For many people suffering from spinal injuries, the pain isn’t limited to physical symptoms. Instead, it also extends into lost independence, strained relationships, and constant worry about the future. Even routine tasks can feel uncertain after a serious back or neck injury, which can leave you searching for answers and accountability.
Pursuing compensation after a spinal injury often depends on what caused your injury and the circumstances leading up to it. At The McCallister Law Firm, located in Kansas City, Missouri, Attorney Brian F. McCallister is experienced in helping those who are facing life-altering spinal injuries.
The firm can help you explore the common causes of spinal injuries and how the circumstances of your accident can influence your pursuit of compensation.
Cause 1: Motor Vehicle Collisions
Auto accidents, such as car, truck, and motorcycle crashes, are one of the leading causes of spinal injuries. Sudden impacts can compress, twist, or fracture the spine, even at lower speeds. Victims often face long recovery periods, surgeries, or permanent mobility issues after a collision.
Negligence often contributes to these crashes. Speeding, distracted driving, and failure to yield can all contribute to violent impacts that injure the spinal cord, and you can seek compensation when another driver’s actions caused the crash.
If you have been injured in an auto accident, an attorney can help you review your crash evidence, medical records, and insurance responses. They can also help you examine the role of alcohol, fatigue, or aggressive driving to strengthen your claims.
Proper investigation can help you pursue the compensation you need to cover your immediate medical care, rehabilitation, and long-term needs, such as mobility aids or home modifications.
Cause 2: Falls Caused by Unsafe Conditions
Falls can be devastating, especially when they involve stairs, wet floors, or uneven walking surfaces. A sudden fall can place extreme force on the spine, leading to herniated discs or spinal cord damage. These injuries often affect older adults but can happen to anyone. Common hazardous conditions linked to spinal injuries include:
Slippery floors without warning signs
Broken steps or uneven flooring
Loose carpeting or unsecured mats
Poorly maintained walkways
Property owners may be liable when unsafe conditions cause falls. Poor lighting, missing handrails, or ignored hazards can all point to negligence. Filing a personal injury claim in these cases can help establish whether the property owner took reasonable care to prevent harm from occurring.
Slip and fall injuries can happen quickly. In many cases, there is rarely time to react. In addition to identifying the hazards that caused the injury, property maintenance records and witness accounts can strengthen a personal injury claim.
If you have suffered a spinal injury following a fall on someone else's property due to unsafe conditions, an attorney can help you pursue the compensation you need for your long-term recovery, including medical bills, therapy, and ongoing care.
Cause 3: Workplace Accidents
Workplace accidents can often lead to spinal injuries. Construction sites, warehouses, and industrial settings often involve heavy equipment and elevated work areas, and a single misstep, falling object, or equipment failure can lead to serious spinal trauma.
In workplace accident cases, the company or property owner may be held liable if they failed to follow the proper safety measures or address known hazards. This may include failing to provide adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), insufficient supervision, ignoring prior incident reports, or failing to follow safety protocols.
If you have suffered a workplace spinal injury, it's common to feel overwhelmed by paperwork and employer responses. However, working with an experienced spinal injury lawyer can help you file a personal injury claim and pursue fair compensation while protecting your rights.
Cause 4: Sports and Recreational Injuries
Spinal injuries can occur during sports, exercise, or recreational activities, even when you take proper precautions. High-impact sports, such as football, gymnastics, skiing, and motocross, carry inherent risks, and a sudden fall, collision, or awkward landing can result in herniated discs or spinal cord trauma. Even low-impact activities, such as cycling, skateboarding, or swimming, can cause spinal injury.
In some cases, organizers, coaches, or facility managers could be held liable for a spinal injury if they failed to maintain safe conditions. This could include using worn-out protective mats, improperly securing equipment, providing insufficient supervision, or conducting inadequate training on proper techniques.
Liability can also extend to gyms, sports complexes, or recreational parks when they fail to inspect equipment, provide safety instructions, or correct known hazards.
If you have suffered a sports-related spinal injury, you have the right to pursue legal action if your injury could have been prevented with reasonable care. An experienced personal injury attorney can help connect the unsafe conditions to your injury and advocate for the compensation you need for medical expenses, rehabilitation, ongoing therapy, and any modifications needed to return to daily life or athletic pursuits safely.
Cause 5: Acts of Violence
Assaults and other violent acts can result in severe spinal injuries. Blunt force trauma or gunshot wounds may damage vertebrae or the spinal cord itself. These injuries often require immediate medical intervention and long-term treatment.
If a property owner failed to provide reasonable security or if your attacker caused the injury directly, they could be held liable for the resulting damages. For example, in some cases, inadequate lighting, a lack of surveillance, or limited staff presence could contribute to an act of violence. If these contributed to your injury, those responsible for maintaining a safe environment could be held liable if your injury was preventable.
An experienced personal injury attorney can help evaluate prior criminal activity in your area or any known security deficiencies to strengthen your claim. This legal guidance allows you to focus on rehabilitation while pursuing compensation for spinal trauma.
Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney in Kansas City, MO
Spinal injuries often leave lasting effects. When negligence contributes to that harm, injured individuals deserve answers and support. Personal injury claims can provide a path to financial stability and accountability during a difficult chapter.
The McCallister Law Firm is dedicated to providing reliable legal guidance for spinal injury victims. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the firm serves clients throughout the state and can help you pursue the compensation you need to recover from a spinal injury and other types of serious harm. Reach out today to schedule a consultation.
