Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injuries are a common consequence of negligent actions. Some people are debilitated for life, while others may have less obvious symptoms, but their lives have become much more difficult nonetheless. From our years of experience as Atlanta spinal cord injury lawyers, we’ve seen how major spinal cord injuries can have devastating consequences and result in temporary or permanent paralysis, and even death.

Spinal cord injuries can occur as a result of many different types of car accidents, from rear-end crashes that cause minor spinal cord damage to more serious collisions that can lead to permanently debilitating or fatal spinal cord injuries. They can be caused by medical negligence, and they can be caused by criminal attacks.

A serious spinal cord injury can mean a long, difficult, and often painful road to recovery for the victim. Spinal cord injuries nearly always cause victims to miss work, lose wages, and prevent them from returning to a normal life. Though nothing can turn back time or the damage a victim suffered, obtaining monetary damages in court from the person or business who caused the injury can help spinal cord injury victims cover lost wages and expensive medical bills.

In cases where a spinal cord injury leads to permanent disability or death, the victim’s loved ones may be able to win damages for loss of companionship and the care they need to provide to their disabled family member.

Car crashes aren’t the only cause of spinal cord injuries and claims that our Atlanta spinal cord injury attorneys have handled. Such injuries can also result from slip and fall accidents, sports injuries, violent acts, and diving accidents. There are many different types of spinal cord injuries, ranging from low to high levels of damage. Generally, the seriousness of the spinal injury depends on where on the spine it is located. Doctors separate the spine into four different areas for the purposes of assessing injuries:

Generally, the higher up on the spine the injury occurs, the more serious the nature of the spinal cord injury. An injury that affects the cervical spine and the area around the neck can have devastating consequences. These injuries can lead to quadriplegia, a form of paralysis that involves the loss of movement in arms and legs. Patients with these types of injuries require full-time care and personal or medical assistance with bodily functions, such as emptying the bladder and breathing.

The other most serious type of spinal cord injury involves injury to the thoracic area of the spine. These injuries, though not as serious as cervical spine injuries, generally lead to paralysis in the form of paraplegia – or the loss of feeling and movement in the lower half of the body, including the legs. Injuries to the lumbar and sacral areas of the spine are less serious but still may require extensive treatment and therapy for the victim to fully recover.

If you suffer a spinal cord injury in an accident caused by someone else, the court may find the other party guilty of negligence and award you financial compensation for your pain and suffering. Such financial awards can help cover lost wages and earning potential from a spinal cord injury and help pay for medical bills and the cost of rehabilitative therapy or ongoing nursing care. Schedule a free consultation with an Atlanta personal injury lawyer at The Dixon Firm, P.C. for a thorough look at your potential claim. Contact us today by calling our office at 404-733-1166.