SEATTLE SPINAL CORD INJURY ATTORNEYS

The Seattle law firm of Wattel & York has years of experience helping victims of spinal cord injuries and their families move on with their lives in the aftermath of catastrophic accidents. If you or a family member has been afflicted with a spinal cord injury from an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, our skilled, knowledgeable, and dedicated attorneys will fight aggressively on your behalf to ensure that you’ll have the means to get the care, medical treatment, and services you need when your life has been turned upside down by these devastating injuries.

SPINAL CORD DISABILITIES

For many of the roughly 12,000 people who suffer spinal cord injuries in the United States every year, life is permanently changed. A severe injury to the spinal cord usually results in paralysis and confinement to a wheelchair. In the lower part of the spine, it often causes paraplegia, loss of sensation and function in the part of the body below the injury. In the upper part of the spine, it can cause quadriplegia, or loss of function of all four limbs, chest, and abdominal muscles, often making the victim dependent on a ventilator to breathe.

SPINAL CORD INJURY ACCIDENTS

Motor vehicle accidents are the most frequent cause of spinal cord injuries, followed by falls, violence, and sports accidents. Many of these injuries occur as the result of someone else’s negligence, entitling the victim to claim compensation from that person or entity.

These are high-stakes cases because the need is so great for the injured person and family, and the expenses are so high. Insurance companies will do everything possible to avoid paying an adequate settlement to fully cover the victim’s losses. Their goal is to maximize company profits, which means keeping payouts to a minimum. They have well-trained adjusters and legal staff working to minimize their costs.

Because people with severe spinal cord injuries will usually need care for the rest of their lives, and because of the high costs of long-term care of a spinal cord injury victim, it is essential for the victim and family to recover the maximum amount possible. Choosing the right attorney may be one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. In Seattle, that means hiring Wattel & York.

SPINAL CORD INJURY DAMAGES

At Wattel & York, we know that losses in a spinal cord injury accident go way beyond medical expenses and lost earnings. A person with such extensive loss of function suffers in many ways, both physically and emotionally.

If you’ve suffered a spinal cord injury economic damages we’ll seek for you include

  • Cost of medical treatment including emergency room, hospitalization, surgeries and follow-up care, and projected future medical costs
  • Physical, occupational, and psychological therapy for as long as needed
  • Transportation costs
  • Lost earnings and lost earning capacity
  • Costs of outfitting the home to accommodate the disability: installing wheel chair ramps, widening doorframes, etc.
  • Cost of outfitting a vehicle to accommodate disability needs, e.g. installing a wheelchair lift or hand controls.

Non-economic damages we’ll pursue include

  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional anguish, psychological disturbances, stress
  • Disability, disfigurement, lost mobility
  • Loss of enjoyment of life

Because of the complexities and the high stakes in spinal cord injury accidents, you should only hire an experienced attorney with a record of success in catastrophic injury cases.

Nothing can make your life as it was before, but with the help of the dedicated attorneys at Wattel & York, you’ll be able to pick up the pieces and move on.

Call today for a free consultation.