Kentucky Spine & Back Injury Lawyer

A devastating spinal injury can mean months of rehabilitation and a diminished future, both physically and financially. It can also mean medical bills are piling up while you are off work. If you have suffered a serious neck, back, or spine injury, our Pikeville spinal injury lawyer at the Johnson Law Firm can help. Since 1998 we have handled – and won – thousands of difficult injury cases throughout Pikeville from our office in Pikeville.

Our team consists of dedicated and skilled attorneys who know how to fight for our clients. We will hold negligent parties accountable. We are tough and unflinching when pursuing financial compensation for our clients. For a free initial consultation, call us today at 606-437-4488.

WHY YOU NEED OUR PIKEVILLE SPINAL INJURY LAWYER

Our Pikeville spinal cord injury attorney at the Johnson Law Firm understands that numerous back injuries can be life changing. They may range from painful strains to catastrophic spinal cord damage and paralysis.

WE WILL BE ON YOUR SIDE

It is common for an insurance adjuster to call you immediately after an accident that was not your fault. The adjuster may tell you he or she can work to help you receive a fair settlement. However, this rarely occurs. Remember, the insurance adjuster works for the insurance company, not for you. Hiring our team gives you an advocate on your side. Our primary concern is helping you receive the largest possible settlement. When insurance companies try to treat you disrespectfully, we will not tolerate this action. We will represent you with professionalism and honesty, and we will demand the same from the adjusters and lawyers representing the insurer.

RELY ON OUR EXPERIENCE

Throughout our two-plus decades in practice, we have focused on treating our clients like family. Our past clients know how hard we worked on their behalf, and you can count on us to do the same for you. We understand that some injury victims may have hesitancy about working with a personal injury attorney or about testifying in court. We will work hard to put your fears at ease. After you hire us, we will take over the day-to-day work in your case, leaving you time to focus on healing and on your family.

After an injury in a car accident or in another personal injury accident, we can review your case. If we move forward, our law firm has the legal knowledge and financial resources to build a powerful case on your behalf. We will argue it in front of a jury if necessary. Attorney Billy Johnson commits full attention to each of his clients and their families. He knows their future is at stake. He can review your case, explain your legal options, and guide you regarding next steps. For a free initial consultation, call us at 606-437-4488.

WHAT TYPES OF DAMAGES ARE RECOVERABLE IN A SPINAL CORD INJURY CLAIM?

OUR SPINAL INJURY LAWYER EXPLAINS COVERAGE OF PAST AND FUTURE MEDICAL BILLS

Everything from ambulance and emergency room bills, doctor bills, hospital bills, pharmacy and medication costs, and special assistive equipment qualifies for recoverable damages in most spinal injury claims. These medical bills accumulated for your care up to the time of any settlement with an insurance company will be part of the settlement.

In addition, damages in the case cover your estimated future medical costs related to your spinal injury. Our spinal injury lawyer in Pikeville can explain these damages in greater detail. These can include ongoing medical treatment, rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapy, prosthetics, speech therapy, and any other medical support necessary to regain your greatest level of function. In cases with debilitating injuries, these can be fairly large dollar amounts.

LOST WAGES: PAST AND FUTURE

Spending days, weeks, and sometimes months in doctors’ offices or in a hospital bed means lots of time off work. You are left with no money coming in at the same time you could be facing significant expenses related to your medical bills and basic living costs. In a case such as this, our Pikeville spinal cord injury attorney will ask for payment of past lost wages as damages in a lawsuit. Additionally, financial compensation is available for future loss of earnings due to disability, reduced motor function, inability to perform tasks, and various other limitations.

IN-HOME HEALTHCARE AND DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE

Courts recognize that because of your spinal injury, you may need to hire a visiting nurse, physical therapist, or other healthcare aide for in-home care, both now and in the future. These services are costly. In-home healthcare costs can be part of the damage awarded in a spine injury lawsuit. When a spinal injury victim will need lifelong assistance and care, these awards are especially important. Rest assured that our spinal injury attorney in Pikeville will fight hard to give you the settlement you deserve and need in this area.

PAIN AND SUFFERING, INCLUDING MENTAL DISTRESS

Few injuries are as devastating and life-changing as spinal cord injuries. That’s why the legal system often awards pain and suffering damages in settlements and verdicts. We understand that no amount of money can bring back the freedom and good health that you once enjoyed. However, financial compensation can enable you to hire professionals to help you deal with the anxiety, depression, and humiliation that can accompany spinal cord injuries. Emotional distress can be debilitating, especially when compounded by physical damage to your body. Mental anguish can also result as future dreams fade, relationships become strained, and life as you once knew it is gone forever. Our spinal injury lawyers will seek compensation for all that you’ve lost.

LOSS OF COMPANIONSHIP

Compensation for any lost intimacy, love, support, and companionship between you and your spouse because of the injury can be part of the financial settlement you receive. Relationships and marriages frequently suffer strain when one party experiences a catastrophic injury. Loss of consortium damages should compensate your spouse and family for how your injury affected them, as well as for the additional caregiving work they may provide for you going forward.

HOUSE OR CONDO RENOVATIONS

If you have to use a cane or wheelchair because of the spinal injury, or if you need other physical modifications to your dwelling, you can recover these costs in a lawsuit. Removing steps, widening doorways, adding ramps, lowering cabinets, changing window and door fixtures, and securing specialized furniture all can be part of a damages claim. For more information on these potential awards, contact Pikeville spinal injury lawyer Billy Johnson at 606-437-4488.

PUNITIVE DAMAGES

Punitive damages should work to send a message and punish a defendant for negligent actions or faulty products that caused your spinal injury. Ideally, these damages should cause a change in behavior for the negligent party, preventing harm to others. Punitive damages can be large, but they are only appropriate in some cases.

CATEGORIES OF POTENTIAL SPINAL INJURY CLAIMS

NEGLIGENCE

Negligence is the most common form of personal injury claim. It means that one or more parties failed in their duty to act in a reasonable and responsible way. This failure caused injury, harm, or death to another person.

FAULTY/DEFECTIVE PRODUCT

This type of claim happens when a defective product injures an innocent person. Whether it’s a piece of equipment at work, a faulty coffee maker or blender at home, or a vehicle with malfunctioning brakes that causes a crash, these defective products can seriously injure people. Products liability is a major area of consumer law. We can successfully sue manufacturers for creating products that are defective and that injure people.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SPINAL INJURY SETTLEMENT AND A VERDICT?

A spinal injury settlement occurs when an insurance company offers a sum of money to an injured party in exchange for avoiding a courtroom trial. Litigation is expensive and time-consuming. Settling quickly sometimes represents good news for both the insurance company and the injured person. It means you conclude the legal proceedings faster and you receive your money more quickly. Our Pikeville spinal injury lawyer will negotiate aggressively on your behalf with the insurance company. After a little back-and-forth, the hope is that the parties will come up with a dollar amount that everybody agrees to. Settlements are common in these types of cases.

A spinal injury verdict is different. It means you went to trial and won a verdict. We will argue your case in front of a judge and jury, put witnesses on the stand, and may ask you to testify. Typically, a case goes to trial when an insurance company is refusing to negotiate fairly and does not offer a sum that is reasonable. You can consult with us to decide if you want to accept a settlement offer or to take a case to trial.

HOW LONG WILL OUR SPINAL INJURY ATTORNEY IN PIKEVILLE TAKE TO SETTLE A CASE?

The length of time a legal case takes depends on several factors, including how the accident happened, the severity of injuries, the number of potential liable parties, the extent of medical treatments, and a variety of other things. Because each case is unique, it’s impossible to give clients a specific time it will take to settle a case without knowing details. After our spinal injury lawyers talk to you about the details of your case, we may be able to give you a better idea of the potential length of your case.

Regardless of the time involved, rest assured that the Johnson Law Firm will extensively interview witnesses, collect evidence, review police or emergency responder reports, and secure expert witnesses, if needed, to build a strong legal claim on your behalf.

WHAT DOES HIRING OUR PIKEVILLE SPINAL CORD INJURY ATTORNEY COST?

We work on a contingency fee basis, which means we don’t receive payment until you do. If we win a settlement for you, our fee will be a percentage of the final settlement amount in the case. If we don’t win, you owe us nothing. We believe that a person’s lack of resources should never be a reason for them not to receive justice. Because you do not need any money up front to file a claim, you have nothing to lose.

HOW OUR SPINAL INJURY LAWYERS DEAL WITH NECK, BACK, AND SPINE INJURIES

Car crashes or devastating workplace accidents often can result in a painful neck or back injury that limits your mobility and interferes with your everyday tasks – or worse. Back and neck injuries are common in any sort of accident. The human neck, back, and spinal column have natural strength, but they are also quite delicate, with hundreds of thousands of nerves running through them.

If you are having difficulty finding doctors to help with your case, our team can make some recommendations. Through our past cases, we know some of the best doctors in the Pikeville area for treating spinal injuries. Although we focus on helping you receive the financial settlement you deserve after an accident, we ultimately want to see your health improve as much as possible. We are ready to do anything we can to help you in this area.

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF A SPINE INJURY?

A spinal cord accident that results in permanent disability or in loss of movement (paralysis) is a life-changing event. This injury can lead to costly medical bills, lost income, a reduced quality of life, and severe depression.

Courts recognize that when a family’s breadwinner suffers a debilitating injury, far-reaching consequences exist not only for that person but also for the spouse, the children, and extended family members. Lost hours at work, multiple doctor appointments, reduced use of fingers and limbs, and an inability to sit or stand for anything but short periods of time cause great upheaval in the day-to-day life of an injury victim. When another person’s carelessness or negligence led to your diminished quality of life from a spinal injury, the legal system gives you the ability to file and win a lawsuit to recover damages.

WHY IS WHIPLASH SO DANGEROUS?

One of the most common neck injuries is whiplash, which affects millions of people in the U.S. each year. Whiplash occurs when the ligaments and muscles in the neck and back suffer strains and hyperextensions because of a violent jerk or fall. This moves the neck beyond its normal range of motion, leading to whiplash. Essentially, the body continues forward while the neck extends backward until it, too, abruptly jerks or whips forward. Although it’s typically associated with rear-end vehicle collisions, whiplash occurs in other accidents, including:

• Collisions during sports
• Falls
• Assaults
• Recreational activity accidents.

Although the muscle strain may heal after a week or two, pain from this injury can persist for months or even years. Many whiplash injuries also result in concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). These are extremely serious injuries, too, and they should be part of any settlement. Our car accident attorney will represent your interests against an insurance company that is treating you unfairly.

CONTACT OUR SKILLED PIKEVILLE SPINAL INJURY LAWYER WITH A REPUTATION FOR CARING

We have a solid reputation for delivering a caring approach paired with effective legal skills. We understand the difficult situation you and your family are facing after this type of injury. We take the time to understand the facts in your case, along with all of the concerns and worries you may have for the future. All of these items are extremely important in crafting the case we want to present to the insurance company for the negligent party that caused your injury.

Although financial compensation can’t turn back the hands of time, it can pay for your medical care, replace lost wages, and provide for your future needs. Attorney Billy Johnson will aggressively pursue justice on your behalf, and you can focus on your recovery.