When someone suffers a catastrophic brain or spinal cord injury, it blows their whole life apart and sets them on a new, uncertain path. We’ve been helping people and families deal with these kinds of injuries for years now, and every day is a sobering reminder of just how much they can change a person’s life, and not for the better. The physical problems that come with these types of injuries can be just as bad as people say, and they can just drag on and on. But that’s not all, the emotional pain, the cognitive problems, the financial disaster, the loss of independence, and the pure, unadulterated fear of what’s to come, all of that adds up to a burden that’s almost impossible to carry without help, and a whole lot of support from people who know what they’re talking about. Chronic pain and psychological injuries can significantly affect daily life and employment. These injuries are often overlooked but may require extensive treatment. Compensation may be available to cover therapy, medical costs, and lost income.
Brain injury can strike in any number of ways, car and motorcycle wrecks, pedestrian accidents, falls on the job, construction accidents, slip and falls, bike accidents, sports injuries, and even violent attacks. And the brain is pretty much the control center of the whole operation, isn’t it? So when it gets hurt, it’s no wonder that the effects are so far-reaching. What part of the body is affected, and how bad the damage is, all of that determines what kind of problems someone will face, but physical symptoms, cognitive problems and emotional changes are usually a package deal. Chronic headaches, dizziness, trouble walking in a straight line, blurred vision or hearing problems, loss of coordination, muscle weakness, paralysis, seizures, or just a plain old exhaustion that makes everyday tasks like climbing the stairs a major challenge, these are just a few of the things that can happen. And cognitive impairment? That can affect memory, attention span, how fast you process information, how well you communicate, your judgment, your reasoning, all the stuff that makes you, you. And changes in mood and behavior, depression, anxiety, irritability, mood swings, impulsiveness, it’s all just a nightmare to live with, for both the person who’s hurting and the people around them. Pedestrian accidents can cause severe injuries due to the lack of protection for those on foot. Drivers who fail to follow traffic laws may be held responsible. Legal guidance can help injured pedestrians recover damages.
Spinal cord injuries are some of the worst things that can happen to you because they can leave you wheelchair-bound, or worse. The spinal cord is basically the main highway for your brain to talk to the rest of your body. It sends the signals that control your voluntary movements, your senses, and all those automatic things like breathing, heart rate and blood pressure. If the vertebrae get squished, or cracked, or if they get bruised, well, communication can get a little mixed up. That means you might lose some or all of the functions that come after the injury. Complete spinal cord injuries can wipe out all motor and sensory functions below the injury site, while incomplete injuries might still leave you with a bit of feeling. But what actually happens depends on where the injury is. For example, a high-up injury can leave you needing a breathing machine because you can’t use your diaphragm. A lower injury can leave you paralysed from the waist down. But the problems don’t stop with paralysis, there’s also chronic pain, muscle spasms, loss of bladder and bowel control, and a whole lot more. Even just basic things like sex, breathing, and heart problems can get messed up, and you’ve got a lot higher chance of getting infections and all sorts of other nasty secondary health problems.
The economic effects of a brain or spinal cord injury are truly awe-inspiring, and the bad news is that this is a burden that can keep weighing on the person for the rest of their life. Emergency medical care in the first few weeks can be a staggering bill, hundreds of thousands of dollars for ambulance rides, intensive care, surgeries, imaging tests, and other life-saving interventions. Then there’s inpatient rehab, weeks or even months in a clinic where you get to be on the receiving end of all the therapy you need to recover as fully as possible, but it doesn’t come cheap. Thousands a day for weeks at a stretch. After that, the bills just keep piling up, trips to the doctor, prescription medications, medical supplies, all the usual suspects, but now for the rest of your life. And let’s not forget the equipment, specialized wheelchairs, communication devices, environmental control systems, hospital beds, patient lifts, and all the rest. It all costs a pretty penny, and at some point it all needs to be replaced. Which means making changes to your home, ramps, bathrooms that are easy to get in and out of, wider doors, the whole nine yards. If you can’t do it yourself, you might have to move to a place that’s already been made accessible. And if you need personal care attendants because you can’t do basic daily tasks on your own, that’s a whole other level of expense, 24 hour care at a cost of a whole year’s salary. And then there’s the fact that you might never be able to go back to work or find a job that pays well again, so it’s not just the immediate expenses that are a problem.
At Singer Katz, we mostly help people who’ve hurt their brains or spinal cords get the money they need to take care of all of the above. We know that no win in court or settlement is ever going to bring back someone’s health or undo the damage that’s been done. But having enough money in the bank can make all the difference, getting good medical care and rehab, getting the tools and changes you need, paying for a caregiver, and just having the financial security to be able to live well, rather than worrying about the bills all the time.
What we promise to do is make the strongest case we can, and we’ll fight hard for the most money we can get. But to get that money, we need to build a strong case, with a lot of evidence and expert testimony that’s reliable. We work with doctors who can explain in plain English how the injury happened, what therapy you went through, how you’re doing now, and what’s on the horizon for you. We also have life care planners who take a close look at how much you’re going to need in the future, in terms of medical care, equipment, prescriptions, home improvements, and caregiving. And we’ve got experts in rehab who can put a price on what your injury has cost you. And then we’ve got economists who can add it all up, and figure out what you’re entitled to. It’s a pretty detailed process, but the idea is to put together a case that takes into account every single way that your life has been changed by your injury, and to seek out compensation that actually reflects your losses and what you need.
You think insurance companies care about helping you out? Think again. They know that cases like this can end up with big settlements or even big verdicts, millions of dollars, and they’re determined to fight you every step of the way. They might say that they’re not at fault, or that the injuries weren’t as bad as you say, or that you’ll be fine before you know it. Or they might try to slide you a settlement offer that looks good at first, but doesn’t even begin to cover what you’re going to need in the long run. And that’s where we come in. We can help you navigate all of this, and make sure that you don’t get taken advantage of.
Time is of the essence in cases like this. Physical evidence from the accident site can disappear, witnesses can get harder to track down, memories can fade, and then there are the laws that say how long you have to file a case. If you wait too long, you’re out of luck. The sooner we get involved, the better we can protect what we need to prove your case.
To be honest, dealing with all of this can be one of the hardest things you’ve ever done. You’re already struggling with the aftermath of a catastrophic injury, on top of that, you have to navigate the legal side of things. So what we do is take care of that for you, so you can focus on what really matters. We talk to the insurance companies, figure out what happened, gather evidence, talk to the experts, work out a settlement, and if all else fails, take it to court. You shouldn’t have to do all of this on your own, we’re here to help.
People who get hurt should never have to stress about how they can afford good legal advice. We operate on a contingency fee basis, which lets you get started with no upfront costs, and our pay is only determined if we win your case and get you a payout. This way, everyone can get help from a skilled lawyer, regardless of how much money they have in the bank. And it means our success is directly tied to your success, we both win, or we both lose.
In St. Catharines we’ve built our practice on a foundation of genuine care, specialist knowledge and a real commitment to individuals who’ve suffered life-altering injuries. We know just how devastating a brain or spinal cord injury can be to the people who are struggling with it, and to their families too. Every single case we take on gets treated with the level of care and compassion they need. We fight tooth and nail to get the maximum compensation for you, but at the same time we treat you and your family with the respect, patience and real empathy you deserve at this incredibly tough time in your lives.
At Singer Katz, we believe that people who’ve been badly injured through no fault of their own should have access to powerful legal help, and the chance to rebuild their lives as much as possible. If you or a loved one has suffered a brain or spinal cord injury in St. Catharines, we’d love you to get in touch. We’re here to listen, to answer your questions, to explain your rights and options, and just generally help you make sense of this really tough time you’re going through.
