Spinal cord injuries resulting from an accident can permanently change your life. You may have lifelong disabilities or impairments, from chronic pain to paralysis. You probably have significant medical expenses related to your injury, and you may be wondering who’s going to be responsible for paying your bills when your accident happened through no fault of your own. An Alabama spinal cord injury lawyer at Belt, Bruner, & Barnett P.C. can help you answer these questions and more.
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It’s important to know that you may have legal options for obtaining compensation for your accident-related spinal cord injuries. Through a personal injury lawsuit, you may be able to recover compensation for your:
Spinal cord injuries are most likely to occur during middle age. The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) reports that the average age at the time of injury is 41 years old. Males are more likely to suffer a spinal cord injury. Also, more than half of individuals who suffer such an injury are single and employed at the time of the injury.
Each year about 12,000 people sustain a spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injuries can result from traumatic events, such as an accident, and non-traumatic, such as arthritis or cancer. However, certain causes are more common than others. These include:
If you suffered a spinal cord or compression injury because of someone else’s actions, contact a spinal cord injury lawyer at Belt, Bruner, & Barnett P.C. to learn about your rights. Our firm has handled numerous serious spinal cord injury cases and can explain your options and help you fight for the compensation that can aid your recovery from this type of devastating injury.
We’ve successfully represented clients who have suffered many types of injuries, and we’ll do our best to pursue maximum compensation for your losses. We will deliver the attention you deserve and take care of all the details of your case so you can focus on recovery.
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A spinal cord injury can be severe and require significant medical treatment. The NSCISC in Alabama says the lifetime cost of health care and living expenses for someone with a spinal cord injury can total between $1,517,806 and $4,543,182 for someone injured when they are 25 years of age. These costs can be devastating.
Short-and long-term physical effects of a spinal cord injury depend heavily on the location and type of the injury, but generally, include:
The amount of damage caused by a spinal cord injury is referred to as complete or incomplete. A complete injury means all sensation and function below the injury site is lost. Incomplete means some feeling and physical ability remains. How much sensation and movement a person might recover in the coming months and years depends on many factors.
Case Results
Where the injury occurs in the spine is very relevant to the short- and long-term effects of the wound. The most severe spinal cord injuries are often those that occur at the top of the spine, in the C1-C4 vertebrae. Paralysis results from the point of injury and below, which means an injury in this region may lead to paralysis in the arms, hands, torso, legs, and feet, also known as tetraplegia or quadriplegia. Patients may not be able to breathe on their own or control their own bladder or bowels.
Injuries in the C5-C9 vertebrae range can be just as serious, though the physical results depend on the exact location of the injury. Patients with a paralyzing injury in one or more of these vertebrae may have more arm control than with a higher injury location. Depending on the amount of control in their arms and hands, they may be able to use a manual or motorized wheelchair. They will have little control over their bladder or bowels.
Paralyzing injuries in the middle, thoracic section of the spine can have a wide range of results. Depending on the exact location of the injury, individuals can lose feeling in the corresponding parts of their chest, abdomen, and back. However, they usually have normal upper arm feeling and movement, which allows them to use a wheelchair and drive a modified vehicle.
People can also injure their spine in the lumbar and sacral regions, which are the lower back and very bottom of the spine. Injuries here can result in paralysis in the hips and legs and loss of bladder and bowel control. However, someone with an injury only in the sacral region, S1-S5, may still be able to walk but can have mobility issues.
If you suffered a spinal cord injury because of someone else’s actions, you may have a personal injury claim against them. Whether your injury occurred because the other person caused a car accident, slip-and-fall, or some other type of accident, you deserve to financially recover.
Our team of spinal cord injury lawyers at Belt, Bruner, & Barnett P.C. can guide you through the legal process and do our best to prove the other person’s negligence. Our goal is to obtain the maximum available compensation for your case so that you can get the medical and other resources you need to improve your life after a serious spinal cord injury.
For more information on how we can help, call 205-933-1500 to schedule a free consultation. With offices in Birmingham, Mobile, Huntsville, and Montgomery, our serious injury attorneys will quickly travel to investigate your case.