California Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers
The lawyers at The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker send their heartfelt best wishes for a quick and full recovery to anyone who has experienced a spinal cord injury, whether it be themself or a loved one. The legal services of our personal injury lawyers can ensure that those parties uphold their obligations to improve your financial situation and long-term health if the negligence of others in any way caused your spinal cord injury or if an insurance company refuses to compensate your losses adequately.
Spinal Cord Injuries’ Common Causes
The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center estimates that approximately 250,000 Americans live with a spinal cord injury. An average of 20,000 new SCI cases are reported annually. The following are the main contributors to these spinal cord injuries:
- Falls and workplace accidents account for over one-third of SCI cases, while vehicle accidents, which can result in whiplash, account for more than one-third of all SCI cases.
- Violence-related acts, particularly gunshot wounds, are another frequent factor.
- The second-leading cause is sports-related injuries.
- Approximately 5% of all SCI cases result from medical or surgical errors.
These data consider any damage to the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, or coccygeal regions of the spine, including fractures, dislocations, contusions, compressed vertebrae, and other injuries.
Signs & Warnings: California Spinal Cord Injury Accidents
The spine cannot regenerate cells, just like the human brain. It’s crucial to remember that while some signs of spinal cord damage may manifest right away, others won’t be apparent for some time. Common symptoms of spinal cord damage include the following:
- Tingling in the Extremities
- Back, Neck, or Head Pain or Weakness
- Loss of Motor Skills or Coordination
- Sensation Loss or Tingling in the Toes, Feet, Fingers, or Hands
- Full or Partial Paralysis of Any Body Part
No two spinal cord injury victims will have the same experience. It can sometimes be challenging to recognize spinal injuries. If victims exhibit any of these signs, they must seek immediate medical attention for a thorough assessment.
What Kinds of Injuries to the Spinal Cord Exist?
Spinal cord injuries come in two varieties: complete and incomplete. While a full spinal cord injury is characterized by a complete loss of function below the point of injury, an incomplete SCI refers to a spinal cord injury in which some feeling or movement is still present.
The magnitude and seriousness of incomplete injuries can vary greatly, and the site of the injury usually has a significant bearing on the symptoms that develop. The following issues are most likely to arise from an incomplete SCI:
- Anterior Cord Syndrome is a spinal cord injury that often impairs mobility, touch, pain, and temperature perceptions below the site of the injury.
- When the spinal cord’s nucleus in the middle is harmed, central cord syndrome results. Arm function is lost as a result, while some leg movement is retained.
- Poor coordination is a characteristic of posterior cord syndrome, which is characterized by injury to the back of the spinal cord.
- One side of the spinal cord is injured, but not the other causes Brown-Sequard Syndrome. While one side of the body experiences a loss of movement but the preservation of sensation, the other side experiences a loss of sensation but the preservation of movement.
Based on the typical pattern of symptoms, medical professionals performing a physical examination may frequently identify where an injury has occurred on the spine. The anatomy of the spinal cord is divided into five parts:
- Cervical (Neck)
- Thoracic (Chest)
- Lumbar (Lower Back)
- Sacral (Pelvis)
- Coccygeal (Tailbone)
Depending on which of these regions the injury occurs, different paralysis may arise from full spinal cord damage. For instance, a full SCI at the cervical spine region results in quadriplegia (sometimes known as tetraplegia), which is the loss of function in all four limbs. In contrast, a spinal cord injury (SCI) that affects the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral portions of the spinal cord results in paraplegia or the loss of function in the legs.
How Can I Expect Spinal Cord Injury To Affect My Life?
A spinal injury can impact numerous parts of your life. You might no longer be able to enjoy the hobbies you once did. Daily habits are constantly disturbed. There must be adjustments made to account for your injury. Making coffee or running errands become more challenging or, in the worst situations, impossible. A spinal injury may negatively impact your life expectancy!
A study from the University of Alabama demonstrated how much spinal cord damage could reduce a person’s life expectancy. According to their research, a person’s life expectancy and the degree of spinal cord damage are related. The group that reported “motor functioning at any level AI5 D)” was the least affected. Their lifespan decreased by 5.2 years on average. The average life expectancy of a person who needed a ventilator was dramatically reduced by 33.7 years!
For a variety of factors, life expectancies are declining. According to Newsmax Health, the following factors diminish the life expectancies of people with quadriplegia:
- Having Trouble Breathing
- Digestive Dysfunction
- Depression
- Motor and Sensory Control Loss
However, you can live a significantly longer life than usual if you receive the appropriate care and therapies. Unfortunately, the average cost of continuing such treatments is in the millions.
California Spinal Cord Injury And Your Finances
Living with a serious, permanently altering spinal injury without the correct care is challenging and expensive in terms of your life and cash. A spinal injury can shorten your life expectancy, as seen in the previous section. Getting the appropriate care is the best defense against this, but it will be expensive. A study from the University of Alabama demonstrates how taxing spinal injuries may be on sufferers and their families. For instance, the lowest amount, which is still well over a million dollars, can be anticipated from those who experienced impairments to their motor skills.
The expense of treatments and ongoing care increases significantly for more severe injuries that leave a person paralyzed or tetraplegic. The more you will have to pay throughout your life, the younger you were when you were hurt. Consider a 25-year-old tetraplegic as an example. On average, their total lifetime expenses for treating their ailment and providing ongoing care come to $4,789,384. It costs a lot of money to spend on what is necessary to treat your health, and debt can easily result from this. You can overcome this! Find a personal injury lawyer from The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker who can help you get the money you need and deserve.
What Compensation Can Expect Following Spinal Cord Injuries?
A severe spinal cord injury can have devastating effects and necessitate long-term or permanent medical care. Even with medical insurance, victims and their families may still face a significant financial burden due to the high expense of treating spinal cord injuries. A victim has the right to seek compensation and hold the responsible party accountable if their spinal cord injury was brought on by the carelessness or maliciousness of another party. Compensation is offered to those who have suffered spinal cord injuries, including:
- Medical Expenses
- Loss of Perks and Wages
- Loss of Ability to Earn
- Mental and Emotional Pain
- Distress and Suffering
- Loss of Group Support
- The Inability to Enjoy Life
Recovering Damages in a Paralysis Lawsuit from a California Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
It is insufficient for the responsible party to merely apologize when an accident leaves a victim with whole or partial paralysis. The loss of bodily control, the inability to carry out daily chores, the loss of financial security, the loss of one’s livelihood, and the loss of happiness are all things that cannot be adequately expressed in words. Paralysis is still an incurable condition that victims and their families must live with for the rest of their lives.
Have someone else’s careless or irresponsible actions caused paralysis for you or a loved one? In a personal injury claim or lawsuit, you have the right to seek damages. While money can’t replace a full recovery, it can at least help those financially struggling after paralysis. Working with a lawyer with experience in these areas is strongly encouraged. You cannot fully recover your damages unless you have the proper legal assistance.
In a personal injury claim or lawsuit, people living with paralysis are entitled to a comprehensive list of damages, including the following:
- The price of continued rehabilitation, medicine, and medical care.
- Lost wages and diminished earning potential.
- The price of modifying your home or vehicle as well as purchasing or renting a wheelchair or other medical equipment.
- Distress and Suffering
- Emotional Angst
- Loss of Group Support
- Reduction in Life Quality
Before concluding your legal action, having a lawyer assess your case and the full scope of your damages is crucial. Ensure all damages, past, present, and future, are considered.
Don’t overlook the statute of limitations or the deadline as well. You might have a few months to a couple of years to submit your claim, depending on the specifics of your injury. This is why you should speak with a lawyer as soon as possible to ensure you don’t miss the chance to seek damages for your paralysis.
Reasons Why You Need a Lawyer From The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker To Represent You
Remember, neither your friends nor family (while their support is essential to your mental and emotional rehabilitation) nor the insurance claims adjuster can defend your entitlement to full and fair reimbursement. Our acclaimed legal team at The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker comprises sympathetic experts who treat clients like family. You don’t need to search further if you want a lawyer who will do whatever it takes to obtain the best recovery. Call us right away for a FREE case evaluation at 800-333-0000.
