Our Omaha Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys Are Ready To Stand With You
Spinal cord injuries are one of the most catastrophic injuries a person can experience. Aside from the physical trauma, it can cause lasting financial and emotional hardship. When this happens to you or a family member, you need lawyers who are prepared to fight for your future and your family’s well-being.
At Walz Law Offices, our spinal cord injury attorneys represent injured workers and their families in Omaha and across Nebraska. We have a strong track record of serving diverse immigrant communities working in high-risk industrial sectors, helping them secure the compensation they deserve.
Understanding The Different Kinds Of Spinal Cord Injuries
When you suffer a neck and back injury, the severity depends on two main factors: its location on your spine and the extent of the damage. Our spinal cord injury lawyers have worked with personal injury cases that involved:
- Complete and incomplete spinal cord injuries: In a complete injury, a person experiences a total loss of motor and sensory function below the point of trauma. With an incomplete injury, some function and feeling remain below the injury site.
- Cervical injuries: A cervical spine injury in the neck (C1-C8) can cause quadriplegia, which is paralysis in all four limbs and the torso.
- Thoracic and lumbar injuries: A thoracic or lumbar spine injury in the chest or lower back (T1-L5) can result in paraplegia, which is paralysis affecting the lower half of the body.
- Cauda equina syndrome: This devastating injury happens due to the compression of the nerve roots at the bottom of the spinal cord, leading to a loss of bladder and bowel control, and paralysis in the legs.
These spinal cord injuries often occur in industrial workplaces. Workers in the meatpacking industry or commercial feedlots are particularly at risk, since their work typically involves heavy machinery or working at heights.
Truck drivers can also be at risk, especially in commercial vehicle accidents along Nebraska’s I-80 corridor. As your spinal cord injury attorneys, we will meticulously review the details of your case to identify and prove the cause of your injury.
Combating Insurance Company Tactics
In most cases, insurance companies may try to minimize the value of your claim. Common strategies they use include:
- Surveillance through private investigators, who will try to find evidence to disprove the severity of your paralysis
- Disputing the extent of your paralysis and denying the need for long-term care
- Blaming the severity of your injury on preexisting conditions, especially for workers like long-haul drivers with chronic back pain
- Pressuring you to accept a fast, lowball settlement before the full scope of your future care is known
Our spinal cord injury attorneys will prepare a comprehensive medical and financial narrative that documents every aspect of your life before and after the injury, leaving no room for the insurance company to misinterpret your daily struggles.
Addressing The Full Financial And Emotional Impact
Aside from your lost income and long-term medical costs, our attorneys will also help you pursue damages such as:
- Loss of consortium: Spouses may suffer a loss of companionship, intimacy and the normal dynamics of their relationship.
- Psychological impact on children: Children might experience significant psychological trauma as they watch a parent’s life change forever.
- Caregiver expenses: Family members often become full-time caregivers, sacrificing their careers and financial stability to provide support.
A catastrophic spinal cord injury does not just affect the injured person. It can affect the entire family. The physical and emotional trauma can cause a ripple effect that changes the lives of spouses and children. Our lawyers understand these profound and difficult changes, and will fight to secure the resources your family needs.
Frequently Asked Questions About Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries are complicated, and so are the legal issues that follow. Below are answers to some of the questions we often hear from clients:
How do you determine if your spinal cord injuries qualify for both workers’ compensation and personal injury claims?
A single incident can result in both a workers’ compensation claim and a personal injury claim, depending on the circumstances. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system that provides benefits for injuries that happen while you are on the job. A personal injury claim is a lawsuit that holds a third party – anyone other than your employer or a coworker – responsible for your injuries.
For example, if you were injured by a defective machine at a meatpacking facility in Omaha or on a farm in rural Nebraska, you could file a workers’ compensation claim as well as a personal injury claim against the manufacturer of the faulty equipment. Filing a personal injury claim can help you recover damages for pain and suffering, which workers’ compensation does not cover.
Can spinal cord injuries affect your immigration status if you are here on a work visa?
No, getting injured on the job and acting on your right to workers’ compensation benefits should not affect your immigration status, or vice versa. Many injured immigrant workers fear that filing a claim will lead to retaliation or deportation. However, the law protects all employees, regardless of their authorization to work.
At Walz Law Offices, our spinal cord injury lawyers are committed to helping you understand your rights and will ensure your legal claim is handled without fear of jeopardizing your immigration status. We provide legal guidance that addresses the specific concerns of immigrant workers in Omaha and across the state, with native Spanish speakers on staff and other multilingual support available.
Can you still file a lawsuit if your spinal cord injury was partially your fault under Nebraska’s comparative negligence law?
Yes, you may still be able to file a lawsuit and recover compensation for your spinal cord injury even if you were partially at fault. However, your negligence must not be greater than the negligence of the party you are suing.
For example, if a jury finds you were 20% at fault for your accident and the other party was 80% at fault, you could still recover 80% of your total damages. Our attorneys will thoroughly investigate your case and build a compelling argument to minimize any percentage of fault assigned to you and prove that the other party’s negligence was the primary cause of your spinal cord injury.
Get The Legal Support You Need: Call Us Today
Spinal cord injuries are life-altering events that require experienced legal counsel. At Walz Law Offices, we understand what you are facing and will work tirelessly to protect your interests. Let our lawyers provide the aggressive and compassionate legal representation you deserve. Contact our Omaha law office today at 402-998-5044 or fill out our online form to schedule a free consultation and discuss your case.