What are the Four Types of Spinal Cord Injury?
Imagine you are on your daily commute down the 405, when suddenly a large truck crashes into your vehicle causing you to spin out of control and crash into the median. Next thing you know, you wake up in a hospital and can’t feel or move your legs. The doctor informs you that your spinal cord was damaged and they aren’t sure what the long-term effect will be. What do you do when a catastrophic injury turns your whole world upside down? While you can’t get back to normal, you can adapt to a new normal, but it will take time, money, and some heartache. Get the justice and compensation you need to rebuild your life after a serious injury, call a Los Angeles spinal cord injury lawyer to find out how.
Understanding Spinal Cord Injuries
A spinal cord injury (SCI) is the result of damage to the spine that disrupts nerve signals between the brain and body resulting in loss of sensation or function. Associated symptoms may include numbness, pain, tingling, and paralysis. Common causes of spinal cord injuries include traffic accidents, falls, sports injuries, and violence, but medical complications can also cause spinal cord damage.
Because of the severity of spinal cord injuries, it’s important to properly identify what was injured and where the injury occurred along the spinal cord. Accurate identification of SCIs is vital for appropriate emergency stabilization and surgical intervention, which need to happen quickly for the best outcomes. Prompt medical attention helps prevent additional injury, minimize disability, and improve recovery time. Improper identification of an SCI can not only delay critical medical treatment, but also result in disability, paralysis, and other complications.
If a spinal cord injury is caused by the negligence of another person, proper identification of the injury is vital for legal action. In many personal injury lawsuits, you must validate the severity of injuries through medical records to demonstrate the impact of the accident both physically and mentally.
What Happens if a Spinal Injury is Improperly Identified?
In this case, the amount of compensation you pursue may not be sufficient to cover ongoing medical needs or permanent disability accommodations. A Los Angeles spinal cord injury attorney can work with medical professionals to encourage additional screening and testing to verify the true extent of the injuries.
The Four Types of Spinal Cord Injuries
The spine is a large part of the body that controls extensive bodily functions; it is made up of a large bundle of nerves surrounded by bones, called vertebrae, for protection. In medical context, we divide the spine into four sections based on the parts of the body controlled by that section of nerves. The four types of spinal cord injuries are associated with these four sections and classified by their location along the spine and what vertebra are impacted. Generally, when the spinal cord is damaged it affects bodily functions below the point of damage. Starting at the top of the spine and working downward, the four types of spinal cord injuries are:
Cervical injuries (Neck area)
These involve vertebrae C1-C8 and tend to cause the most severe damage like tetraplegia (quadriplegia) or paralysis of all four limbs as well as sensory functions causing numbness, tingling, or pain throughout the body.
Thoracic injuries (Upper and middle back)
Occurring between vertebrae T1-T12, these may lead to loss of control in the back, chest, and abdomen affecting posture, stability, balance, and breathing. Thoracic injuries often result in paraplegia (paralysis of the legs), and, on rare occasions, loss of hand and finger function if the T1 vertebra is injured.
Lumbar injuries (Lower back)
Damage to vertebrae L1-L5, the largest of the vertebrae built to support the body’s weight, effects the lower back, hips, and legs. This can cause loss of function in the hips and legs limiting one’s ability to stand or walk.
Sacral injuries (Pelvis and tail bone)
The least common type of spinal cord injury, these impact vertebrae S1-S5 which house nerves connected to the hips, buttocks, and pelvic organs potentially affecting bladder and bowel control as well as infertility and sexual disfunction. These injuries can involve loss of leg function, but not always.
How a Los Angeles Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Can Help
If you have suffered a spinal cord injury, the last thing you need is the stress of legal proceedings. Spinal cord injury and catastrophic injury lawyers in Los Angeles manage your case on your behalf while you focus on treatment and recovery. In managing your case they will conduct an investigation, compile evidence, identify liable parties, handle communication and negotiation, and follow local legal procedures. In addition, a lawyer can carefully evaluate damages to make sure your claim includes all eligible compensation. These steps allow lawyers to develop a strong case and strategy to win you maximum compensation after a serious accident. BD&J can also connect clients with top-tier medical specialists and even provide cash advances to help cover medical needs while claims are processed.
FAQs
What documents are needed to support a spinal cord injury claim?
Documentation that proves the accident, injury severity, financial damages, and negligent party are all necessary for a personal injury case. Accident reports prove what happened in the accident and possibly the negligent party, while photos and medical records demonstrate injury severity. Financial damages are verified with documents like medical bills, pay stubs, or repair receipts. A Los Angeles spinal cord injury attorney will help you compile these documents and other evidence to build a solid case.
What compensation can I receive after a spinal cord injury?
Victims of accidents caused by the negligence of someone else are eligible to collect compensation for economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and therapies or rehabilitation while examples of non-economic damages are mental anguish, disfigurement, and pain and suffering. Depending on the severity, spinal cord injury victims are likely also eligible to collect future care costs, medical devices, home modifications, and loss of earning potential if they have suffered permanent damage or disability.
Can I file a claim if I was partially at fault for my spinal cord injury?
Yes. California operates under a pure comparative negligence or shared fault system. This means a victim of an accident caused by the recklessness of another can fight for compensation even if they are partially at fault for the accident. In these cases, a judge or jury will assign a percentage of fault to each of the parties involved, and parties (or their insurance company) are financially responsible for that proportion of the compensation. For example, if you were in an accident and suffered $100,000 in damages, but are found to be 20% at fault, you will only receive a maximum of $80,000 in compensation.
Why work with a BD&J spinal cord injury attorney?
A spinal cord injury is serious and likely means an extensive and costly recovery, so most victims work with a lawyer to manage their case so they can prioritize healing. With the help of the BD&J team you can expect exceptional care and maximum compensation, potentially even doubling your winnings. Our impressive case results show our dedication to making sure clients get the compensation they need to get back to daily life. Still, what matters most to us is what our clients have to say after working with us, and our testimonials highlight the compassionate client care we bring to every case.
Do you offer free consultations?
Yes, the BD&J spinal cord injury lawyers in Los Angeles offer free consultations for accident victims to discuss their case with our legal team before committing to work with us. This free consultation is your opportunity to share what happened and ask questions of a potential lawyer. The lawyer can offer insight into how your case could proceed, what strategies they would use, and how much compensation they estimate you will win. Call 24/7 or fill out our form to schedule your free consultation with BD&J.
We’ve Got Your Back, Los Angeles
Suffering a life-changing injury is terrifying and confusing for many victims as they question what the long-term impact will be and try to adapt to a new life. Luckily, getting the justice and compensation you deserve is just a phone call away. The Los Angeles spinal cord injury lawyers at BD&J have helped thousands of clients in the past two decades, winning billions* in compensation for clients. Get in touch with BD&J today to chat about your case.
