A spinal cord injury can change a person’s life in an instant, affecting movement, sensation, and independence. If you or a loved one suffered a spinal cord injury because of someone else’s negligence in Louisville or anywhere in Jefferson County, the Louisville spinal cord injury attorneys at Portner & Shure can help. We have handled serious personal injury claims across Kentucky for more than 30 years.
Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries Around Louisville
Louisville’s interstates, shipping and manufacturing hubs, and busy urban roads produce serious high-force accidents year-round. A spinal cord injury often results from a sudden, high-force accident. Common causes include:
- Car, truck, and motorcycle collisions
- Bicycle and pedestrian accidents
- Falls from heights and on unsafe property
- Industrial and workplace accidents
- Sports and recreational injuries
Effects and Cost of a Spinal Cord Injury
The spinal cord carries the signals between the brain and the rest of the body, so damage to it can lead to full or partial paralysis, loss of sensation, chronic pain, and loss of control over basic bodily functions. Serious spinal cord injuries frequently require emergency care, surgery, and months or years of rehabilitation, and the lifetime cost of care can reach into the millions. Because many victims cannot return to work, the financial strain often falls on the whole family. Depending on the facts, you may be able to pursue compensation for medical expenses, future medical care, lost wages and reduced earning capacity, and pain and suffering.
Proving Fault in a Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Claim
A spinal cord injury claim usually turns on proving that another party’s negligence caused the injury — a careless driver, an unsafe property, or a negligent employer, for example. Kentucky follows a pure comparative fault rule, so if you are found partly at fault your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault rather than barred entirely. That means you may still recover even when the insurance company, which often fights these high-value claims hard, tries to shift some blame onto you.
How Long Do I Have to File? Kentucky’s Statute of Limitations
In Kentucky, how long you have depends on how the injury happened. If your spinal cord injury came from a motor-vehicle crash, the deadline is generally two years from the accident or the last no-fault (PIP) benefit payment, whichever is later (KRS 304.39-230). For many other injuries, such as a fall on someone’s property, the deadline can be as short as one year (KRS 413.140). Because the right deadline depends on the facts, it is important to get case-specific guidance quickly. Claims in Jefferson County are generally pursued through the Jefferson County Judicial Center.
How Our Louisville Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys Can Help
Insurance companies know that spinal cord injury cases carry high costs, and they often push back hard to limit what they pay. You should not face them alone. Our team works with medical and vocational experts to document the full extent of the injury, moves quickly to preserve evidence, and pursues fair compensation. We work on a contingency basis, which means there is no fee unless we recover for you.
We Can Help If English is Not Your First Language
Our firm serves a diverse community, and we have team members who speak Spanish and Korean. We can discuss your case in a language you are comfortable with so nothing is lost in translation.
Contact Our Louisville Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys Today
If you or a loved one suffered a spinal cord injury in Louisville or anywhere in Jefferson County, contact Portner & Shure for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Other Injury Cases We Handle in Louisville
- Louisville Personal Injury Lawyers
- Louisville Car Accident Lawyers
- Louisville Truck Accident Lawyers
- Louisville Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
- Louisville Wrongful Death Lawyers
- Louisville Premises Liability Lawyers
- Louisville Pedestrian Accident Lawyers
- Louisville Bicycle Accident Lawyers
- Louisville Dog Bite Lawyers
- Louisville Brain Injury Lawyers
- Louisville Medical Malpractice Lawyers
- Louisville Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
- Louisville Bus Accident Lawyers
