Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
Other than the heart and brain the spinal cord is one of the most essential parts of the body and any injury to it can be devastating and life changing for the injured person.
These injuries can happen in an Uber accident, bicycle crash, or even just a truck accident in your neighborhood.
To understand spinal cord injuries we must first break down exactly what the spinal cord is.
The spinal cord has many layers and functions as the central nervous system for the body.
The spinal cord extends from the base of the skull to the bottom of the waist about 18 inches.
Within the spinal cord are a mass of nerves that carry information to and from the brain these are called UMN or Upper Motor Neurons.
The other bundle of nerves inside the spinal cord send information to other parts of the body are called LMN or Lower motor Neurons.
The sensory portions of the LMN carry messages about sensation from the skin and other body parts, for example if you place you hand over a hot stove you instinctively pull it away this is the LMN working for you, you never actually think about it, it just happens.
Another example is “ Chicken Skin” that bumpy skin that appears when your cold.
The motor portions of the LMN send messages to the body about movement, for example muscle memory.
If you’re a runner and you haven’t run in a while but you decide to pick it up again your body recovers more quickly back tot it because it remembers how to do it.
Other nervous systems throughout the body are the Peripheral Nervous system, the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous system these control things like blood pressure and temperature.
Spinal Cord Knowledge
The Spinal cord is protected by a ring of bones called vertebrae, these are the actual “ back bone”.
The bones are tagged or named for the actual location on the body.
There are eight vertebrae in the neck area are called Cervical Vertebra and are labeled C-1 ,C-2 etc.
The higher the injury to the spinal cord like the C-1 , C-2 area the more likely of paralysis and even quadriplegia.
The twelve vertebrae in the chest area where the ribs attach are called Thoracic Vertebra and the are labeled T-1, T-2 etc, injuries to this area affect the chest and leg areas.
The vertebra in the lower area by the pelvic bone are called the Lumbar Vertebra and are labeled as L1-L5 and finally the below that to the end of the spinal column are the five vertebrae S1-S5.
Injuries to any of the lower spinal column vertebrae usually results in a loss of some function of the legs.
Spinal Cord Injury FAQ’s
Spinal cord injuries vary in nature, usually the higher the injury on the spinal column, the more severe the injury and outcome.
Dealing with the insurance companies after an auto accident can be very tiresome and dramatic.
A severed spinal column will result in quadriplegia an irreversible injury.
This means the victim will not only be paralyzed from the neck down but that they will most likely not be able to breathe on their own.
Other types of spinal cord injuries can lead to chronic shooting pain, tingling or loss of feeling in the extremities, or even loss of bladder or bowel functions.
These injuries can not only be life-changing for the victim but also the victim’s family.
They can require constant medical care and rehabilitation attempts putting most families into financial ruin.
If you are your loved ones has been affected by a spinal cord injury due to negligence or an accident call the experienced lawyers at the Law Gang and let us get out the settlement you deserve.
What is a Spinal Cord Injury
Since the spinal cord is made up of the nerves that carry information from the brain to the rest of the body, any injury to the spinal cord can be devastating causing a range of injuries from short term feeling loss to permanent paralysis.
Most spinal cord injuries occur with a sudden blow or severe pulling of the spine usually resulting in broken or dislocated vertebra.
These dislocations or broken vertebra cause either pressure on the nerves causing pain or loss of feeling to completely crushed and no feeling exist leading to paralysis.
Spinal cord injuries are separated into two categories: complete and incomplete.
Complete means no sensory or motor function below the injury area.
Incomplete means some sensory and motor function below the injured area.
Most complete spinal cord injuries are irreversible and most mean paralysis for the victim.
With incomplete spinal cord injuries there is a chance of recovery but that could take years of therapy and even then there are no guarantees.
Complications From a Spinal Injury
When affected with a spinal cord injury you are likely to suffer from other secondary complications.
Paralyzed victims are more susceptible to other illnesses because their body cant fight off other illnesses like a non paralyzed person.
For example respiratory complications, bladder and bowel dysfunction, urinary infections, and bed or pressure sores.
Some of these can be deadly to a paraplegic person.
Paraplegic means lack of motor or sensory function of the lower extremities.
Quadraplegic means includes the lower extremities and the arms as well ,sometimes including the chest resulting in not being able to breath on your own.
These injuries and complications can be devastating both emotionally and physically to the victim and their families.
But they can also be financially devastating as well; spinal cord injuries are one of the most expensive to treat and requires sometimes continuous care and rehabilitation.
Recover Damages for a Spinal Cord Injury
Focusing on your recovery and rehabilitation should be your main goal, let an experienced legal team worry about securing the proper settlement for your spinal cord injury.
Most spinal cord injury victims have a long and expensive road of recovery ahead of them.
Some of the things the Law Gang can recover for you in your settlement are:
Medical Expenses– this includes all medical related costs; rehab, ambulance , trauma center, equipment, medications, therapy, round the clock in home care
Lost Wages or Future earnings- can be brutal when no monthly income comes in
Pain and Suffering– the emotional trauma of a spinal cord injury can be devastating and require therapy and even sometimes medication
Loss of Consortium– this is for the immediate family of the victim ,based on what the victim would or could have earned toward the household
Out of Pocket Expenses– this includes anything not covered by insurance or paid out by you relating to the injury or complications from the injury
Your particular settlement will be cased on the factors of your particular spinal cord injury lawsuit.
More Spinal Cord Injury Information
Automobile accidents account for 42.1% of spinal cord injuries in the U.S each year. This includes, car, motorcycle, truck, bicycle, and pedestrian accidents that affect more than 11,000 people each year.
Spinal Cord Injury recovery can be costly and take years if ever
Spinal cord injuries include quadriplegia, paraplegia, herniated discs, severe whiplash among others
Although Science, like the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation spinal cord injury trials is making strides in the spinal cord injury community, many spinal cord injuries are permanent and irreversible.
Free Consultation for Spinal Cord Injury Victims
Spinal Cord Injuries can be financially and emotionally draining on victims and their families, and can take years of medical care and rehabilitation.
The law allows financial recovery to anyone injured due to negligence of another person, business, or entity and this includes motor vehicle accidents as well.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident or suffered a spinal cord injury due to negligence contact the Law Gang for a free consultation and case review. We have been representing spinal cord injury victims for years.
You should be focusing on your recovery , let the Law Gang focus on your financial settlement.
