A severe brain or spinal cord injury leaves a permanent, long-lasting mark, its effects aren’t just confined to the immediate medical emergency. It reaches into every area of someone’s life and wreaks havoc. Our work is all about helping people get through the utterly overwhelming aftermath of these heartbreaking tragedies, and every day we see how deeply these events can change a person’s life forever. The physical damage is often catastrophic and long-lasting, but throw in emotional anguish, cognitive shifts, financial disaster, loss of independence and a constant, paralyzing fear of what the future holds, and you’ve got a whole load of problems that no one should have to face alone or without fierce support. 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 can happen in some pretty ordinary ways, whether it’s a horrific car crash, a run-in with a motorbike, a tumble at work, a construction site mishap, a slip on a banana peel, a nasty bike accident, a sporting injury or even a brutal attack. But the truth is, the human brain is an incredibly delicate, intricate piece of kit. It controls literally everything from the most basic functions like breathing and moving around to the higher-end thinking stuff, personality, emotions, and even our awareness of the world around us. The effects of a brain injury depend entirely on which bits got hurt and how severe the impact was. Some common physical symptoms are constant headaches, dizziness, balance issues, vision or hearing loss, loss of coordination, weakness or paralysis, seizures, the list goes on, and even being exhausted all the time makes doing even the most mundane chores feel like running a marathon. Cognitive impairment can really make everyday life tough, not being able to remember stuff, focus, absorb new information, put words together, make decisions, think clearly or solve problems, which are all pretty crucial for work and everyday life. Changes in emotions and behavior, like feeling really low, anxious, impatient, moody, impulsive or even fundamentally changing who you are, make life even harder still, not just for the person who’s been hurt, but for everyone around them. 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.
Spinal cord injuries are, of course, one of the scariest possible injuries because they can lead to permanent paralysis and an enormous loss of freedom. The spinal cord is the vital link between the brain and the rest of the body, and it controls all the voluntary movement, sensation and essential autonomic functions like breathing, heart rate, blood pressure and digestion. But when this super-important channel gets damaged by a fracture, dislocation, bruising or compression of the vertebrae that protect it, the communication between the brain and the rest of the body gets knocked off track. This can lead to partial or complete loss of function below the injury site, and how bad it is depends on the severity of the injury. Complete spinal cord injuries can take away all movement and sensation below the damage, but it may just leave some abilities intact in an incomplete injury. The extent of the injury determines which bits of the body get affected. For instance, a very high cervical injury can lead to quadriplegia, where all four limbs are paralyzed and breathing becomes a major issue, and a thoracic or lumbar injury can lead to paraplegia, where the trunk, legs and lower body get affected. And let’s not forget about the chronic pain, muscle spasms, loss of bladder and bowel control, sexual dysfunction, pressure ulcers, respiratory problems, cardiovascular problems, autonomic dysreflexia, blood clots and a greatly increased risk of infections, all the secondary health problems that come with spinal cord injuries.
The economic effects of a brain or spinal cord injury are truly staggering and can be overwhelming for the rest of the person’s life. In the first few weeks, you’re likely looking at bills running into hundreds of thousands of dollars just for emergency medical services, things like ambulance transport, trauma care, imaging, surgery, and intensive care. Then there are the costs of inpatient rehabilitation clinics which can run thousands of dollars a day and drag on for weeks or even months. And as for outpatient therapy and doctor’s visits, prescription medication, and medical supplies, well, those are expenses you’ll be facing for the rest of your life. And then there’s the cost of specialized equipment, like high end wheelchairs, communication devices, and adaptive technology, which not only costs a pretty penny upfront but also needs to be replaced every now and again. And if you’re lucky enough to be able to stay in your own home, you may still need to make some pretty significant changes to the place to make it accessible, think ramps, wider doors, and bathrooms that are easy to get to.
If all that isn’t enough, the expense of 24-hour care can be pretty much crippling. We’re talking an expense that can easily exceed what most families make in a year, and it can go on for decades. And lost income, well that just adds insult to injury. Most people with catastrophic injuries just aren’t going to be able to go back to their old job or find a new one.
Here at Singer Katz, our focus is on helping people who have been left with brain and spinal cord injuries get the financial support they need to pay for both short-term and long-term care. Now we know that no amount of money can turn back the clock and undo what’s been done, but having enough money can make a huge difference, it can mean good medical care, equipment and home modifications, professional caregiving, and financial security. That’s a big weight off your mind when you’re already dealing with a serious injury. So we work hard to build strong cases and fight for the maximum amount of money we can get for our clients. Our goal is to make sure you and your family can focus on your quality of life, rather than constantly stressing about money.
Taking on a brain or spinal cord damage lawsuit isn’t exactly easy, it requires doing a lot of research, keeping detailed records, and getting testimony from experts. But that’s what we do at Singer Katz. We work closely with medical experts who can break down the injuries, the treatment you got, any existing limits on what you can do, and your future prognosis in a way that judges and juries can understand. Then there are the rehabilitation professionals who can show what progress you’ve made and what disabilities you’re still stuck with. Life care planners can help us figure out how much it will cost to keep you going over the rest of your life in terms of medical care, equipment, and other expenses. And vocational rehabilitation experts can help us figure out how much money you’ve lost as a result of your injury. And finally we have economic specialists who put all of these factors together to give us a complete picture of the financial impact on your life.
Insurance companies are pretty well aware that catastrophic injury cases can lead to big settlements or verdicts, sometimes running into the millions, which is why they fight these claims so hard. They may try to dispute who was at fault for the accident, how bad your injuries are, whether you’ll actually recover faster than our experts think, or whether any pre-existing conditions made things worse for you. They might even try to get you to settle quickly with an offer that doesn’t even begin to cover your lifetime costs. But we’re here to make sure you don’t get taken advantage of and get the compensation you deserve.
Time is of the essence when it comes to these kinds of cases. Physical evidence from the accident site might disappear, witnesses can become harder to track down, memories can fade, and there are even laws called statutes of limitations which put a time limit on when you can file a case. If you miss those deadlines, you can forget about getting any money back, ever. So the sooner we can talk to you after your injury, the better chance we have of keeping all the relevant evidence and building a strong case for you.
It’s not always easy to deal with the legal side of things when you’re already dealing with a serious injury and all the challenges that come with it. You’ve got to put all your energy and effort into going to the doctor, going to therapy, dealing with all the changes to your life and just getting through each day. That’s why we take care of the legal side of things so you don’t have to worry about it. We deal with the insurance companies, look into what happened, gather evidence, talk to specialists, work out settlements, and if it gets to it, take the case to court, all so you can focus on getting better and trying to adjust to your new situation.
People who’ve been hurt often can’t get the legal support they so desperately need because they’re stuck worrying about the cost, just when they need it most. We run on a contingency fee basis, so you don’t have to pay a single penny upfront. We only get paid if we actually win your case and get you the cash you’re owed. That way, we make sure that anyone, regardless of their financial situation, can get top-notch legal help when they need it, and in a way that’s completely in line with your best interests.
In Sault Ste. Marie, we’ve built our practice around serving individuals who’ve been left reeling after suffering life-changing injuries, bringing to bear our specialized knowledge and an unwavering commitment to helping them. We know only too well how devastating brain and spinal cord injuries can be for the people who suffer them and their loved ones, and that’s why we do everything we can to treat every single case with the care, compassion and dedication it so desperately needs. We fight tooth and nail for the maximum possible compensation, but at the same time we treat our clients with the respect, patience and genuine understanding they require during a time that’s just about as tough as it gets.
At Singer Katz, we genuinely believe that people who’ve been catastrophically hurt because someone else was careless deserve rock-solid legal support, and the chance to get the resources they need to rebuild their lives as much as they possibly can. If you or someone you care about has suffered a nasty brain or spinal cord injury in Sault Ste. Marie, then give us a shout and we’ll be happy to set up a consultation. We know how gut-wrenching this time can be, so during this really tough period, we’re here to listen to your story, answer your questions, explain what your legal options are and give you a clear idea of what to expect from the whole process ahead.
