West Palm Beach Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
Florida Workers’ Compensation Attorneys for on-the-job Spinal Cord Injury
Neck and back injuries on the job can be very painful and prevent the employee from working for a significant period of time by severely restricting the worker’s ability to move about. One of the most serious back or neck injuries is a spinal cord injury, which at its most severe can render a worker permanently immobile. No matter how severe your spinal cord injury, the West Palm Beach spinal cord injury lawyers at Nicole Hessen, P.A. will fight to get you the highest level of benefits available to help you deal with your injury and ensure you get the care you need.
Causes and Types of Spinal Cord Injury in the Workplace
Falls are some of the most common and most serious types of workplace accidents which happen. Falls may occur due to a scaffold collapse or defective ladder, or a trip and fall into an open, unguarded trench. They may also occur from something as simple as an obstruction on the ground, which could occur at a construction site, on a factory floor or at any workplace. Lifting heavy objects can cause back injury, such as a pinched nerve or a herniated, bulging or ruptured disc. These types of injuries may occur due to a single instance or as a result of repetitive trauma. Other common causes of spinal cord injury on the job include being caught in or between machinery, under an overturned forklift, or in a work-related motor vehicle accident.
The severity of a spinal cord injury may depend upon whether the nerves in the spinal cord are pinched between vertebrae or are actually cut or completely severed. The severity of the injury also depends upon the location of the injury; an injury which occurs at a higher point along the spine (cervical or thoracic regions) is much more serious than an injury in the lower back (lumbar region). A spinal cord injury victim could experience any of the following:
- Pain
- Numbness
- Loss of muscular coordination or ability
- Partial paralysis
- Paraplegia
- Quadriplegia
Spinal Cord Injuries are Among the Most Costly
In most cases and in the most severe cases, a spinal cord injury is permanent. A worker with a spinal cord injury is more likely to be rated as permanently and totally disabled, and to have medical needs and expenses that last a lifetime. The individual may require nursing care ranging from in-home visitation to full-time residence in a skilled nursing facility. Other expenses may include modifications to the home environment and vehicles for mobility, along with assistive technology and adaptive devices. At Nicole Hessen, P.A., our Florida workers’ compensation attorneys have decades of experience representing injured workers only. We understand how to investigate and document a worker’s need for benefits based on the lifetime of additional costs they may expect. We take on employers and insurance companies when they try to downplay the serious nature of an injury and offer less than the full amount of benefits needed.
Get Help after a Spinal Cord Injury on the Job in Florida
For a free consultation regarding your Florida workers’ compensation claim, call Nicole Hessen, P.A. in West Palm Beach at 561-246-6666. Evening or weekend meetings are available by appointment, and Spanish language services are available.
