Spinal Cord Injuries

A spinal cord injury (SCI) is an injury to the spinal cord resulting in varying degrees of loss of function and paralysis, depending on which part of the spine was injured and the severity of the injury. The injury can occur from a traumatic event, such as a construction or motor vehicle accident, or from medical malpractice.

Treatment options for spinal cord injuries are limited. If the injury resulted in a fracture to the vertebrae protecting the cord, surgery may be performed to correct the fracture and relieve the compression on the spine. After surgery, some function may be recovered. There is not a current surgical option that will recover all function lost due to SCI.

Rehabilitation is the main cornerstone of treatment designed to help the injured person retain as much function as possible. Rehab treatments may include working with a number of specialists, including physical therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, nutritionists, neurologists, psychologists and others. Rehab focuses on a range of issues, from preventing muscle atrophy to providing job training. Rehabiltation is a very expensive and arduous pursuit.

Spinal cord injuries are some of the worst types of injuries suffered today. Not only do the victims suffer paralysis, but there are also many other health consequences from a SCI, including bowel and bladder problems, breathing difficulty, blood pressure and heart dysfunction, spasms, loss of reproductive and sexual function and increased risk of blood clots, bed sores and pneumonia. People with SCI generally also have a shorter life expectancy.

If a spinal cord injury resulted because of another person's negligent acts, the injured person may want to consider taking legal action against the responsible party to recover damages. Depending on how the injury occurred, there are different types of lawsuits that may be filed:

Personal injury lawsuit: if the injury resulted from an individual's negligence, like a car accident
Medical malpractice: if the injury resulted from a surgical mistake or misdiagnosis
Products liability: if the injury resulted from a defective product, like a seatbelt
Premises liability: if the injury occurred on another person or entity's property

An experienced attorney can determine which type of case is best to pursue according to the circumstances of your particular situation.

Damages
The types of compensation available in SCI cases include:

Loss of wages
Loss of future earning capacity
Medical expenses
Future anticipated medical expenses
Pain and suffering

A spinal cord injury impacts every aspect of a person's life. If you or someone you care about has been affected by a spinal cord injury, contact an experienced attorney at Lever & Stolzenberg LLP to learn more about your legal options.