Large Settlements for Spinal Cord Injuries Lawsuits

If you have suffered a spinal cord injury in North Carolina, you might be entitled to compensation for your injuries. You may be wondering whether it is worth looking into filing a personal injury lawsuit and how a personal injury lawsuit could benefit you. At Arnold & Smith, PLLC, we have represented many personal injury clients in North Carolina and are available to discuss your options regarding a personal injury lawsuit.

We can help you determine whether or not you have a personal injury case for your spinal cord injury. Contact our Charlotte personal injury lawsuit today to schedule your case evaluation. Below are some examples of different types of spinal cord injury lawsuits and settlements for spinal cord injuries across the country, that could also occur in North Carolina. It is important to note that state laws differ on recover for personal injury lawsuits, so these results are not guaranteed in North Carolina.

Some spinal cord injuries result from accidents such as recreational accidents or motor vehicle accidents. Other spinal cord injuries are caused by intentional acts of violence. Recently, a Florida prison inmate suffered a severe spinal cord injury after a correctional officer beat her. Eyewitnesses told investigators that the guards told them to look away while the inmate was being beaten. They were not sure whether the woman was dead after the beating.

While the woman did have pre-existing back and hip injuries, the beating caused her to become a quadriplegic. Now, the Department of Corrections does not have adequate treatment to care for her quadriplegia. An examining doctor found a spinal cord injury, bone fractures, and ongoing medical complications. She is now completely bed-bound in prison. A civil lawsuit is now pending and she is expected to recover a large amount from the Department of Corrections.

In 2012, a Minneapolis man was walking to work. Two officers pulled him over and ordered him to "come here." A foot chase ensured, with one police officer chasing him and another officer continuing in pursuit in an unmarked police car. According to the lawsuit, the suspect stopped running in an alleyway and surrendered. An officer allegedly fired his weapon multiple times at the suspect from 25 feet away.

Allegedly, after shooting him in the back, the officers placed him in handcuffs before requesting any medical attention. The lawsuit goes on to allege that the officers picked him up by his waistband and then dropped him. He suffered serious spinal cord injuries and is now paralyzed from the waist down. His personal injury lawsuit alleged medical neglect and failure to follow the correct police procedures. The plaintiff's initial demand for his personal injury lawsuit was $28 million. He is now in line to receive a $10 million dollar settlement from the City of Chicago.

A jury in California recently awarded a 10-year-old boy and his mother $113.4 million after child abuse left the boy with severe spinal cord injuries that rendered him a quadriplegic. The boy and his mother filed the lawsuit against San Bernardino County. The lawsuit alleged that the Children and Family Services negligently allowed the boy to be severely beaten by his father.

The lawsuit stated that the social worker did not protect the boy from serious abuse caused by his father and his father's girlfriend. The girlfriend is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence for beating another child. The boy is now permanently confined to a wheelchair and has permanent cognitive disabilities. He is permanently incontinent and will need constant medical care for the rest of his life.

The social worker allegedly failed to investigate and follow up on child abuse allegations reported by a sheriff's deputy. The social worker did not open up an investigation. Instead, she ended the investigation. Six months later, the boy became catastrophically injured and has now suffered permanent brain damage. This jury award is the largest jury award given to a single plaintiff in the state of California.

The jury awarded $100 million for pain and suffering, nearly $10 million for current and future medical expenses, $2.9 million for loss of future earnings, and over $600,000 for past medical expenses. The jury found the state's Department of Children and Family Services to be 85% at-fault for boy's spinal cord injuries. The father and girlfriend were found to be 15% at fault.

Filing a personal injury lawsuit is one way that injured parties can attempt to recover their significant medical costs. Personal injury plaintiff's can recover large sums, but not in all cases. Contact the skilled personal injury lawyers at Arnold & Smith, PLLC as soon as possible to schedule your case evaluation.