Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

If you’ve ever sustained a spinal cord injury, you know first-hand how many aspects of your life can change overnight. Considering the seriousness of your injury, you need to know about your legal options for recovery.

The spinal cord injury attorneys at Constant Legal Group will listen to your story to learn more about your accident and what may have caused your injury. Be prepared to discuss who could be responsible for your accident and the extent of your losses. From there, we’ll help you unpack whether filing a spinal cord injury lawsuit is in your best interest.

What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?

The spinal cord is made up of cells and nerves. These central components both receive messages from the brain and send those messages to various parts of the body to help facilitate action, movement, and behavior. A spinal cord injury is any damage to the cells and nerves that make up the spinal cord.

With that in mind, there are several types of spinal cord injuries. Some injuries result from direct damage to the nerves and cells, but the spinal cord can also suffer significant problems when surrounding bones and tissues are damaged.

Since the spinal cord is so crucial to a person’s movement, any variety of this injury can lead to temporary or permanent changes in how that person can move, sense and feel objects, and function. A spinal cord injury can also affect strength levels.

What Are the Main Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries?

It has been reported that 80% of new spinal cord injuries occur in males, with almost half happening to individuals between the ages of 16 and 30. This begs the question: What are the main causes of spinal cord injuries?

Car Accidents

About one-third of all spinal traumatic injuries happen due to car accidents. In a typical car accident, a vehicle is moving relatively fast when it suddenly collides with something, coming to a halt.

This fast and violent motion can lead to a spinal cord injury if any surrounding tissues, ligaments, discs, vertebrae, or the spinal cord itself is struck by an object, crushed between objects, or slammed into something. The trauma associated with car accidents can lead to spinal cord dislocations or even crushing. Some spinal cord injuries can lead to internal bleeding.

If you or someone you love is ever struggling with motor functions following a crash, get checked out for a spinal cord injury as soon as possible. Well-versed spinal cord injury doctors can advise you on the best treatment and provide documentation in the case of a further suit. They might order tests like a spinal injury x-ray, MRI, or CT scan.

Spinal cord injuries that arise after car accidents might lead to a legal claim depending on the circumstances of the accident. If someone else caused your crash, it might be a good idea to consult a spine injury attorney about what happened.

Catastrophic Falls

A catastrophic fall is another common type of accident that can lead to a spinal cord injury. When you fall, and the areas around your spinal cord suffer trauma and damage, it can fracture, dislocate, crush, or compress your spinal cord. Falls are one of the leading causes of workplace injuries.

If you work around fall hazards, be aware of your risks. Catastrophic falls and falls from significant heights are more likely to be work-related, and when significant injuries arise after work accidents, knowing your legal options is important. Consider talking with a personal injury lawyer about what happened to learn more about your options moving forward.

Surprisingly, falls from the same height, such as slipping, tripping, or stumbling, can also lead to spinal cord injuries. This sort of serious slip and fall accident can happen when a property owner has failed to maintain their property or warn about an unsafe condition. Older individuals are more prone to these injuries, but they can happen to anyone who falls and damages their spinal cord in a sensitive area.

Acts of Violence

Acts of violence can lead to a spinal cord injury when someone is assaulted, shot, stabbed, slammed to the ground, or otherwise attacked. Sometimes, a spinal cord injury lawsuit can be brought against a party other than the perpetrator. Negligent security claims arise when a property owner has a legal duty to provide for a person’s safety, but they fail to take reasonable steps to ensure that a criminal attack doesn’t happen.

For instance, you may have been attempting to pump gas at night at an open gas station with poor lighting, no cameras, and no attendants in sight. You get attacked and suffer a spinal cord injury. In this situation, the gas station owner may be held responsible for not providing adequate security measures for the paying customer to prevent the attack.

Sports Injuries

All sports and physical activity carry an inherent risk of injury. Some sports are more dangerous, though. The sports that most commonly cause spinal cord injuries include:

  • Diving
  • Football
  • Rugby
  • Gymnastics
  • Snow Skiing
  • Hockey
  • Surfing
  • Wrestling

Generally, any high-contact and physical sport can lead to a back injury. If you suspect your child may have a spinal cord injury, immediately halt the practice or game and bring them in for a physical.

Medical or Surgical Accidents

Every surgical procedure is inherently risky. Usually, patients only submit to a procedure when the potential rewards exceed the risks.

Still, any medical procedure involving your back, spinal cord region, or muscles could potentially result in a spinal cord injury. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Association, 4.3% of spine injuries result from surgical errors. While it’s less likely than spine damage from car accidents (38.3%), acts of violence (13.8%), falls (31.6%), and sports (8.2%), it’s still too common.

In these situations, negligent medical care may be to blame. Medical malpractice happens when your care surgeon, physician, nurse, or another medical professional does not provide you with the standard and reasonable care you deserve. If you suspect a doctor’s error was to blame for your spinal cord injury, you may be able to recover compensation.

Spine-Affecting Diseases

Sadly, spinal cord injuries can also develop due to spine-affecting diseases. A few of the most common medical conditions that can cause or contribute to a future injury:

  • Arthritis
  • Autoimmune diseases
  • Syphilis
  • Osteoporosis
  • Cancer
  • Vitamin deficiencies
  • Spinal cord inflammation

Signs and Symptoms of a Spine Injury

In severe situations, a spinal cord injury will be apparent immediately after the accident. You may be instantly paralyzed and unable to move. Conversely, you may only have limited movement or a loss of function in some of your extremities.

Either way, any immediate problems with your mobility should be taken as a potential sign of a spinal cord injury and treated accordingly. Spinal injuries aren’t always so obvious, and sometimes an accident can leave you in shock. You could be experiencing a loss or a decrease in your feeling, reflexes, or muscle movement, but the adrenaline and other life-saving chemicals might temporarily mask your problems.

Unfortunately, some symptoms might also be delayed if swelling and bleeding occur internally. Delayed symptoms might include neck pressure or pain in your back. More apparent symptoms could include:

  • Breathing problems or pain when you breathe
  • Spasms or exaggerated reflex activities
  • Muscle weakness
  • Loss of voluntary muscle movement in arms, legs, or chest
  • Loss of feeling in your extremities or your chest
  • Loss of control of your bowels or bladder

After an accident, spinal injury symptoms can mimic other conditions. Delayed symptoms might also contribute to the complexity of the situation. For that reason, getting a full medical evaluation and testing after any serious accident you endure is important.

Spinal Injury 101: Types of Spinal Cord Injuries

There are several different classifications and spinal cord injury types. Some injuries can cause total paralysis and other injuries may cause some loss of function.

In general, the higher up the spine the injury is the more severe the symptoms that manifest. An injury near the neck can impact the person’s ability to breathe. Lower spinal injuries, however, might impact the legs, bowels, and bladder.

Complete vs. Incomplete Spinal Injuries: What to Know

In the most general sense, spinal injuries can be divided into two categories: complete and incomplete.

  • A complete spinal injury means that the injured person cannot feel anything below the level of the injury. These categories of injuries don’t leave any room for feeling, and they often cause full paralysis below the injury location.
  • Incomplete spinal injuries typically result in a loss of feeling below the spinal cord injury zone, but the person still does have limited feeling or mobility.

Depending on where the spinal injury is and where the loss of function is, the injury can be classified in two ways: quadriplegia or paraplegia. Quadriplegia is defined as a loss of the ability to move the legs and the arms, whereas paraplegia means a loss of the ability to move one’s legs and lower body.

Why Do Spinal Injuries Cause Paralysis?

Unfortunately, spinal injuries often cause paralysis: a loss of the ability to move specific parts of your body. But how exactly does damage to the spinal cord lead to a loss of functioning?

The trauma and damage prevent your nerves and cells from communicating effectively with your brain. Your brain may signal to your body to move your arms, but the message gets lost in translation when that message reaches the damaged cell area. Unfortunately, the disruption is often too much.

Similarly, your arm may “sense” and feel a spoon in your hand, but the signals communicating can’t reach your brain. This means you never actually perceive the feeling and only feel numbness.

Spinal Cord Injury FAQ

Not all spine injuries are the same. For instance, a T1 spine injury along the thoracic nerves is likely to be more severe than damage to the sacral nerves at the base of the spine. The zone will likely not only affect the healing timeline but also possible spinal injury lawsuit settlements.

Cases can vary as much as the injury itself. The best brain and spine injury attorney will not only be able to guide you through the legal process but also work with local healthcare providers to connect you to the care you need.

How Much Is a Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuit Worth?

Just as every spinal cord injury case is different, so are spinal injury settlement amounts.

The amount you can expect to recover for your spinal cord injury lawsuit will be directly tied to the extent of your losses. Consider losses like current and future lost wages as a result of your injury, past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, any property damage you also endured in the accident, and more. Considering the severity of spinal injuries, it’s not all that surprising that these injuries often lead to substantial financial losses.

The extent of your losses should be the main reason for filing a lawsuit. Spinal cord injuries usually lead to significant losses: Consult with an attorney who can help estimate the value of your losses and fight for fair compensation.

What Is the Average Settlement for a Spinal Cord Injury?

On average, spinal cord injury lawsuits result in significant settlements due to the severity of the injuries. In many states, the average spinal cord injury settlement is well over $1 million.

However, the value of your injury claim will correlate with the extent of your losses. Speak with a spinal cord injury attorney to learn more.

How Long Do I Have to File a Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuit?

How long you have to file a lawsuit depends on the statute of limitations in the state you plan on filing the claim. Here are a few general timelines to help give you an idea of what to expect:

  • California: 2 years
  • Illinois: 2 years
  • Ohio: 2 years
  • Arkansas: 3 years
  • Louisiana: 1 year

Due to these laws, it’s best to consult with a legal representative as soon as possible after an accident. If you wait too long, you could forfeit your right to file a spinal cord injury lawsuit.

How a Spinal Injury Lawyer Can Help

The right spinal injury lawyer will provide invaluable assistance after your accident. First, they can investigate the cause of your accident and who may have been responsible. They will also review the full extent of your losses and, depending on these factors, your injury attorney will review your potential options for pursuing a claim.

If you do want to seek compensation, your spinal cord injury lawyer will help you estimate the value of your losses. They’ll help you file the right paperwork, negotiate with the appropriate parties, and represent you if your case goes to trial.

Here at Constant Legal Group, we’re ready to fight for you. Learn more about our firm to find out why you should choose to work with us.

How to Prove Negligence for a Spinal Cord Injury

Proving negligence can be a difficult task without help from an experienced spinal cord injury attorney.

First, you must establish that the other party owed you a duty of care. Then, you must provide evidence demonstrating how that other party was negligent and acted recklessly. Next, you need to show that their negligence directly caused your accident and spinal cord injury.

Once you’ve proven those elements, you must show the extent of your losses to show how the injury has negatively affected your life.

Contact an Experienced Spinal Injury Lawyer Now

The spinal cord injury lawyer you hire is more than just a legal representative: They’ll be your top advocate. Often, those suffering from spinal cord injuries don’t pursue the full extent of the compensation they deserve because they aren’t aware of their legal ability to do so.

At Constant Legal Group, we want to help you ensure that you get fully compensated for every loss you endured, including losses like lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering, or even emotional distress. Are you ready to pursue justice after your accident and spinal cord injury diagnosis? Schedule a free consultation with our firm now to learn more about your legal options moving forward.

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It can be overwhelming when you or a loved one is suffering from a personal injury incident. When working with our dedicated attorneys, we will take the pressure off of your shoulders and into our own hands. Together we will fight to restore control over your life.