Spinal Cord Injury Attorney
If you or someone you love have been injured as a result of an spinal cord injury, here is some important information you need to know.
The Body's Communication Systems
The spinal cord extends from the base of the brain down the back. It is responsible for housing the communication network that connects the brain to various parts of the body. The spinal cord and the brain comprise the Central Nervous System.
The Peripheral Nervous System is made of the nerves in the body outside of the Central Nervous system, and is divided into two subsystems: the Voluntary Nervous System and the Autonomic Nervous System. The former controls the muscles and includes sensory and motor nerves. The latter is responsible for the fight or flight functions of the body. The fight function prepares the body for danger. The Sympathetic portion of the Autonomic Nervous System controls this. The flight function shuts the body down to save energy, slowing the functioning of the lungs, heart, and digestive systems. The Parasympathetic portion of the Autonomic Nervous System controls this flight function.
Injury to That Communication System
With a SCI, the internal communication is impeded, having many types of effects, ranging from loss of sensation, loss of movement, loss of execratory functions, infertility, and intractable pain. Sometimes the SCI is"complete," meaning both the right and left sides of the body are affected to the same degree and in the same way. Other SCI's are "incomplete," which means the victim typically retains some function and/or sensation in one side of the affected area or the other.
Indeed, there are many different degrees and combinations of effects from SCI's, but the most common are paraplegia, which typically impairs the functioning of the lower limbs and the organs located in the pelvic area. Quadriplegia is even more devastating, affecting the functioning and sensation of the upper body and the arms as well as the legs and pelvic organs.
The medical community has divided the spine into four regions. As a general rule, the closer to the brain the SCI is, the more severe the results for the victim. This is true between regions, as well as within regions.
At the top, closest to the brain, is the cervical spine. Injuries to the vertebrae located here often affect the legs and the arms, resulting in quadriplegia. Also, because this area of the spinal cord also fosters breathing, SCI's located here may force the victim to use a ventilator to breathe. SCI's occurring closer to the bottom of this top region may allow the victim to move the arms, but have difficulty with intricate control of the fingers.
Below the cervical spine is the thoracic spine. Someone who suffers a SCI of the thoracic region usually loses control over movement of the chest and/or the legs. Next is the lumbar spine and, below it, the sacral spine. SCI's in these areas often impact a person's control over movement in the legs and hips, and may also result in loss of all sensation in these areas.
Although there is no single cause of SCI's, over one-third are caused in motor vehicle accidents. Recreational activities, gunshot or stab wounds, slip-and-falls, and workplace accidents cause most of the remaining two-thirds.
The Impact of Such Injuries
A Spinal Cord Injury ("SCI"), no matter the cause, can have catastrophic consequences for the victim, as well as his or her family. Because these injuries can significantly impair movement to part of the body, activities that were once simple every day tasks can take every bit of concentration, or in the most severe cases, can become impossible. As a result, the victim must fully rely on family members, friends, caregivers, or other medical professionals for assistance in in accomplishing otherwise simple events such as bathing, dressing, eating, answering the phone, or reading mail. The toll this can have on the patient and his or her loved ones is enormous.
Compensation Available
Depending on the circumstances surrounding your injuries, you may be eligible for compensation for your medical bills, past and future; your lost wages, past and future; your lost earning capacity; and your pain and suffering. In addition, depending on the circumstances of your injury, you may be awarded punitive damages, which are designed to punish the at-fault person for acting with malice or conscious disregard for your safety. Oftentimes, this punitive damage award is as big or bigger than the compensatory damages mentioned above.
Although no amount of money can make up for the loss of a loved one, if the victim of a SCI dies, California's Wrongful Death statute allows surviving family members to recover for loss of financial support, medical expenses, funeral expenses, loss of consortium, and loss of comfort and care. If nothing else, these awards will ease the financial burden imposed on the family, and force the at-fault party to bear some of the responsibility.
How to Get that Compensation
Whether the SCI was caused by a car accident, a defective product, a physician failing to use care in performing medical services, a recreational accident, a slip-and-fall, or any other cause, you should contact an experienced attorney who can evaluate your claim.
As a cautionary note: do not speak with the other party's insurance company about your bodily injuries. Remember, the adjuster's job is to give you as little money as possible. If you are impatient and take a quick settlement, if you later learn your injuries require future care or you have to miss more work than you expected, you will never get that money. You can simply decline to talk to the adjuster, and refer him or her to your attorney.
At the Law Offices of Slaughter & Slaughter, we understand not only the potential severity of SCI's, but also the severity of the impact these injuries have on the daily lives of the victim and his or her family members. Although no amount of money can truly compensate a SCI victim, we are experienced in assessing the wide range of effects these injuries can have. We are willing to fight for your rights and seek the maximum compensation the law will provide. If you or a loved one has suffered a SCI, call The Law Offices of
Slaughter & Slaughter today.
Get a FREE consultation and an HONEST evaluation of your claim.
There is no need to go through this alone.
Whether you are in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Encinitas, Chula
Vista, San Diego, or anywhere else in Southern California.
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