First Steps Following a Nashville Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injuries can be extremely painful and have life-changing consequences for some. It can be difficult to figure out what next steps should be. If you want to know what your first steps following a Nashville spinal cord injury should be, speak with an experienced spinal cord injury lawyer that could guide you through the trial process.

Seeking Medical Attention

One of the first steps following a Nashville spinal cord injury, or any injury really, is seeking medical attention. If someone has a spinal cord injury, they need to get to the emergency room immediately or they need to get to their physician. In some cases, a person might get in a car accident and sustain an injury. They might feel minor back pain and decide that they do not need medical attention. However, that pain might worsen and an individual might decide to seek medical attention after all. Despite the consistent nature of their back pain, an insurance company may say that the pain is not that severe because the person put off seeing a doctor.

The quicker someone sees a doctor, the better the individual’s chance is of healing. The doctor’s number one priority is to make sure that the victim gets well so that they can get back to their lives. Plus, from a legal standpoint, going to a physician is a way of documenting the injury and helps an individual build their case.

Documentation of Injuries

If a person goes to the doctor early on and the doctor says that the person is going to be okay, that is fine. However, if the doctor says that the individual is not okay, they now have documentation that their back was hurting, and proof that it happened within a certain time frame. This helps a jury understand what a person went through when they are looking at the case.

Consulting an Attorney

Another one of the first steps following a Nashville spinal cord injury that someone should take is to consult a spinal cord injury lawyer. It is easier for attorneys to begin building a personal injury claim, the earlier that they are contacted. It helps lawyers gather evidence to establish liability. Lawyers can deal with the insurance company and help victims with their insurance claim. Personal injury attorneys do not charge the injured party unless they win the case. Furthermore, it is important for individuals to file their claims within the statute of limitations, making contacting a lawyer a necessity.

Actions to Avoid

People should not talk to the insurance company. The insurance adjusters may seem like they are trying to help, but they are on the opposite side of the case from the injured person. If a person talks to the insurance company, they run the risk of the defendant using things that the victim said against them. A person also should avoid social media and, discussing the accident on social media as well. Information posted on social media could be used against the plaintiff too.

How a Nashville Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Prepares for a Case

Lawyers have to prove whose fault the accident is regardless of the kind of injury. The first steps following a Nashville spinal cord injury are to find out who is responsible and gather evidence that proves that responsibility. Evidence could include photographs of the vehicles, photographs of the scene, or video of the scene. Lawyers may want to photograph all of the injured party’s injuries so that a jury can understand how severe they were. Attorneys may also interview witnesses for the accident to make sure they have all their information in order to lock down fault.

Once they have that, the next step depends on the type of injuries sustained by individuals. Lawyers do not want to move too quickly to resolve the case because they want to make sure the person’s damages are understood. They might later need surgery or have more damages, and once the case is settled, it is settled.

It is important to assess the damages by talking to the physicians, talking to the family, and talking to the injured party. Once the lawyer has a good assessment of that, they may try to resolve the case with the insurance company. A determined attorney could devote the time and resources necessary to recover the damages that a person deserves.