Las Vegas Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys | Ed Bernstein & Associates

Across Las Vegas, accidents happen every day that can result in an innocent victim suffering a spinal cord injury (SCI), from crashes on I-515 to falls on hotel pool decks. Even a seemingly minor incident can cause permanent spinal cord damage, burdening the victim with significant disabilities (including paralysis) and millions of dollars in expenses.

The law may entitle you to significant compensation if you or someone you love suffered a spinal cord injury in Las Vegas. That may require a difficult battle. You will need legal help.

An experienced Las Vegas spinal cord injury lawyer at Edward Bernstein and Associates can evaluate your case and advise you of your legal options.

Lawyers for Spinal Cord Injury Victims in Las Vegas

For over 40 years, the injury attorneys at Edward Bernstein and Associates have represented Nevadans suffering from injuries they sustained from preventable accidents caused by someone else’s wrongful conduct. Many of our clients have sought our help when faced with the immense personal, medical, and financial challenge of a spinal cord injury.

We make it our mission to secure every last dollar of compensation available from insurance companies and at-fault parties to ensure our clients have the support they need to heal from or adapt to their spinal cord injuries.

What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?

A spinal cord injury is an emergency medical situation that describes any kind of damage to the spinal cord, which runs from the neck down to the tailbone. This can include injury to the vertebrae (bones of the spine), the rubbery disks between each vertebra, the muscles and soft tissues, or the surrounding nerves.

Since the spinal cord is crucial to the central nervous system and is responsible for transferring signals and messages from the brain to the body, damage to the spine can be catastrophic for the victim. Severe injuries can permanently disrupt this signaling system, resulting in paralysis or the irreversible loss of feeling and function in the area below the point of injury.

Common Types of Spinal Cord Injuries

If a victim is involved in a traumatic accident in Las Vegas, such as a car crash or a major fall, his or her neck, back, or spine could sustain serious damage. The spinal cord consists of five main parts, any of which could sustain injury in an accident. They are, from top to bottom, the cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, sacral spine, and coccyx.

Common types of spine injuries are:

Vertebral cracks or fractures
Muscle strains, sprains, or tears
Soft-tissue injuries
Spinal dislocations
Herniated (slipped) or ruptured disks
Pinched nerves
Spinal concussion or contusion
Compressed spinal cord
Whiplash injury (cervical spine)
Paralysis (e.g., paraplegia or quadriplegia)

There are complete and incomplete spinal cord injuries. A complete spinal injury is more severe, as it results in a total loss of sensation and function below the level of the injury. With an incomplete injury, the victim experiences a partial loss of these abilities. How a spine injury impacts a victim will depend on the type, severity, and location of the injury.

Signs of a Spinal Cord Injury

The symptoms caused by a spinal cord injury after an accident in Las Vegas can vary from case to case. Symptoms will change according to the type of injury, where it occurs along the spinal cord, the severity of the damage, and the individual patient. It is critical to always go to the hospital after an accident that affects your neck or back in case of serious injury.

Common signs of spine injuries include:

Intense or sharp pain in the back or neck
Inability to move any part of the body
Sensory issues, such as changes to hot, cold, and touch
Loss of sensation or the ability to feel pain
Tingling or “pins and needles” sensations
Muscle weakness, loss of coordination, or imbalance
Muscle spasms or uncontrollable movements
Loss of bowel or bladder control
Sexual dysfunction
Trouble breathing

Recognizing the signs of a spinal cord injury early on is imperative for prompt medical intervention and a better prognosis for the patient’s healing and recovery. Failing to see a doctor immediately after an accident involving a back injury could exacerbate (worsen) the damage, such as turning a treatable back injury into permanent paralysis.

Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries We Handle

A virtually limitless array of circumstances can lead to someone suffering a spinal cord injury in Las Vegas. Our decades of experience at Edward Bernstein and Associates help us secure compensation for our clients regardless of what caused their spinal cord injuries.

Many of the spinal cord injury cases we handle arise from one of the following scenarios.

Car and Truck Crashes

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injury. The impact of a collision can exert extreme forces on the human body and damage the spinal cord.

Crash victims commonly lose movement and control of bodily functions below the injury—disabilities that inflict severe personal, emotional, and financial costs.

Edward Bernstein and Associates have spent decades successfully fighting to secure money from insurance companies and at-fault parties in car accidents so that victims with spinal cord injuries can rebuild and move forward in their lives.

Motorcycle Crashes

A Las Vegas motorcycle crash may throw a rider or passenger from the saddle onto the pavement or against another vehicle—the sort of extreme trauma that often results in a spinal cord injury. Many bikers who suffer spinal cord injuries will never ride on two wheels again. Many will never walk again.

A lawyer at Edward Bernstein and Associates will work relentlessly to obtain enough money for a motorcyclist to meet and overcome the challenges of a spinal cord injury and compensate them for the pain and suffering that comes from losing the ability to enjoy the activities they love.

Pedestrian Accidents

Like motorcyclists, Las Vegas pedestrians also tend to suffer catastrophic injuries when struck or run over by motor vehicles. Many such accidents happen when motorists make careless or dangerous decisions behind the wheel in pedestrian-heavy areas like the Strip.

Edward Bernstein and Associates have years of experience investigating collisions and holding drivers and their insurance companies accountable for pedestrian injuries.

Bicycle and e-Vehicle Crashes

With high fuel costs, many people in Las Vegas have begun to use alternative means of getting around town, such as electric bicycles, skateboards, and scooters. Unfortunately, Las Vegas motorists do not always exercise care when sharing the road with these vehicles.

As with other vulnerable road users, bicyclists and e-vehicle riders face a high risk of a spinal cord injury and other extreme trauma in a crash.

At Edward Bernstein and Associates, we advocate for the rights of bicycle and scooter riders and fight to obtain sufficient resources to meet their medical and personal needs well into the future.

Preventable Falls (a.k.a. Slip and Fall)

After traffic accidents, falls constitute the most common cause of spinal cord injuries. Fall-related spinal cord injuries most often strike older Nevadans. A spinal injury at any age can cause extreme difficulty, but it frequently threatens the lives of the elderly because it can trigger a cascade of medical problems.

The spinal cord injury lawyers at Edward Bernstein and Associates understand the devastating complications inherent in many fall-related SCIs and fight so injured victims and their families can receive appropriate compensation from those at fault.

Construction Site Mishaps

Las Vegas is an ever-growing city, making construction a significant economic activity for the region. But the benefits of growth come at a cost—severe injuries to construction workers suffered in preventable job site accidents like falls, cave-ins, and structural failures.

A Las Vegas construction worker who suffers a spinal cord injury faces long odds of returning to employment on a job site.

Edward Bernstein and Associates routinely represent injured workers in workers’ compensation claims for medical and disability benefits and, when possible, lawsuits against third parties for additional damages.

Accidents Involving Sports or Outdoor Activities

Participating in contact sports and other high-impact activities can also put a Las Vegas resident at risk of suffering an SCI. The negligence of a coach, ref, or outdoor guide can unreasonably increase that risk to the point of creating liability for someone’s spinal cord injury.

At Edward Bernstein and Associates, we investigate sports and activity-related SCIs to identify those that result from a poor decision or unreasonable action of someone other than the injured victim.

Violent Crime

Crimes in Las Vegas involving assaults or gun violence also produce a steady, tragic stream of spinal cord injuries annually. Innocent victims of those crimes do not always realize, however, that they may demand compensation from those whose unreasonable actions created conditions that enabled the crime, such as hotels, casinos, and nightclubs that failed to prevent your spinal cord injury with adequate security.

If you suffered a spinal cord injury as the victim of a violent crime in Las Vegas, contact us at Edward Bernstein and Associates to learn about your right to pursue an insurance claim or lawsuit for damages.

How much compensation can you receive for an SCI in Las Vegas?

In Las Vegas, victims of spinal cord injuries commonly face hundreds of thousands, and even millions, in current and future costs. Most cannot afford to pay even a fraction of those expenses alone. But with the help of an experienced Las Vegas spinal cord injury attorney, they can often force insurance companies and at-fault parties to cover their injuries.

Every spinal cord injury matter we handle at Edward Bernstein and Associates presents unique challenges. For that reason, we cannot reliably predict the amount someone might receive without first digging into the details of their case.

But generally, our team demands compensation for our clients’:

Current and future costs of medical care related to the spinal cord injury and any secondary health complications it causes;
Current and future non-medical expenses tied to adapting to and living with an SCI, such as the cost of replacement services or home modifications;
Lost income from missing work during the initial period after suffering an SCI, including the value of paid time off;
Lost future income due to the impact of a spinal cord injury on the ability to work at all or in a chosen profession;
Physical pain and discomfort;
Emotional suffering and mental health challenges;
The inconvenience of daily life;
Interference with personal, familial, or intimate relationships;
Loss of quality of life and enjoyment of activities.

In some cases, a skilled Las Vegas spinal cord injury lawyer from Edward Bernstein and Associates can also secure punitive damages for a client, which punishes an at-fault party’s extremely wrongful conduct.

Contact us today to learn about the potential types and ranges of compensation you may receive for your spinal cord injury.

Don’t Settle for Less Than You Deserve

Many spinal cord injuries are serious, with life-changing consequences for the victim. Spine injury survivors often require extensive medical care, including ongoing treatments and therapies to treat lasting damage. The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center reports that the average lifetime cost in health care and living expenses alone is $3,340,171 for someone 50 years old at the time of a spine injury and $6,077,646 for someone 25 years old.

Do not underestimate the value of your spinal cord injury case in Las Vegas. Get help from an attorney at Edward Bernstein and Associates to evaluate how much your case is truly worth before accepting a settlement from an insurance provider. Insurance companies want to save as much money as they can on payouts and will most likely undervalue your claim – especially if your spinal cord injury is catastrophic and will lead to a lifetime of costs and losses.

Once you formally accept an insurance settlement, there’s no going back and changing the amount. You cannot renegotiate or counter an accepted offer, even if you realize that you need more compensation than you settled for due to long-term costs associated with a spinal cord injury. Hiring our attorneys will prevent an insurance company from taking advantage of you.

Do I Have a Case?

You may be eligible for financial compensation for your back or spine injury in Las Vegas if someone else is responsible for causing the injury. If another individual or entity was negligent, meaning they did not act according to the applicable standards of care for the situation, this could make that party responsible for a related spine injury.

To win a personal injury case involving a spine injury, you or your attorney must prove negligence. This involves establishing four main elements:

Duty of care: the defendant or accused party owed a duty of care, meaning a responsibility or obligation to act in a reasonable manner to prevent harm to others.

Breach: the defendant did something (or failed to do something) that breached the duty of care, such as a careless, reckless, wanton, or malicious act.

Damages: You suffered damages or compensable losses in the accident. This includes being diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury.

Causation: The defendant’s breach of duty was the main or proximate cause of your traumatic brain injury.

Whether or not you have grounds for a brain injury case is something an attorney from Edward Bernstein and Associates can determine for you during a free consultation. We will listen to your explanation of what happened, answer your legal questions, and let you know if we believe your case has merit.

Services We Can Provide in Las Vegas Spinal Cord Injury Cases

After you suffer a spinal cord injury in Las Vegas, people will tell you that you need a lawyer. But with all the challenges you suddenly face, hiring an attorney may not seem like something that goes to the top of your priority list. But it should, and here’s why.

A spinal cord injury represents a radical and potentially permanent change in your life. The physical toll is obviously massive. But so are the psychological and financial ones.

No matter how strong or resilient a person you are, it helps at this moment to have someone on your side who can provide experienced, compassionate guidance and take critical steps to make sure you have the financial resources you need to regain as much independence as possible.

In addition, your legal rights come with an expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. In most Las Vegas spinal cord injury cases, you have at most two years (and potentially far less) from your injury to commence a legal action seeking compensation. You may lose your right to compensation if you miss this deadline.

You need someone looking out for your interests as soon as possible to protect your rights.

An attorney from Edward Bernstein and Associates can fill those roles.

Our team knows how to:

Take immediate action when needed to protect your rights from the expiration of a legal deadline;
Investigate your SCI to determine how it happened and who may owe you compensation for it;
Work with medical and financial experts to quantify your current and future needs;
Answer your questions clearly and in plain English (or Español);
Advise you in making important life decisions that may affect your legal rights and financial interests;
Connect you with government services, community support, and other resources that serve people living with an SCI;
Serve as your representative in dealing with insurance companies so that you never have to answer another call from an adjuster;
Prepare and file insurance claims, disability claims, lawsuits, and other actions to secure compensation for you from anyone with liability for your spinal cord injury;
Whenever possible, negotiate a favorable settlement of your claim with insurance companies and defense lawyers;
Go to court to present a robust and persuasive case for full, fair compensation for your injuries;
Collect all money owed to you from a settlement or court judgment.

We perform these services on a contingent fee basis. We do not charge our clients upfront fees or an hourly rate for our work. Instead, our fee consists of a percentage of any money we recover for our clients. Our clients pay us nothing, in other words, unless we get results.

How Much Time Do I Have to File?

According to Nevada Revised Statute 11.190, most spinal cord injury victims only have two years from the dates of their accidents to file related personal injury claims in Las Vegas. However, you may have more or less time than this in special circumstances.

If you need to bring a claim against the government, for example, you have just 180 days. If you didn’t discover your spine injury right away, you will have two years from the date of discovery rather than the date of the accident.

In most cases, a victim who misses the statute of limitations will be time-barred from filing a spinal cord injury claim. It is important to speak to an attorney about a potential case as soon as possible to avoid the risk of your deadline passing.

Ed Bernstein, Las Vegas Hotel and Casino Accident Lawyer

Contact an Experienced Las Vegas Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Today

A spinal cord injury can profoundly alter your life. But with the proper support and resources, you can overcome the challenges ahead. A skilled attorney who represents spinal cord injury victims like you takes the steps necessary to obtain compensation on your behalf.

If you or someone you love suffered a spinal cord injury in a Las Vegas-area accident, don’t wait to seek the help of an experienced spinal cord injury lawyer. The team at Edward Bernstein and Associates is standing by 24/7 to explore your options. Contact Edward Bernstein and Associates online or call our Las Vegas office at (702) 508-7334 for your free consultation.