Spinal cord injury settlements in Texas can vary widely from case to case. For this reason, it is critical not to base the estimated value of your case on any “average” amount. Spine and back injury settlements can range from $100,000 or less to multiple millions, depending on the severity and permanence of the injury, the insurance coverage available, and many other factors.
Consult with an Austin spinal cord injury attorney at FVF Law Firm to get a no-cost, no-pressure, accurate evaluation of your specific spinal cord injury case.
How Much Is Your Spinal Cord Injury Case Worth?
Rather than asking about average settlements, your questions should be geared toward your own specific spinal cord injury due to the high variability of case values. An analysis of your situation by an experienced personal injury lawyer is the best way to gain an accurate idea of what your settlement or jury verdict could look like.
Factors that affect settlement value include:
- The severity of the injury. Catastrophic spinal cord injuries that result in permanent paralysis lead to higher case values than minor back injuries due to a lifetime of related costs, expenses and losses for the victim.
- The cost of medical care. Medical expenses are a significant portion of most spinal cord injury settlements. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, a case of high tetraplegia (paralysis from the neck down) at age 25 can lead to over $6 million in lifetime health care costs and living expenses.
- Insurance coverage available. Even if a spinal cord injury case is worth a substantial amount of money, there is a practical ceiling on the victim’s ability to recover due to insurance policy limits. However, attorneys may be able to exceed policy limits with aggressive legal strategies and court litigation.
Spinal cord injury case values are based on the specific circumstances. The age and overall health of the victim, whether the case reaches a settlement or goes to trial, the number of defendants or liable parties, the strength of the evidence, and whether or not the individual hires an attorney can all impact overall settlement value.
Types of Damages Available for Spinal Cord Injury Victims
Calculating how much your spinal cord injury case in Texas is worth takes an analysis of your related losses. In Texas, personal injury claims can lead to damages, or financial compensation, for both economic and non-economic losses.
Common examples include:
- Present and future medical expenses
- Therapy, rehabilitation and ongoing care
- Temporary or permanent disability costs
- Lost wages and capacity to earn
- Pain, suffering and emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
- Property damage repairs
- Loss of consortium
- Wrongful death damages, if the victim passes away
Economic damages, or the financial losses suffered by the victim, are calculated using numbers from associated bills and receipts. Non-economic damages, however, are more subjective. This type of award can have any value deemed appropriate by an insurance company or jury. It is typically based on the severity of the spinal cord injury and its effects on the victim’s life.
To find out how much your individual spinal cord injury case in Texas may be worth, contact FVF Law Firm for a no-cost and no-pressure case review.
