Severe back injuries like spinal cord damage are among the worst outcomes of a slip or trip and fall accident. Landing at an unsafe angle or falling from a significant height increases the risk of a severe back injury occurring. If the damage is extensive or extreme, then back surgery might be the only way to address it.
SLIP & FALL SETTLEMENT VALUE WITH A BACK INJURY
How much compensation can you expect in a slip and fall accident claim if you need back surgery? There is no clear or direct answer because the factors that determine value are entirely unique to each case. Your slip and fall accident will be different from the next person’s, even if they slipped in the exact same spot you did.
The severity of the injury, and the necessary medical treatment, are some of the biggest determining factors for a given case’s settlement calue, but not the only ones. Factors like your age, health, income, lasting symptoms, and emotional trauma from the accident all adjust your claim’s value. For example, someone who is 21 and suffers a permanent back injury would likely receive more compensation than someone who is 85 because they would likely be affected by the disability longer than the other.
HOW DO YOU MAXIMIZE YOUR CLAIM’S VALUE?
Suffering a severe back injury after slipping on someone else’s property doesn’t guarantee you a sizeable settlement amount. You aren’t promised any sort of compensation. If you want to be paid a fair and full amount for your injuries and lasting hardships, then you need to find a way to maximize your claim’s value and back it with convincing arguments and evidence.
A great source of evidence to use for your claim will be your own medical and employment records. The medical providers who treat you should be outlining the treatment you received, such as surgery, and the extent that you will be affected by your back injury. Not only will your medical record show what medical costs you have already incurred, but a prognosis might include an accurate idea of what medical treatments will cost you in the years to come.
Information from your employer will also be useful to show how much your back injury has impacted your career path. You might be unable to complete certain tasks necessary to your job position or those that you hoped to attain in the future. The wages you have lost or can no longer earn because of your injury can be included in your claim’s damages, which might dramatically increase the value, especially if your income was significant before the accident.
WHO CAN HELP ADD VALUE TO YOUR SLIP AND FALL CLAIM?
Unless you are well-versed in your state’s liability laws and local court procedures, it is not recommended that you try to manage your slip and fall injury claim alone. Teaming up with a personal injury attorney will greatly increase the odds of you receiving fair and just compensation. For example, if the existing medical or employment records do not contain the necessary evidence to prove the extent of your injuries, an experienced attorney can retain expert witnesses to strengthen the evidence in your case. An attorney will also likely have a better chance of uncovering all available insurance policies because they have been handling catastrophic injury cases for years. Although no attorney or law firm can promise to win you a better settlement – or any settlement at all – you can at least enjoy increased peace of mind in knowing that a legal professional has your back, almost literally.
If you need help managing a back injury or slip and fall accident case in Walnut Creek, California, then make Casper, Meadows, Schwartz & Cook the first law firm you call. We have been helping clients for more than 40 years and always on a no-win, no-fee basis. See what an experienced and compassionate team of attorneys can do for you by contacting us today.