Wytheville, VA Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

Wytheville, VA Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer | No Fee Unless Compensation Is Recovered!

Proudly representing the residents of Wytheville and the surrounding communities, including Pulaski, Draper, Atkins, Marion, Woodlawn, Bland, Tazewell, Rural Retreat, Galax, and throughout Virginia.

A spinal cord injury (“SCI”) can change an individual’s life forever, as it often results in debilitation, life-long injuries, or even premature death.  Unfortunately, nearly 300,000 Americans suffer from SCI, and this number is growing by over 17,000 cases annually.

Those seriously injured typically incur significant medical bills, decreased work opportunities, and possibly the inability to continue earning a living.  Extensive and sometimes life-long care may be required to care for an SCI victim, often leading to millions of dollars in medical expenses over a lifetime.  Consequently, many families, who are already dealing with the loss of an income are faced with the unanticipated costs associated with caring for a loved one with a spine injury.

You & Your Family Do Not Have To Face This Alone!

At The Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt, we understand the emotional, physical, and financial devastation that can accompany a serious spinal cord accident and the challenging legal battle many clients face when seeking full and fair compensation.

If you or a family member has suffered a spinal cord injury caused by someone else’s negligence, we invite you to call our office to schedule a complimentary consultation with experienced Wytheville spinal cord injury lawyer and trial attorney Mark Hurt to learn how he can seek maximum compensation from all those who are liable.

Damages For Spinal Cord Injury in Virginia

Often, multiple parties are liable for a single incident, especially in automobile crashes.  In such situations, Virginia follows what is known as a “pure contributory negligence” rule.  Under the law, an individual must be without fault to recover, meaning that being even 1% responsible can prevent a person from recovering compensation for a spinal cord injury.

Because of Virginia’s strict contributory negligence rule, compiling evidence and building a compelling case that shows the other party (or parties) are 100% at fault can be vital.  With more than two decades of experience representing injury victims and families, firm-founding attorney Mark Hurt can assess the facts of your case and tenaciously seek the maximum compensation possible for your injuries and losses.

What Types of Damages Can a Spinal Cord Injury Victim Recover?

If successful, a victim of a spinal cord injury may be entitled to compensation for some or all of the following:

• Medical Bills
• Prescription Drugs
• ER Visits
• Rehabilitation
• Lost Income
• Lost Future Earning Potential
• Non-Economic Damages (e.g., pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, etc.)
• Punitive Damages (in particularly egregious cases)

Recovering for a Wrongful Death Resulting from a Spinal Cord Injury

Tragically, spinal cord injuries can ultimately result in death.  At The Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt, we also represent families whose loved ones tragically died as a result of a spine injury.  Virginia law has strict requirements concerning what family members are entitled to recover in a wrongful death case, so if a loved one died as the result of a spinal cord injury, we invite you to contact our firm to determine how the law will apply in your case.

Importantly, in severe spinal cord injuries (including those that result in paralysis), a death may not occur until years after an injury.  Thus, in some cases, it may be possible to recover compensation for a wrongful death well after an injury has occurred so long as the injury was the direct cause of death.

What are Common Causes of Virginia Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Accidents?

Spinal cord injury is trauma to the spinal cord that results in temporary or permanent changes in the spinal cord’s autonomic, motor, or sensory function. People who suffer from an SCI often have permanent and profound neurological deficits and impairments.

SCI can be caused in almost limitless ways, but there are a number of common causes of spinal cord injury accidents in Virginia, including:

• Car, truck, taxi, motorcycle crashes
• Bicycling and pedestrian collisions with vehicles
• Sports injuries, particularly football and other high-contact sports, as well as diving and water-sport injuries
• Criminal violence (including shootings and stabbings)
• Work-related accidents
• Slip and falls

The spine is a foundational part of the body, and damage to the spinal column can affect other parts of the body.  For instance, if you injure your spine, you may experience paralysis of the lower extremities. As an experienced SCI lawyer, Mark Hurt will seek compensation for both primary and secondary conditions associated with a spine injury.

What Are The Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injuries?

Complete SCI, which accounts for nearly 50% of all SCIs, results in total loss of motor control and sensory function below the level of an injury.  On the other hand, in an incomplete SCI, an individual retains some level of function below the primary injury.

SCIs are categorized according to the following American Spinal Injury Association (“ASIA”) grading scale:

• A – Complete spinal cord injury with no function
• B – Sensory incomplete injury with complete motor function loss
• C – Motor incomplete injury with some movement, but less than half the muscle groups are capable of lifting up with a full range of motion (commonly referred to as “anti-gravity”)
• D – Motor incomplete injury with more than half the muscle groups are anti-gravity
• E – Normal

Regardless of your level of impairment, if you or a loved one suffered a debilitating SCI caused by someone else’s negligence, you deserve justice and compensation for your losses.  As a spinal cord lawyer practicing in Wytheville and the surrounding communities, attorney Mark Hurt can utilize his extensive experience to help develop a compelling case, negotiate a settlement, or take a case to trial (if a fair settlement is not forthcoming) to seek justice and compensation for your damages and/or those of your family.

How Long Do I Have To File A Complaint For An SCI?

After suffering an SCI, many people are so consumed with their injuries and mounting medical bills that they neglect to timely reach out to an attorney.  Time is of the essence when it comes to personal injury claims, and not reaching out to an experienced Virginia personal injury lawyer can be costly.

Under Virginia law, injured victims generally have only two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury claim (this time limit is referred to as the “statute of limitations”).  If this deadline is missed, in most cases, the individual will be barred from being able to file a lawsuit seeking compensation.

In addition to the statute of limitations, there are often critical evidentiary matters that ideally should get started as soon as possible.  As an example, in-vehicle crashes, it will be important to have a court order impounding the crashed vehicles so that the event recorders (or “black boxes”) in the vehicles can be retrieved before the vehicles are destroyed at a scrap yard.  An accident scene should also be examined as soon as possible before conditions change, such as skid marks disappearing or crashed poles being fixed.

As a result, we urge you to contact The Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt at your earliest convenience so that we can timely file a claim on your behalf, protect your rights, and begin the evidence collection and scene investigation process.

Under very limited circumstances, Virginia makes exceptions to the statutes of limitations.  For example, if an injury is not readily apparent, the deadline may be delayed until the date at which a victim first becomes aware of being injured (or should have reasonably known of the injury). As another example, if someone is mentally incompetent or underage and unable to legally or competently represent himself or herself (such as if an injury victim is in a coma and guardianship has not been established), Virginia will toll the date until a later date.  If you would like to file a claim or if you have any questions regarding the statute of limitations, we invite you to call our office to learn more about your legal rights and options.

Let Experienced Wytheville Spinal Cord Injury Attorney Mark Hurt Seek Full Compensation For You.

At The Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt, we have successfully recovered millions of dollars for clients, both through settlements and trial.  Call our office to schedule a free consultation with injury attorney Mark Hurt and learn how he and our firm can represent you or your family.  We represent SCI victims and the families who have suffered from an SCI wrongful death on a contingency fee basis, meaning there is no fee unless compensation is recovered.  Further, we advance all litigation costs and expenses while a case is ongoing (these are typically fully covered by a settlement or jury award).