Injuries to the spine often result in lifelong disabilities, which also causes a lifetime of expenses and hardships. If you or your loved one suffered a spinal cord injury due to someone else’s mistakes, you should retain the services of an experienced Frederick spinal cord attorney at once. The award-winning advocates at Portner & Shure, P.A. can work hard to ensure you receive the funds necessary to pay for your medical expenses and can stay focused on your recovery.
Call for a free consultation about your spine injury case.
Spinal Cord Anatomy & Injuries
The spinal cord is comprised of four nerve segments, extending from the cervical spinal nerve at the top and the sacral spinal nerves at the base. The thoracic and lumbar spinal nerves are in the middle. Each portion provides the nerve network for a different segment of your body, such as your neck, shoulders, and upper extremities are linked to the cervical spinal nerve. The cervical spine connects your brain to your neck, shoulders, and upper extremities
When a spinal cord segment is damaged, the victim will often experience debilitation or paralysis in all body parts connected to that segment. If the damage is severe, then the paralysis can also affect the body parts connected to any segments below the damaged one. For example, snapping the cervical spinal nerve can cause full-body paralysis because it is the uppermost section of the spinal cord.
Consequences of Spinal Cord Damage
Depending on the location and extent of your spinal cord injury, it can result in paraplegia or quadriplegia. Paraplegia is the paralysis of the lower limbs. Quadriplegia or tetraplegia is paralysis of all four limbs. Mild to moderate paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of sensation while severe paralysis will cause a loss of function and movement.
Spinal injuries may also necessitate a victim using a wheelchair and relying on assisted living services. if a spinal cord injury involves compressed vertebra or displaced bones, it can also cause chronic pain.
Causes of Severe Spinal Cord Damage
Spinal cord injuries result from a variety of accidents. Typically, though, the accident must be especially violent for it to cause enough harm to damage the spinal cord.
A few examples of accidents that can break or tear the spinal cord are:
- Car accidents
- Workplace accidents in industrial settings
- Sporting accidents
- Falls from great heights
- Surgical errors and medical malpractice
Medical Care for Spinal Cord Injury Patients
Hospital care, specifically emergency care, focuses on immobilizing your spine to prevent any further damage. Traction or stabilization of the spine is typically required after emergency medical attention. Surgery may be necessary if you are suffering from compression of the spine or require further stabilization.
Rehabilitation after surgery is standard, and it can last for years and years. Rehabilitation treatments include physical therapy, occupational therapy, orthopedic treatment, and so forth. Therapy may restore or improve your function and mobility, depending on the type of injury you have suffered.
All of these procedures and therapies are expensive in most cases. An experienced Frederick spinal cord injury lawyer from our law firm can help calculate your damages, so we can be sure to fight for every cent you are owed. We also consider your emotional pain and hardships, and we factor those into your noneconomic damages as well.
Further Economic Effects of Paralysis
The suffering a spinal cord injury causes to the victim does not necessarily end there. The permanent consequences of a spinal cord injury impact entire families and may prove economically devastating. Families may find themselves overwhelmed with medical bills due to the required medical care and costs for assisted living.
How a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Can Help
Our goal in a spinal injury lawsuit is to deliver significant monetary compensation for your medical bills, rehabilitation costs, lost income, potential disability, and suffering. While we work hard to obtain your compensation, we will also be diligently handling all aspects of your claim. When we are your chosen Frederick spinal cord injury attorneys, you do not need to worry about any part of your claim because we will do it all for you.
Portner & Shure, P.A. can even rely on the testimony of an expert witness to better prove the extent of your injuries and disabilities. We go through all the motions of finding, preparing, and interviewing an expert so you don’t have to. It is just one of the so many ways that we take your case and make it our own.
Our experience and insight can be seen in our awards and accolades, such as recognition from:
- American Institute of Trial Lawyers
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers
- Multi-Million Dollar Advocacy Forum
