Catastrophic injuries to the brain or spinal cord can change lives in the blink of an eye, turning what used to be ordinary into a nightmare that’s impossible for most people to imagine until they or someone they love is right in the middle of it. We’ve been working with people and families for years who’ve been dealing with the aftermath of these terrible injuries, and every single day we see just how much these events can warp every single part of life. The physical damage is often pretty bad and can stick with you for the rest of your life. Throw in the emotional anguish, changes in thinking, financial worries, loss of independence and the fear of what’s going to happen next, no, none of that is something anyone should have to deal with on their own. A slip and fall lawyer helps individuals injured due to unsafe property conditions. Falls can result in broken bones, head injuries, or long-term pain. An experienced lawyer can assess liability and seek compensation for your losses.
Brain injuries happen all the time in all sorts of ways. Traumatic brain injuries are common in car accidents, motorcycle crashes, pedestrian knockdowns, slips and falls, workplace accidents, construction site mishaps, sports injuries and violent attacks. They can range from a mild concussion to something much more severe that needs emergency surgery right away. The brain is a very fragile and incredibly complicated piece of kit that does everything from keeping our basic bodily functions in check right down to thinking, feeling and being aware. Symptoms of a brain injury depend on where exactly the damage is and how bad it is, if someone just has physical symptoms, that might mean headaches, dizziness, trouble with balance, seeing or hearing issues, or motor coordination problems. On the other hand, some people’s brains get knocked around so badly that it has a serious impact on their memory, concentration, processing speed, language or ability to think and plan things out. And then of course, there are the changes in mood and behavior, the depression, anxiety, mood swings, irritability or other changes in behavior that can make life at home and in general just about unbearable. Brain and spinal cord injuries often have life-altering consequences. Victims may face long-term rehabilitation, reduced mobility, or cognitive challenges. Legal support can help secure compensation for medical care and future needs.
A spinal cord injury is one of the most feared of all catastrophic injuries because it can leave you unable to move and live on your own for the rest of your life. The spinal cord is like the messenger between your brain and the rest of the body, it carries all the vital information from your brain to the rest of you, controlling movement, sensation and autonomic functions like breathing and heart rate. When that gets damaged, communication can be cut off, which can leave you with a partial or complete loss of function below the injury site. Complete spinal cord injuries can leave you completely paralyzed below where you got hurt, although incomplete injuries may leave some function intact. Where exactly you got hurt determines which bits of you are affected, if it’s your neck, you can lose the use of all four limbs and need help breathing. If it’s your back, you may lose the use of your trunk and legs, and if it’s your lower back, it’s just the lower parts of your body. And then of course there are the other problems that come with a spinal cord injury, like persistent pain, muscle spasms, problems with bladder and bowel control, sex, skin ulcers, respiratory issues, blood clots and a bunch of other potentially life threatening health problems that just seem to keep piling up.
The financial cost of brain and spinal cord injuries is just eye-watering and keeps climbing throughout the person’s life. Emergency medical treatment involving an ambulance ride, trauma care, imaging, surgery, and ICU can set you back hundreds of thousands of dollars in those first few weeks alone. Inpatient rehab clinics dish out the hard-hitting multidisciplinary therapy aimed at getting the most recovery possible but costs thousands and thousands per day for months at a time. Outpatient therapy, all those doctor visits, prescriptions, and medical supplies just keep coming long after you thought things were over. Specialized equipment like fancy wheelchairs, communication devices, environmental controls, hospital beds, and patient lifts is a long-term financial strain. Many homes need to be gut-renovated with ramps, accessible bathrooms, wider doors, and adapted living areas, or people end up having to up sticks and move into an accessible home. For those who can’t manage even the everyday basics on their own, personal care attendants become a must, but the cost of 24 hour care can far outstrip what most people earn in a year and keeps going for decades. Lost income adds to the financial devastation, since many people with catastrophic injuries can’t go back to their old job or find any kind of gainful employment.
At Singer Katz, we specialise in helping people who have suffered brain and spinal cord injuries get the compensation they need and deserve. We know that money can’t undo the harm done or bring back what was lost, but getting some financial stability can make a huge difference by allowing for top-notch medical care and rehab, getting the right equipment and making home modifications, funding professional care and creating a financial safety net that lets injured people and their families focus on adapting to a new reality rather than being constantly stressed about money. Our commitment is to hold those who were careless accountable and fight tooth and nail for the maximum payout that takes into account all the different kinds of damage that have been done.
Building solid brain and spinal cord injury cases needs a lot of legwork, meticulous record-keeping, and persuasive testimony from experts. We work closely with medical specialists who can break down what happened to the brain or spine, the treatment received, existing limitations, and what the future holds, all in a way that makes sense to judges and juries. We work with rehab pros to show how much the individual has healed, and what lasting limitations they face. Life care planners with experience in these kinds of cases take the long view and work out the costs of ongoing medical treatment, equipment, home modifications, and care over the injured person’s lifetime. Vocational rehab experts figure out what earning capacity has been lost due to the injury. By bringing all these different experts together, we can build a case that shows how the accident has affected every area of our clients’ lives.
Insurance companies know that catastrophic injury cases can end up in multi-million-dollar payouts, so they really fight these cases hard. They might try to wriggle out of liability, downplay the severity of the injuries, say the person will recover more than we think, or claim that previous conditions led to the current problems. They often make an early offer to try and wrap up the case before it’s too late and people realize the full extent of what they will need in the long term. These offers may look like a lot, but they usually come nowhere near covering all of the injured person’s lifetime costs. Having a lawyer on your side stops you going for these weak settlements and means someone with experience is fighting for your full entitlement.
Time is a big factor in these kinds of injury cases. Physical evidence from the accident scene can disappear, witnesses get harder to track down, memories fade and laws called statutes of limitations say how long you have to make your claim. If you miss these deadlines, you’ll never be able to make a claim for compensation. The sooner you get in touch with us after a brain or spinal cord injury, the better we will be at preserving the evidence and building the strongest case possible.
It can be a nightmare dealing with all the paperwork and hassle of a legal case when you’re already dealing with life altering injuries and everything that comes with them. Hospital visits, therapy sessions, managing complications, adjusting to new limitations and just getting by each day take up all your energy and focus. Our role is to deal with the nuts and bolts of the case so you don’t have to. We deal with the insurance companies, figure out what happened, gather evidence, consult experts, negotiate settlements, and if need be, take the case to trial. You should be able to get on with your recovery and adapting to life without having to worry about the legal side.
Financial worries often stop people from getting the legal help they need when they need it most. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay a penny upfront and we only get paid if we get you some compensation. This way, we can make sure that people get the help they need, no matter what their financial situation is.
Ottawa is our home, where we’ve built our firm on a foundation of compassion, put to use a bunch of specialized skills, and a steadfast commitment to people who’ve been left reeling by life-changing injuries. We get just how devastating brain and spine injuries can be, not just for the individuals who suffered them, but for their whole family too. We show up to every case with a deep understanding and empathy, because we know that’s what people in these situations need. We go after maximum compensation for our clients, but we don’t forget to treat them with the kindness, patience, and genuine understanding they deserve, even on their worst day.
At Singer Katz, we genuinely believe that anyone who’s been horribly hurt because someone else didn’t take care will need rock solid legal backing, and a way to get the resources they need to start rebuilding their life, no matter how daunting that feels. If you or someone you care about has got a brain or spine injury in Ottawa, we’re here to help guide you through this nightmare. Please give us a call for a chat, we’re here to listen to your story, answer your questions, break down your rights and options, and help you figure out what’s coming next.
