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The importance of the spinal cord in the body cannot be stressed enough. The spinal cord is a complex cylinder of nerves that begins at the base of the brain and extends down the vertebral canal to the backbone. This represents a part of the body’s collection of nerves, called the central nervous system, along with the brain.
A spinal cord injury is one of the most dangerous injuries that result from a vehicle or work accident. It is worth noting that all spinal cord injuries are severe. In fact, they can be potentially life-threatening, thanks to the spinal cord’s direct connection to the central nervous system and the brain.
A spinal cord injury (SCI) can lead to partial or complete paralysis. As a result, this can alter how you live, work, and interact with your loved ones. In addition to this, spinal injuries often require costly and immediate medical treatment. This also prevents victims from earning a living.
Suffering a spinal cord injury can be mentally, emotionally, and physically challenging. The traumatic experience that follows this devastating injury can be difficult to handle. This is especially true if the injury is caused by someone else's negligence.
If you suffer a back injury because of another party's negligence, you should seek the right legal assistance in Houston. At Take That To Trial, we have top back and spinal cord injury lawyers that can help you seek compensation for any damages. We will help you hold the guilty party liable for your pain and suffering, medical bills, mental anguish, and many more.
Functions of the Spinal Cord
The primary function of the spinal cord is to ensure that sensory, motor, and autonomic messages are relayed between the brain and the rest of the body. To facilitate these actions, myelinated nerves along the pathways of the spinal cord send electrical signals to each other.
Electrochemical communication
Electrical currents travel up and down the spinal cord and across nerves. As they do so, they send signals that enable various segments of the body to communicate with the brain.
Walking
This is another important function of the spinal cord. Even though a person's movement is controlled by the contact relaxing and contracting of a collection of muscle groups in the legs, the spinal cord plays a crucial role in facilitating this.
Taking one step after the other may seem simple to us since we have been doing it our entire lives. However, many factors are involved in maintaining coordinated walking. The central pattern generators in the spinal cord consist of neurons that are responsible for sending signals to the muscles in the legs. This is what enables them to relax or contract. This is how the alternating movements that occur when someone walks happen.
Reflexes
Reflexes are involuntary responses that result from stimuli involving the spinal cord, brain, and nerves of the peripheral nervous system.
How Different Sections Of The Spine Controls Movement
Certain locations on the spine can be defined with certain letters and numbers that reveal the associated vertebrae
Cervical Section (C1 to C8): The cervical portion of the spine supports and controls the movement of the head, shoulders, and neck.
Thoracic Section (T1 to T12): The thoracic spine controls and supports chest muscles, as well as portions of the back and abdomen.
Lumbar Section (L1 to L5): The lumbar region of the spine controls and supports the lower abdomen, back, genital organs, and legs.
S Section (S1 to S5): This represents the final portion of the spinal cord and it sends signals to the legs, feet, thighs, and anus. The S5 portion also consists of an extensive rope of nerves. These provide critical sensory sensitivity to the skin.
Types of Spinal Cord Injuries
There are two different types of spinal cord injuries you should know:
Complete: This occurs if all sensation and motor function is completely lost below the spinal cord injury.
Incomplete: This occurs if a certain motor or sensory function exists below the affected area. Incomplete spinal cord injuries can occur in varying degrees and this depends on the loss of functionality sustained.
Paralysis that is caused by an injury to the spinal cord can either fall into the categories of paraplegia or quadriplegia. Paraplegia is defined as the loss of movement only in the lower body. On the other hand, quadriplegia is defined as the loss of movement in both the upper and lower body.
Understanding the State’s Statute of Limitations
The first point to note before we explain any legal options you can explore, it is important to understand the statute of limitation. This refers to the time limit beyond which a lawsuit for a personal injury claim cannot be filed in court.
In general, the statute of limitations represents the maximum amount of time after an accident that you can initiate legal action. According to Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003, you have two years from the time of the injury to file a lawsuit against the guilty party.
Once the time limit runs out, the court will most likely reject your case. As the time limit approaches, your bargaining power with the liable insurance company gradually diminishes. This is why it is very important to start the legal process as soon as possible if you wish to hold the responsible party liable for any injury you may have sustained due to their negligence.
By doing so, you can take significant steps from preventing the statute of limitations from expiring.
Causes of Back and Spinal Cord Injuries
There are many reasons behind back and spinal cord injuries. Based on the severity of the injury, the patient’s symptoms may either be mild, moderate, or severe. It is imperative to treat spinal cord injuries should be treated as fast as possible to avoid further complications. It is possible for some patients to experience temporary symptoms while others will be left with lifelong symptoms.
Causes for back and spinal cord injuries can either be traumatic or non-traumatic. Traumatic injuries are often caused by a sudden traumatic hit to the back. This may lead to damage to one or multiple vertebrae. It can also impact the spinal cord. Furthermore, non-traumatic injuries can be caused by slow internal damage to the spinal cord region. Some common causes of back and spinal cord damage include:
Motor vehicle accidents: Auto and motorcycle accidents are one of the most common causes of back and spinal cord injuries. They account for about half of new spinal cord injuries that occur each year.
Falls: For seniors who are beyond the age of 65, they are most likely to suffer a back and spinal cord injury by caused a fall
Acts of violence: About 12% of back and spinal cord injuries are a result of violent encounters. This can range from gunshot wounds to knife wounds
Sports and recreation injuries: Athletic activities, which could include impact sports and diving in shallow water, have caused approximately 10% of spinal cord injuries.
Diseases: Cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis, and inflammation of the spinal cord also can result in back and spinal cord injuries.
Damages in Spinal Cord Injury Case
Spinal cord injuries can be very devastating. After all, the severity of the injuries can be challenging to handle alone. The medical costs alone can be daunting for many people. For this reason, you can seek compensation for your injuries. This is especially true if the injury was caused by the negligence of another party. The damages you can seek compensation for can either be economic or non-economic. Some of these are introduced as follows:
Medical costs: Spinal cord injuries are often followed by high medical costs. Victims of a spinal cord injury often require significant effort to fully recover from such a devastating injury. Physical therapy, an appointment with doctors, and medications can contribute to the medical costs victims have to deal with. You can also receive compensation for this.
Lost wages: Spinal cord injuries will reduce mobility. Without being able to move freely, you cannot work. This implies that you will lose wages. The liable party must pay for these lost wages. As a result, you receive compensation for this.
Pain and suffering: The immense pain that comes with spinal cord injury cannot be stressed enough. You deserve to receive compensation from someone who caused you pain and suffering.
Depression: Not being able to work and perform routine duties can result in depression. Many victims of spinal cord injuries are often miserable, especially when they have to withstand the throes of physical therapy. This is another damage the liable party must compensate the victim for.
Signs and Symptoms
It has been stated earlier that spinal cord injuries can be life-threatening and devastating. To prevent complications, it is important to know the signs and symptoms to watch out for. Spinal cord injuries may involve a wide range of symptoms, some of which include:
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Loss of sensation
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Loss of movement
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Difficulty breathing
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Pain or intense stinging sensations
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Loss of bladder or bowel control
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Sexual dysfunction
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Pressure in the neck, head, or back
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Extreme back pain
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Difficulty balancing and walking
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Weakness, lack of coordination, or paralysis in any part of the body
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Twisting of the neck or back
Is a Personal Injury Lawsuit Right for You?
A spinal cord injury can cost hundreds of thousands - even millions - of dollars for a lifetime. Surgeries, physical therapy, prescription medication, wheelchair equipment, and home and vehicle modifications are not without their expenses. These exceed the amount of money that most families in Houston make annually.
To make matters worse, a lot of these treatments and services are not covered by standard health insurance plans. This is the reason why pursuing a compensation claim is essential, especially if someone's negligence contributes to your spinal cord injury. For this reason, you need the right legal assistance to help you navigate this process.
The money you receive as compensation can help speed up your recovery. You can also seek to file a lawsuit in court if you wish to gain financial security, knowing that you have held the party responsible for your injuries liable by a court of law. Our lawyers at Take That To Trial are competent enough to help you navigate this difficult process.
What to do Immediately After a Spinal Cord Injury
Knowing the right steps to take after spinal cord injuries is critical. Besides the possibility of saving lives, it also helps in protecting your legal options. This is especially the case if the injury is caused by another party. Some important steps you can take immediately after a spinal cord injury are introduced as follows:
Seek medical assistance
This is the most important step to take immediately after such a devastating injury. To protect lives, immediate medical attention is needed. This will prevent any further complications from happening. Depending on their severity, spinal cord injuries may require surgery. The earlier the victim goes under the knife, the better their chances of recovering. For this reason, victims of spinal cord injuries need instant medical attention immediately after the accident.
Having a medical report and bills can also stand as irrefutable evidence that shows the extent of the injury. This will help increase your bargaining power during negotiation.
Get a police report
Irrespective of its severity, anytime an accident that results in a spinal cord injury occurs, the police must be notified, alongside medical services. The responding police officer will interrogate everyone at the scene, as well as eyewitnesses. Then, they create an official police report, based on the details they have gathered. Have your attorney collect a copy of the report on your behalf.
Gather evidence
You want to pursue a compensation claim to ease the resulting financial burden on your shoulder while also holding the guilty party liable. To do so, you must make a case. You can only do so by presenting strong evidence, which can establish the liability of the guilty party. Having strong evidence will also help your attorney during the negotiation process.
Never forget that insurance companies only want to pay victims as low as possible. However, the presence of irrefutable evidence will help you control the negotiation better. Photos and videos of your injury and the scene of the accident are strong evidence. Your medical reports and bills are also good evidence to show the severity of your injury.
Hire a lawyer
You cannot take the necessary legal steps to hold the guilty party liable on your own. You need a competent attorney to take this burden off your neck. An attorney will explain the legal options you can explore. During negotiation, the first offer you are presented with is often the lowest value the insurance company can offer you.
By having a lawyer by your side, you can rely on the negotiating power of the attorney to get the value you deserve. Besides this, attorneys will help you make more investigations to gather irrefutable evidence that establishes liability. They have the knowledge and the resources to help you gather the proof you need to pursue compensation.
With this in mind, our attorneys at Take That To Trial are competent in handling spinal cord injury compensation claims. We understand the need to have the right legal representation. We are devoted to helping you get the results you deserve. We are eager to take the fight to big companies as we seek compensation on your behalf. So, reach out to our attorneys at Take That To Trial now!
Statistics of Back and Spinal Cord Injury in the United States
Spinal cord injuries can be very hard for victims to deal with. By understanding the numbers behind these injuries, it is easier to understand how common they are and how they impact society.
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Every year approximately 17,700 Americans acquire a spinal cord injury. About 78% are men, with an average age is 43
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Most spinal cord injuries occur due to a vehicle accident (39.3%). This is followed closely by falls (31.8%), violence (13.2%), sports (8%), and medical/surgery (4.3%)
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Depression is a common impact of spinal cord injury. It has affected up to 37% of people with SCI.
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Up to 80% of people with SCI will have a pressure sore during their lifetime, and 30% will have more than one.
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About 65% to 78% of the SCI population have some amount of opens in new window spasticity, or the uncontrolled tightening or contracting of the muscles.
Contact a Top Back and Spinal Cord Injury Attorney in Houston
If you are a victim of a spinal cord injury, we understand the amount of pain and emotional distress you are going through. This is especially true if your injury was caused by someone else's negligence. Then, it is right to pursue a compensation claim while holding the guilty party liable for your injury.
Our attorneys at Take That To Trial will help you explore the legal options that you have. We are attentive to your needs and the right resources are available. You can schedule a free consultation with our competent attorneys to know about the steps you need to take. You must be going through a lot right now. Let our attorneys at Take That To Trial help you and guide your decision.
You cannot do this all on your own. This is why you need the right legal assistance to help speed up your recovery process. We also provide you with updates on any latest developments in your case. We operate on a contingency-fee basis. This implies that you only pay us after we have won your case for you.
You can reach us via:
Email: info@takethattotrial.com
Ph: (832) 770-6100
Fax: (832) 426-5798
You can visit us at 1401 Cleburne St,
Houston, Texas 77004
We are eager to hear from you!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the most common causes of spinal cord injuries
Ans: The most common causes of spinal cord injuries are:
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Motor vehicle accidents
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Slip-and-fall accidents
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Sports-related injuries
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Acts of violence
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Medical malpractice
Certain health issues such as arthritis, cancer, and degenerative bone disease can also result in spinal cord damage.
2. Why are spinal cord injuries so serious?
Ans: A spinal cord injury includes any major impact or damage to any part of the spinal cord or the nerves that run down the length of the spinal canal. Since the spinal cord has so many important functions in the body, including facilitating coordinated movement, spinal cord injuries are serious.
The spinal cord makes up the central nervous system, which is a complex system that coordinates movement and sensation throughout the body. When there is damage to this system, it prohibits the brain and body from communicating effectively below the level of injury.
3. How long does a spinal cord injury take to start showing signs?
Ans: Oftentimes, the signs and symptoms of a spinal cord injury manifest instantly. Depending on the severity of the injury, some symptoms may not be noticeable until days or weeks after the injury.
When it comes to medical treatment, the period immediately following the spinal cord injury is the most critical. Anyone who is suspected of having a spinal cord injury should be assessed by a medical professional very quickly.
4. What are the most common signs of a spinal cord injury?
Ans: Some common spinal cord injury symptoms are listed as follows:
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Loss of sensation
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Loss of movement
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Difficulty breathing
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Pain or intense stinging sensations
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Loss of bladder or bowel control
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Sexual dysfunction
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Pressure in the neck, head, or back
-
Extreme back pain
-
Difficulty balancing and walking
-
Weakness, lack of coordination, or paralysis in any part of the body
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Twisting of the neck or back