Spinal cord injuries are among the most serious injuries a victim can suffer as a result of a motor vehicle accident. These cases are complicated by the fact that recovery and outcome are often uncertain for months or even years after injury occurs. Securing the services of an experienced Sioux Falls spinal injury lawyer can be critical in these cases.
Anyone suffering a spinal cord injury is best served by immediately contacting a Sioux Falls personal injury lawyer with the experience and resources to handle these complex claims.
At Hoy Law, we have over 150 years of experience dealing with these types of cases. Reach out to us to set up a free case review with a member of our team today.
Spinal Cord Injury Claims
After an accident, hiring an experienced Sioux Falls spinal injury attorney can be critical for protecting your rights and ensuring you recover the money you need and deserve. Your lawyer will take many actions when building your case to secure a favorable case result while you focus your attention on healing from your injuries.
Fault and Liability
One of the most important early steps your attorney will need to take in your case is to determine fault and liability in your case. The mandatory minimum insurance law in South Dakota is set at just $25,000 bodily injury coverage per victim. This coverage will be totally inadequate in cases of spinal injury.
Because of this, your Sioux Falls Spinal Injury Lawyer must look to other sources beyond the at-fault party’s insurance provider for compensation in most cases. These attempts to secure compensation may include filing a claim with your own insurance carrier under an uninsured/underinsured motorist claim, as well as claims against the vehicle’s owner, driver, and other identifiable at-fault parties.
Damages
In South Dakota, the law recognizes a wide variety of compensatory damages for injury victims seeking compensation. If you suffered a spinal injury, you will likely be able to recover a wide range of damages. Identifying all the damages that apply is critical for recovering the full amount of your claim.
Economic damages include all of the losses you sustained that had a direct impact on your finances. These damages include both money you were forced to spend and money you were unable to earn as a result of your injury. Common economic damages include:
- Medical bills
- Future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Lost earning ability
Non-economic damages are more focused on the losses you suffer that impact your quality of life, rather than your finances. Common non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Emotional distress
- Permanent disability
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of consortium
For a free legal consultation with a spinal cord injury lawyer serving Sioux Falls, call 605-334-8900
Taking on an Insurance Company After an Accident
Spinal cord injury claims are among the most costly types of claims handled by auto insurers. Your claim will be assigned to a veteran team of experienced investigators, adjusters, and legal and medical experts with the single goal of minimizing the amount they have to pay for your injury. An experienced Sioux Falls medical bills lawyer can help you deal with insurers.
The Christopher Reeve’s Foundation, named after the actor, paralyzed in a horse-riding accident, estimates initial costs of a spinal injury to be $347,000 to more than $1 million, depending on severity, with annual costs between $42,000 and nearly $200,000. With catastrophic injury claims of this nature, it is rare for a single insurance policy to adequately compensate victims.
In many cases, the liability is so great that insurance companies may quickly offer to pay the full policy limits, claiming that is the most a victim and family could receive. Signing paperwork or waivers could significantly reduce or eliminate your rights to additional compensation. Hiring a spinal injury lawyer in Sioux Falls to deal with the insurer is the best way to protect yourself.
Sioux Falls Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Near Me 605-334-8900
Pay Attention to All Applicable Deadlines When Filing a Spinal Injury Lawsuit
When attempting to recover compensation after suffering a spinal injury, it is critical that you pay attention to the filing deadline. In South Dakota, injury victims have three years to file a lawsuit under the state’s personal injury statute of limitations. Missing this filing deadline will likely result in the loss of your right to recover compensation.
However, an exception may apply in your case that could allow you to file later than the standard deadline. Alternatively, you could find that you only have a matter of months to take legal action rather than the standard three years.
Hiring an experienced spinal injury lawyer serving Sioux Falls shortly after your accident is the best way to ensure you are aware of all the deadlines in your case and get all your paperwork filed on time. Your attorney will determine whether any exceptions apply and prepare and file all the required documents prior to the filing deadline.
Click to contact our Sioux Falls Personal Injury Lawyers today
Reach Out to an Experienced Spinal Injury Attorney Serving Sioux Falls Today
At Hoy Law, we understand the life-changing nature of these types of injuries and work from day one to protect victims and families at each stage of the process, so they can focus on recovery. With over 150 years of experience in personal injury law, there is nothing that can come up in your case that we haven’t seen before.
We represent clients in Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, and the surrounding areas, including Lincoln, McCook, and Turner counties, as well as Baltic, Beresford, Brandon, Canton, Crooks, Dell Rapids, Garretson, Harrisburg, Hartford, Lennox, Montrose, Salem, Tea, and Worthing.
If you or a loved one has been injured, contact us to speak with one of our lawyers today. Give us a call or complete our online contact form for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights.
Call or text 605-334-8900 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
