Spinal cord injuries are some of the most common catastrophic injuries in America. Their long-term consequences can only be compared to those of traumatic brain injuries. Like brain injuries, spinal cord injuries are life-changing and often result in permanent damage and loss of some critical essential functions, including the ability to move.

Besides inflicting physical pain and potential disability, a spinal cord injury can be a tremendous emotional and financial burden to the victim and their family. Typically, it involves costly medical and rehabilitation expenses and often the loss of income, including the ability to engage in gainful employment. However, the law entitles victims to compensation, especially for injuries due to someone else’s negligence. 

Like other catastrophic injuries, spinal cord injuries involve significant damages hence the need to consult a skilled spinal cord injury attorney. If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury due to another’s negligence, our skilled and experienced Los Angeles Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys at Heidari Law Group can help you recover damages. 

Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), approximately 40% of spinal cord injuries occur in motor vehicle accidents. However, with thousands of Americans suffering severe spinal cord injuries every year, there are other causes of these injuries besides auto accidents. Some of the most common causes of spinal cord injuries include:  

• Car accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Bus accidents
• Sports accidents
• Trucking accidents
• Worksite accidents, including construction site accidents
• Medical malpractice
• Slip and fall accidents
• Acts of violence, including assault
• Defective products
• Neurodegenerative diseases
• Infections that cause abscesses on the spine

Recovering Damages in a Spinal Cord Injury Case

Spinal cord injuries are mainly caused by another’s negligence, and to recover damages, you must prove the at-fault party’s negligence beyond a reasonable doubt. Similar to other personal injury claims, your spinal cord injury negligence claim must meet some critical elements, including:

• the defendant owed you a duty of care, and
• through their actions, they breached that duty of care, and 
• the breach of duty was the direct cause of your spinal cord injury and other damages 

For example, if a driver failed to slow or stop their car at a stop sign or an intersection and hit you while walking or crossing the road, they may be held legally liable for negligence. Essentially, the driver negligently breached the duty they owed you to operate their vehicle safely, including giving you the right of way as a pedestrian. 

Since the accident is the direct cause of your injuries, the driver is liable to pay you damages for your injuries and other losses you may have suffered. However, every negligence claim is different depending on the cause of the spinal cord injury. For instance, a personal injury lawsuit involving a defective product is different from a car accident case. 

In a case involving a defective product, you need to prove that the product was in some way defective and that the defect caused the accident or injury to occur. In a defective product case, the product manufacturer, repair shop, or distributor may be at fault for overlooking the defect, intentionally or otherwise, which leads to the injury.

Some of the damages that you can recover in a spinal cord injury case include compensation for medical costs, rehabilitation costs, loss in earning ability, damage to property, pain and suffering, punitive damages, loss of consortium, and wrongful death.

Types of Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries are classified by which part of the spine they affect, the symptoms they cause, and the extent of damage to the function of the spinal cord. There are two main categories, including: 

1. 1. Complete spinal injuries. These are injuries that cause a total disruption to the function of the spinal cord from the point where the injury occurred onward. These injuries create a total loss of function & sensation for different parts of the body.

• Incomplete spinal cord injuries. These can include the loss of sensation and function but might not always take away both. In some cases, such as with Anterior Cord Syndrome, the body’s movement may be restricted, but it can still maintain sensation.

Spinal cord injuries can also be broken down into other classifications, including:  

• Triplegia – Loss of feeling in three limbs.
• Hemiplegia – Total paralysis that is restricted to one side of the body.
• Tetraplegia or Quadriplegia – Loss of sensation and movement in all four limbs. These injuries occur when part of the spinal cord near the head/neck is completely damaged.

Spinal Cord Injury Symptoms

Depending on the type of spinal cord injury, including the severity of the damage and where on the spine the trauma occurred, spinal cord injury symptoms can vary wildly. For instance, symptoms of a mild spinal cord injury might include 

• tingling
• reduced coordination 
• muscle weakness
• physical pain

Symptoms of a severe spinal cord injury might include: 

• loss of sensation below the injury, 
• trouble breathing, 
• loss of bladder and bowel control, 
• paralysis 
• death 

Victims of a complete spinal cord injury that injures the cervical vertebrae toward the top of the spinal cord often require ventilator assistance to breathe.

What Happens After a Spinal Cord Injury?

After an injury, victims of an incomplete spinal cord injury might recover sensation and function in the various body parts through physical therapy and rehabilitation. For complete spinal cord injuries, victims often require a wheelchair for mobility and may also require voice activation services to use their phone or computer. Victims may also require round-the-clock care to complete everyday activities.

However, with neuro-regenerative technology advancements in the medical field, there is hope for full recovery, including the possibility of victims walking, talking, and having similar sensations as before their spinal cord injuries. 

Contact a Los Angeles Spinal Cord Injury Attorney

A spinal cord injury often results in a physical disability that can completely change your life, including overwhelming you emotionally and financially. With settlement amounts running into millions, you might have to fight insurance companies for fair compensation. However, you don’t need to do it alone, as a spinal cord injury attorney can help you through the often complex claim process.

If you are in Los Angeles, CA, and you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury due to another’s negligence, don’t worry. Our skilled and experienced Los Angeles Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys at Heidari Law Group will help you recover the compensation you and your family need and deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation and to learn more about our services.

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