Hollywood Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers
An injured back or spinal cord can affect your ability to move easily, work, or take care of yourself. This can also be a very painful injury to suffer, and the medical bills can add up quickly.
If you’ve suffered a serious injury, consulting with Hollywood, FL spinal cord injury lawyers as soon as possible is important to make sure you maximize your recovery—you will need that compensation to pay for home care, pain management, rehabilitation, and other treatment. To speak with spinal cord injury attorneys, contact Flaxman Law Group for a free consultation.
What is a Spinal Cord Injury?
The spinal cord is a crucial part of your central nervous system, acting as a communication pathway between the brain and the rest of the body. When the spinal cord is damaged, it can disrupt these signals, leading to loss of function or sensation below the site of the injury. A spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe injury to the spinal cord that can lead to permanent changes in sensation, movement, and bodily functions.
Spinal cord injuries are classified into two main categories:
- Complete Spinal Cord Injury. A complete SCI means that there is a total loss of motor and sensory function below the level of the injury. This results in paralysis and loss of sensation in the affected areas. No communication can occur between the brain and the body below the injury site.
- Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury. In an incomplete SCI, the spinal cord is partially damaged, leaving some function below the level of injury. In these cases, individuals may still retain partial movement or sensation, but the extent varies depending on the severity and location of the injury.
The severity of a spinal cord injury depends on several factors, including the location of the injury along the spine and the extent of damage to the spinal cord. Injuries to the cervical (neck) region typically result in the most severe disabilities, including paralysis in all four limbs, while injuries to the lower back or lumbar region may affect only the legs.
What Causes Spinal Cord Injuries?
Spinal cord injuries can occur due to a wide range of causes, from traumatic accidents to medical conditions. Some of the most common causes include:
- Traffic Accidents. Car accidents, motorcycle crashes, and other types of collisions can cause blunt trauma to the spine that can result in the spinal cord being compressed or even severed. Traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of SCIs.
- Falls. Falls are another leading cause of spinal cord injuries, especially for older adults. Slips, trips, and falls from height can cause the spine to twist, bend, or impact with such force that it results in a serious injury.
- Sports Injuries. Sports like football, hockey, horseback riding, or diving can lead to sudden impacts or collisions that cause the neck or back to bend or twist in unnatural ways.
- Workplace Accidents. Workers can suffer SCIs at work due to heavy machine accidents, falls, and other accidents. Those working in industries like construction, manufacturing, or transportation are especially at risk.
- Violence. Gunshot wounds, stab injuries, and assault can cause direct trauma to the spinal column, which can disrupt the flow of signals to and from the brain, leading to permanent disability.
- Medical Conditions. Certain medical conditions, such as tumors, infections, or degenerative diseases like arthritis, can cause damage to the spinal cord. Conditions such as spinal stenosis or multiple sclerosis may also contribute to the deterioration of spinal function over time.
- Unsafe Products. Defective products, such as safety harnesses at work or seatbelts in your car, can fail unexpectedly, causing you to fall, crash into a heavy object, or otherwise sustain a direct impact to your spine. When this happens, you may have a products liability claim against the manufacturers of the item.
- Congenital Conditions and Birth Injuries. In rare cases, children may be born with conditions such as spina bifida, which can lead to partial or complete paralysis. Medical negligence during delivery and labor can also put extra pressure on the baby’s spine, causing permanent injury.
- Swimming Injuries. When diving into a body of water, it’s essential to make sure that the water is deep enough. Each year, people suffer serious or even fatal injuries because they dive into a pool or lake that is too shallow.
- Everyday Activities. There are many everyday activities that can put you at risk of a SCI. Whether you’re hanging holiday decorations at a height, skiing, riding on a water ski or ATV, or taking part in any activity where you could fall or could be thrown, you could be injured.
No matter what caused your injury, if you or a loved one may have suffered a spinal cord injury, get a full medical evaluation. Imaging, tests, diagnosis, and treatment are critical for managing the injury. The sooner you seek medical care, the better your outcome could be. Ignoring a potential spinal cord injury can mean you don’t get essential care in time.
In addition to getting medical care, if you have suffered any injury, it’s important to preserve evidence. If a faulty product harmed you or if you were in a car accident, for example, take photos of the area where you were injured, and the surrounding environment, if you can. Keep any police reports, medical reports, receipts, and other paperwork related to the injury. When you consult with Hollywood, FL spinal cord injury lawyers, this evidence can help your attorney pursue your claim.
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Types of Spinal Injuries
We’ve already covered complete and incomplete spinal cord injuries. Doctors also sometimes classify SCIs according to the type of injury sustained. Common types of injuries include:
- Contusions. A spinal cord contusion is a bruising of the spinal cord that disrupts communication between the brain and body. This can cause loss of function and sensation below the site of the injury.
- Compressions. As their name suggests, compression injuries occur when there is pressure placed on the spinal cord, through a herniated disc or vertebral fractures or another cause. When the spinal cord is compressed, it can lead to pain, muscle weakness, and paralysis.
- Lacerations. This type of injury involves damage to the spinal cord’s nerve fibers—usually either a severing or a tearing of these fibers. These injuries are often caused by penetrating trauma, such as a gunshot wound or a piece of metal slashing into the body during a car crash. Lacerations are among the most severe types of spinal injuries and can result in permanent disability.
- Central Cord Syndrome. Also known as central cervical cord syndrome, this is the most common type of incomplete SCI. It happens due to trauma to the neck vertebrae or vertebral discs. This sort of injury often results in sensory loss, weakness, and motion difficulties or even paralysis that are more likely to affect the arms and upper body.
In some cases, SCIs can lead to impairment of bodily functions such as breathing, heart rate regulation, and bladder control may also be compromised. In addition, secondary medical issues such as muscle spasms, pressure sores, respiratory infections, and blood clots can affect patients. Given the complexity of this condition, it’s a good idea to work with a specialist and even to get a second opinion if you’re diagnosed with a spinal cord injury.
What is the Most Common Spinal Cord Injury?
Contusions and compression injuries are among the most frequently seen types in traumatic SCI cases, especially in motor vehicle accidents and slip-and-fall incidents. Younger adults are most likely to be affected by spinal cord injuries sustained in traffic accidents while seniors are more likely to suffer SCIs following a fall.
These injuries can lead to a wide range of symptoms, from partial loss of sensation to significant paralysis, depending on the extent of the damage to the spinal cord.
The higher up the injury occurs on the spine, the more of the body is affected, making these injuries particularly debilitating.
Getting Legal Help for Spinal Cord Injury in Hollywood and South Florida
Spinal cord injuries often require extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation. Many individuals with SCI need lifelong care, including medication, therapy, home modifications, and assistive devices. In fact, spinal cord injuries are among the most expensive injuries to sustain. It’s not unusual for a young adult with severe, permanent spinal cord injury to require more than a million dollars in care over a lifetime.
Spinal cord injuries may require extensive hospital stays, ongoing therapies, and more. New research and treatments are developed all the time, but these, too, are expensive.
In addition, most spinal cord injury patients require additional care. For example, someone with paralysis may need a wheelchair and personal care support at home to get around. This patient may need help with everything from getting dressed to eating. Someone who has sustained paralysis as a result of a spinal cord injury is also more at risk of pneumonia, bed sores, and additional complications, which themselves will require treatment.
Someone who has sustained a serious spinal cord injury also needs to look after mental health. This kind of severe injury can result in depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, changes to relationships, and more. Working with a therapist and other mental health professionals can help, but this is an additional expense to consider.
Individuals with spinal cord injuries may also have many incidental expenses to consider. For example, patients may need accessible transport if they can’t drive or may need especially accessible cars if they can drive with some additional support. Most patients need to install ramps and other accessibility features to their homes.
Patients with spinal cord injuries can also find their income is impacted. In some cases, patients can’t return to their previous jobs. They may need to get additional training and support to take on a different role. In some cases, their medical condition prevents them from working for a long time or even permanently.
The financial impact of a SCI can be significant, no matter your income, especially since insurance may not cover all the costs, particularly specialized treatments. This is why it’s essential to consult with a qualified spinal cord injury lawyer as soon as possible after an accident.
Hollywood, FL spinal cord injury lawyers can explain whether you have a claim and can help you determine how to seek compensation. In Florida, if your injury was caused by someone else’s negligence, you have a right to seek compensation by filing a legal claim. Filing a claim can be an important way for you to get the resources you need to pay for quality medical care, which can help you lead a full life.
Attorneys can investigate the cause of your injuries, locate all liable parties, and take care of all the filing and negotiation related to your case. They take care of the details, make sure you meet all deadlines, and help you avoid making simple mistakes that could harm your case.
Are you looking for Hollywood, FL spinal cord injury lawyers? The legal team at Flaxman Law Group is here to help spinal cord injury victims recover the compensation they need to cover medical expenses, lost wages, and future care. With years of experience handling SCI cases, we understand how to correctly evaluate your current and future costs and how to pursue a fair compensation amount.
If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury, contact Flaxman Law Group today. We offer free consultations and can meet you at your home, hospital, or office for your convenience. Our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you only pay if we win your case. Reach out today by calling 866-352-9626 or filling out our online contact form. Let our family-based boutique law firm help you and your family secure the compensation you deserve.
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