New Clients Email:
info@carolinalaw.com
Spinal cord injuries caused by severe accidents can bring abrupt, drastic changes to one’s life. Those changes are, unfortunately, often permanent. While there is little that an attorney can do to assist with the painful physical recovery from a spinal cord injury, a lawyer can help you and your family with the financial hardships created by the injury. Aside from the medical bills you may be responsible for, you may lose months’ or years’ wages. Without representation, the insurance company may fail to offer you reasonable compensation for these losses and the more personal losses, such as the limitations on your enjoyment of life caused by the spinal cord injury.
The bones of your spine keep you standing upright and protect an intricate band of nerves called the spinal cord. The spinal cord is the delicate connector of your body’s primary functions like movement, sense, and reflexes. The spinal cord has three main components: the cervical (neck), thoracic (chest), and lumbar (lower back). Depending on the location and severity of the injury, a spinal injury can have a multitude of devastating effects.
The term “spinal cord injury” (SCI) is broad and can include any condition that involves damage to any part of the spinal cord or nerves. They are typically divided into two categories: incomplete and complete. Incomplete SCIs result in the loss of some but not all functions. Complete SCIs refer to cases where a person loses complete function below the injury site. Whether incomplete or complete, the results of a spinal cord injury can be painful and life-altering.
Common SCIs include:
The exact level of the injury along your spine controls the symptoms that will result from the injury. For example, damage to the lumbar or thoracic levels may cause a loss of function in the legs, known as paraplegia. If the injury occurs along the cervical portion of the spine, it may cause quadriplegia/tetraplegia, a loss of use of all four extremities. No matter the level, most spinal cord injuries are life-changing.
Some of the common results of a spinal cord injury are:
A healthcare provider may use several methods to assess and confirm your diagnosis. This can range from a physical exam to imaging and diagnostic tests like CT scans and nerve conduction tests. Only a medical professional can properly diagnose a SCI. If you believe your spinal cord was injured after a traumatic event, visit a healthcare provider immediately.
Unfortunately, there are many ways in which people suffer spinal cord injuries. The bones in our spines are strong and exist to protect the cord, but there are instances when enough force is applied to break through. By far, auto and motorcycle accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries. Even in wrecks that were seemingly less severe, it’s possible for symptoms of an SCI to develop over time. Other common causes include falls, acts of violence (assaults), recreational injuries, and disease.
If you have been rendered paraplegic or quadriplegic or sustained any other spinal cord injury as a result of someone else’s negligence, you have the right to hold that third party responsible. In North Carolina, you are entitled to compensation consisting of various “damages.” Included in those damages are compensation for your past and future medical bills, past and future diminished earning capacity, disfigurement, pain and suffering, and disability. Your spouse may also be entitled to “loss of consortium” damages for losing the services of their spouse.
Maginnis Howard handles serious personal injury claims throughout the state of North Carolina and can even arrange to meet you at your home. We have offices across the state in Charlotte, Fayetteville, and Raleigh. Our firm offers a contingency fee arrangement to all personal injury clients. This fee structure requires you to pay no attorneys’ fees unless we make a monetary recovery on your behalf.
Many things can put you at risk for spinal injury. This includes risky behavior such as speeding or playing sports without protective gear and the use of alcohol. Anyone can suffer from a spinal injury, but in the United States, data suggests spinal cord injuries primarily impact males. Women account for just 20% of all traumatic spine injuries.
SCIs are relatively uncommon, with roughly 250,000-500,000 occurrences worldwide each year. In the United States, there are approximately 18,000 new cases annually, 78% of which involve males.
