1.
Approximately 450,000 people in the United States have
sustained spinal cord injuries. These injuries are
dramatically more common in men than in women.
Spinal Cord Injuries are defined as any damage to the
spinal cord that results in loss of function or mobility.
Spinal cord injury is damage to the nerves within the
spinal canal. Most are caused by trauma and affect the
spinal cord's ability to send and receive messages from
the brain to the body's systems that control sensory,
motor and autonomic function below the level of injury.
The extent of disruption depends on the severity and
location of the injury. The leading cause of spinal cord
injuries are motor vehicle accidents, but this injury can
also be caused by falls, acts of violence, sports-related
injuries or work-related injuries such as those from
construction work.
2. The symptoms of a spinal cord injury include:
- Extreme pain in the
neck, head or back
- Tingling or loss of
sensation in the hand, fingers, feet, or toes
- Loss of control over any
part of the body
- Urinary or bowel
urgency, incontinence, or retention
- Difficulty with balance
and walking
- Impaired breathing after
injury
- Lumps on the head or
spine
3. While recent advances
in emergency care and rehabilitation allow many patients
to survive, methods for reducing the extent of injury and
restoring function are still limited.
Immediate treatment includes drug therapy to minimize cell
damage and stabilization of the spine to prevent further
injury. Additional treatment usually involves
stabilization of broken vertebrae, preventing movement of
the affected area and to reduce swelling. Stem cell
research is being doing every day in hopes of a future
cure.
4. The following tips may reduce the risk of spinal
cord injury:
- Always wear a seat belt
every time you drive or ride in a car. Also make sure
children are properly restrained in their seats. Motor
vehicle accidents are the number one cause of spinal
injuries.
- If you have a gun, keep
it locked in a cabinet at all times. Many of these
injuries are related to firearms.
- Prevent falls by
- Using a step stool to
reach high objects
- Using handrails on
stairways
- Installing window
guards to keep young children from falling out of
windows
- Using safety gates
near your stairs when young children are present
- When playing sports,
follow these safety precautions at all times:
- Wear all required
safety gear
- Never engage in
headfirst moves, such as sliding headfirst into a base
- Insist on spotters
during gymnastics
5. Spinal cord injuries
can be very costly. Initial hospitalization and
rehabilitation costs can run close to $250,000 per person.
Additional lifetime costs begin at $400,000 and top $2
million dollars depending on the level of injury.
Along with the emotional and physical challenges of this
type of injury, finances are an ongoing concern for
victims and their families, when dealing with a spinal
cord injury. Victims are often entitled to compensation
from the liable party of their accidents. Compensation
assists in defraying the costs of medical treatment and
providing compensation for pain and suffering. Litigation
is often the only way to ensure that proper compensation
is received. Getting the highest possible compensation
requires experienced attorneys. If you have been the
victim of an accident which resulted in a spinal cord
injury, you should contact an attorney immediately. Don't
suffer through a spinal cord injury without an experienced
attorney on your side.
6. No fees are required up front when hiring an
attorney for your case.
At Brown and Crouppen, we never charge a fee in advanced,
for your personal injury case. Legal fees and expenses are
paid once your case settles and only if we are successful.
If we are unsuccessful, you owe us nothing. We believe we
should make money only after you make money.
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