It’s people living with severe brain or spinal cord damage who are forced to deal with problems that most of us can’t even begin to imagine, until we go through it ourselves or watch someone we love go through it. We’ve dedicated our lives to helping people and their families cope with the aftermath of these awful injuries, and we see every day just how profoundly they can change lives. The physical toll is just one part of it. Emotional anguish, cognitive changes, loss of independence, financial worries, and not knowing what the future holds all add up to an enormous weight that no one should ever have to carry on their own. Civil litigation involves legal disputes between individuals or organizations. These cases may include contract disputes, property matters, or negligence claims. An experienced lawyer can guide you through the legal process and protect your interests.
There are loads of different kinds of accidents that can cause brain injury, car crashes, truck crashes, bike accidents, slip ups, workplace accidents, sports injuries and attacks. The fact that our skulls protect our brains doesn’t make it any less easy to get hurt. In major incidents, the impact can bruise, bleed, swell or even rupture brain tissue. It all depends on where the damage is and just how bad the trauma was, some people will make a lot of progress over time, while others have to live with injuries that leave them struggling to move, coordinate, speak, see, hear, remember, focus, control their emotions or even seem like a different person altogether. Even relatively minor injuries can cause problems that hang around for years after the accident, making it tough to work, have meaningful relationships, or even enjoy life. Wrongful dismissal claims occur when an employee is terminated without proper notice or valid cause. Employees may be entitled to compensation or severance pay. Legal advice can help determine whether your rights were violated.
Spinal cord injuries are probably some of the worst things that can happen to us. Our spinal cord is the vital link between the brain and body, controlling all our voluntary movements and sensations, and important autonomic functions. When the vertebrae are broken or become dislocated or compressed, this crucial connection can get impaired. That can lead to partial or full paralysis below the injury site. In the worst cases, known as complete injuries, all motor and sensory function gets taken away below the injury, but in other cases, incomplete injuries, you might still have a bit of function. The extent of the damage determines which bits of the body are affected. If you’ve got a higher up cervical injury you could end up with quadriplegia, which leaves you unable to use your arms or legs and needing to be on a ventilator. A lower thoracic or lumbar injury might leave you with paraplegia, which means you can’t walk at all and has all sorts of other health implications like infection, blood clots, breathing problems, and pressure sores.
Families that weren’t ready for a disaster like this can be left utterly financially crippled because of all the problems that come with brain and spine injuries. Just think of it, the medical care right off the bat, ambulance rides, emergency room visits, x-rays, surgeries and ICU time, can run you hundreds of thousands of dollars before you even leave the hospital. And then there’s in-patient rehab, a long and grueling therapy program run by a whole team of professionals, which can cost thousands a day for weeks or even months on end. Then there’s all the outpatient therapy, regular doctor visits, prescriptions and medical equipment you’ll need to keep going, and that’s not even counting the cost of assistive technology like wheelchairs and specialized medical equipment that will need to be replaced over time. And let’s not forget about the home modifications, ramps, wider doorways, bathroom makeovers, that can cost tens of thousands. Many people need personal care attendants just to help them with everyday tasks like washing, dressing, eating and going to the bathroom, and depending on the severity of the injury, that can end up costing hundreds of thousands a year for years to come.
At Singer Katz, we specialize in helping people who have been seriously hurt get the cash they need to cover both short and long term treatment. We know that no amount of money can undo the damage or bring back what’s been lost, but having a safety net can make a huge difference by putting good medical care within reach, getting you the right equipment, professional care givers and financial security for an uncertain future. We make it our mission to hold those who were careless responsible and fight tooth and nail to get our clients every last dollar they are owed.
To win a brain or spinal cord injury case, you need to be prepared to do your homework, keep track of every detail and line up expert testimony that’s hard to argue with. We work with doctors who can give a clear picture of the extent of the damage, the kind of therapy you got, what your restrictions are right now and what the future might hold. We also work with rehab pros who can show what progress has been made in recovery and what disabilities are going to stick around. We’ll bring in life care planners who are experts in figuring out the cost of long term medical needs, home modifications and personal care, we’ll work out what it’ll cost you over the rest of your life. Vocational specialists will look at what kind of work you might’ve done if you hadn’t been injured and what kind of money you could’ve made. By bringing in experts from all these different fields, we can put together a complete picture of how this accident has affected your life.
Insurance companies know that these kinds of cases can end up with huge settlements, so they fight tooth and nail to try and get out of paying what’s owed. They’ll pay their own experts to say that the injuries aren’t as bad as you’re saying, or to try and get the cost of future care down. They’ll dig up pre-existing conditions or other ways to try and shift the blame. They’ll often make big settlement offers that look impressive but don’t come anywhere close to covering your costs over the long term. They’re banking on you not realizing how much you’re going to need in the years to come. Having a lawyer on your side keeps you safe from all that and makes sure someone is fighting hard for your rights.
When it comes to getting money for a catastrophic injury, time really is of the essence. The physical evidence from the accident site can disappear, security footage gets deleted, witnesses move away or forget what they saw, and then there’s the statute of limitations which sets a time limit for filing a case. If you miss that deadline, you can kiss your chances of getting compensation goodbye. The sooner we can get involved the better we can protect your evidence and make the best case for you.
We know how hard it can be to deal with the legal side of things when you’re already dealing with a serious injury and everything that goes with it. You’ve got doctors to see, therapy sessions to attend, problems to fix and just getting through each day is a struggle in itself. We take care of all that legal stuff so you can focus on what really matters, getting better.
A lot of people don’t get the help they need because they’re worried about the cost. At Singer Katz, we work on a contingency fee basis, that means you don’t pay a penny upfront. We only get paid if we win your case and get you the money you’re owed. This approach makes it easier for people to get good legal aid without breaking the bank and makes sure our interests are completely aligned with yours.
In Orangeville, our firm here at Singer Katz has built a reputation on genuine compassion, really getting to know the law inside and out, and a deep commitment to supporting people who’ve been through something truly traumatic, the kind of experience that can leave a lasting impact on their lives. We know just how devastating brain and spinal cord injuries can be for the people who suffer them, and for the loved ones who have to stand by and watch, so we approach every case with the level of care, the level of dedication, that these cases simply demand. We fight tooth and nail for the maximum compensation we can get for our clients, but at the same time, we know that what people need the most during this terrible time is to be treated with a bit of kindness, a bit of patience, and a lot of understanding.
At Singer Katz, we genuinely believe that anyone who’s been badly hurt because someone else was careless deserves top-notch representation and a fair shot at getting back on their feet. If you or someone close to you has suffered a serious brain or spinal cord injury in Orangeville, we’d love to have you get in touch with us for a chat. We’ll sit down, listen to what’s happened, answer any questions you’ve got, lay out your options, and do our best to help figure out what’s next for you in this really tough time.
