When you’ve sustained an injury due to someone else’s negligence, the results can be devastating. Sustaining a spinal cord injury, however, can have permanent and life-altering consequences. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), there are approximately 17,500 new spinal cord injury cases in the United States each year. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries, followed closely by falls.
What is a Spinal Cord Injury?
A spinal cord injury is damage to the spinal cord or the nerves at the ends of the spinal canal. A spinal cord injury can affect the ability to send and receive messages from the brain to the body’s systems. A complete spinal cord injury produces a total loss of all sensory and motor function below the site of the injury. Both sides of the body are equally affected. An individual suffering from an incomplete spinal cord injury may be able to move but have decreased function or a sensory deficit below the site of the injury.
Prognosis for spinal cord injury victims depends on the type of injury sustained. While most spinal cord injuries do not involve a complete severing of the spinal cord, a severed spinal cord cannot be repaired. The most severe spinal cord injuries can leave a victim completely paralyzed. Spinal cord injuries can result in:
- Full or partial paralysis
- Loss of sensation and motor control
- Loss or diminished control over body functions such as bowel and bladder control
- Need for assistance with daily living
- Impaired mobility and the need for a wheelchair
- Loss of the ability to speak
- Loss or diminished ability to breathe
Effects of Spinal Cord Injuries
Compensation in any case involving a spinal cord injury must take into account the significant and life-changing effects such an injury can have. Some spinal cord injuries can lead to close to a million dollars in expenses in the first year alone. An individual who has sustained a spinal injury has likely experienced significant pain and suffering as well as extensive past and future medical bills. Spinal cord injuries often require years of medical care and rehabilitation. They can also require the use of assistive and adaptive equipment such as wheelchairs and respirators. The lack of mobility will require an injury victim to rely more on those around them for support and assistance. The spinal cord injury victim will probably have a decreased capacity to work and lose wages as a result.
Contact an Experienced Spinal Cord Injury Attorney
If you’ve sustained a spinal cord injury as the result of someone’s negligence, you should have an experienced personal injury attorney evaluate your case. At Bonina & Bonina, P.C., we have over 50 years of experience helping injured New Yorkers. Contact us online or call us at 1-888-MEDLAW1 to schedule your free consultation. Home and hospital visits are available. Se habla español.