Compensation For Spinal Cord Injuries
The Law Offices of Robert G. Schock has helped clients obtain monetary compensation for personal injuries, such as debilitating spinal cord injuries, caused by the negligence or intentional acts of others. Since founding the firm in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1980, Mr. Schock has recovered millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts on behalf of his clients. Mr. Schock’s noteworthy record of verdicts and settlements is rooted in his ability to understand and address all types of injuries for a judge or jury’s review and to successfully argue all possible damage awards. For additional information on Robert G. Schock’s case results, please see his latest cases.
Under California law, monetary compensation for personal injury cases is awarded in the form of economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages are generally awarded to cover past and future expenses that are incurred due to the injury a plaintiff suffers. Economic damages may include the following:
- Past and future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Costs of physical therapy, home care or long-term care
Noneconomic damage awards generally attempt to compensate for less tangible injuries suffered, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Emotional distress
When a plaintiff has suffered from a spinal cord injury (SCI), it is especially important to consider the costs associated with long-term care and life care. For instance, a spinal cord injury, which causes permanent paralysis, will usually have very different long-term costs than a spinal cord injury, which can be mostly remedied through surgery and physical therapy. Many people who suffer from SCI may be permanently wheel chair-bound, bed-bound or have impaired mobility requiring the use of different assistive devices to help them in completing their daily life functions. All of these issues, including the present and foreseeable long-term future costs, should be presented to the jury or another fact-finder to allow the plaintiff to recover the most damages possible. In addition, an injured party may also be able to recover additional punitive damages if the defendant’s conduct was especially egregious.