tetraplegia, which is a loss of function in all four limbs and much of the trunk.

Medical professionals classify every spinal cord injury as either complete or incomplete. A complete spinal cord injury means the spinal cord can no longer transmit signals below the injury site, resulting in a total loss of movement and sensation. With an incomplete spinal cord injury, spinal cord injury patients retain some sensation and/or partial function.

The Lifetime Cost of Living with Paralysis

The financial toll of a traumatic spinal cord injury is difficult to overstate. Research suggests that a person with high-level tetraplegia can face first-year medical bills exceeding $1.4 million, with annual ongoing treatment expenses of more than $250,000 a year. For someone injured at age 25, estimated lifetime costs attributable directly to the spine injury can exceed $6.4 million.

These estimates cover direct ongoing medical care and living costs, but they do not reflect future costs of lost income or the loss of job benefits and retirement contributions. These indirect costs average nearly $98,000 per year, in addition to the existing direct expenses. Fair compensation in a paralysis lawsuit must take into account both present and future expenses and losses.

Levels of Spinal Cord Injury and Their Impact

Missouri and Kansas both allow spinal injury victims to pursue a comprehensive range of compensation for the personal and financial losses associated with their injuries, which can include compensation for:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Rehabilitation costs
• Home modification expenses
• Adaptive equipment
• Personal care assistance
• Lost wages
• Diminished earning capacity
• Pain and suffering and emotional distress
• Reduced quality of life
• Loss of consortium for affected loved ones

Navigating the Legal Process in Missouri and Kansas City

Spinal cord injury lawsuits involve multiple steps from the initial investigation and gathering of medical records to the complexities of proving negligence in court. Here’s how our compassionate and committed attorneys approach these claims:

• First, our law firm conducts a prompt investigation to identify and preserve evidence before it is lost.
• Next, we coordinate with your doctors and rehabilitation specialists to document the full extent of your injuries and your long-term prognosis.
• We may retain life care planners and economic experts to calculate the lifetime cost of your injury, including future medical expenses and lost earning capacity.
• Our attorneys work to identify every party whose negligence may have contributed to your injury and prepare a case that clearly establishes their financial responsibility.
• Finally, we pursue full spinal cord injury settlements through aggressive negotiation with insurance companies. If the other side won’t agree to pay fair compensation, we can pursue catastrophic injury litigation and present your case at trial.

Why Experience Matters in Spinal Cord Litigation

Not every personal injury firm is equipped to handle a spinal cord injury claim. These cases require substantial resources, sophisticated medical evidence, and attorneys with extensive courtroom experience against insurers and corporations.

At Presley and Presley Trial Lawyers, our focus is on catastrophic injury litigation and exceptional legal representation. Our personal injury lawyers have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars to date for seriously injured clients across Missouri and Kansas, including a $25 million recovery in a severe spinal cord injury case. While we cannot guarantee a specific outcome, our track record shows our extensive experience handling these complex cases. Our attorneys build compelling spinal cord injury cases and pursue full compensation through trial when necessary.

When you trust us with your paralysis lawsuit, you can count on our attorneys to bring the depth and breadth of experience that these high-stakes claims demand.

FAQ for Kansas City Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

Take Action to Protect Your Future After a Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injuries transform every aspect of life, from daily routines to lifetime dreams, but you don't have to face these challenges alone. The right legal representation makes the difference between struggling with inadequate insurance settlements and securing resources for quality medical care, adaptive equipment, and financial stability.  

Presley and Presley Trial Lawyers understands the unique challenges facing spinal cord injury victims in Kansas City and fights relentlessly for compensation that addresses both immediate needs and lifetime care requirements. Call (816) 931-4611 today to schedule your consultation and learn how their dedicated team helps spinal cord injury victims throughout Missouri and Kansas build stronger futures after catastrophic accidents.