Each year, spinal cord injuries affect between four and five million Americans. Statistics show that as many as 450,000 Americans are currently living with spinal cord injuries that are most commonly caused by falls, knife and gunshot wounds, motorcycle and car crashes and sporting accidents. When these injuries are caused by the negligence of another person or company, a spinal cord injury lawyer can help injured parties and their families recover compensation for damages.
For more information, contact Attorney Group today. Our consultations are free, confidential and without any obligation on your part. We can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a claim we can connect you with an affiliated attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries
The spinal cord, or the bundle of nerves that travels throughout the backbone, is responsible for transmitting sensation and controls the body’s movements. Spinal cord damage can cause a loss of feeling below the injured area and a decrease or loss of mobility.
Half of the spinal cord injuries that occur in the U.S. each year are caused by motor vehicle accidents. Injury to the spinal cord at the neck level may paralyze a person’s legs, arms or trunk and impair his or her breathing. Injury to the lower portion of the spinal cord may cause weakness as well as a loss of feeling or movement in only the lower parts of the body including the legs. It is not possible to repair a severed spinal cord.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common causes of spinal cord injuries in the United States are:
- Motor vehicle accidents – Auto and motorcycle accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries, accounting for more than 35 percent of new spinal cord injuries each year.
- Falls – Spinal cord injury after age 65 is most often caused by a fall. Overall, falls cause more than one-quarter of spinal cord injuries.
- Acts of violence – Around 15 percent of spinal cord injuries result from violent encounters, often involving gunshot and knife wounds, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center.
- Sports and recreation injuries – Athletic activities, such as impact sports and diving in shallow water, cause about 9 percent of spinal cord injuries.
- Alcohol – Alcohol use is a factor in about 1 out of every 4 spinal cord injuries.
- Diseases – Cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis and inflammation of the spinal cord also can cause spinal cord injuries.
Symptoms of damage include pain, loss of bladder or bowel control, tingling, numbness, paralysis, poor coordination and weakness. Additionally, any trauma that cuts, compresses, pulls or pushes the spinal cord sideways may result in an injury. Spinal cord injuries may also be caused by spina bifida, polio, tumors, abscesses or blood clots.
A spinal cord injury may cause other effects aside from the obvious physical impairments. For many, adapting to life with a disability, often in a wheelchair, is not easy. Victims may experience pain and suffering and will likely have concerns about how the injury will affect their personal relationships, financial situations and lifestyles.
How a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Can Help
When negligence results in injury, an injured party suffers loss in various ways. The law allows an injured party to pursue damages to recover those losses. Common types of damages recoverable in a personal injury case include:
- Medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
- Loss of ability to earn
- Scarring and disfigurement
The families of those who have died may be eligible to recover money for funeral expenses and the pain that comes with losing a loved one.
If the actions causing injury are malicious or so reckless that intent to harm can be inferred, the responsible party can be liable for punitive damages to punish wrongful conduct and deter similar conduct in the future.
Victims of negligence and their families are encouraged to seek the counsel of a spinal cord injury lawyer to learn more about their rights and remedies.
The time you have to pursue a claim is limited. Contact us for more information.Get Help Now.
For more information, contact Attorney Group. After you contact us, an attorney will follow up to answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
