Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys

A doctor checking the spinal column of his patient.

Placing significant force on the spine can cause spinal cord bruising or tearing, resulting in a spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injuries happen quickly and their adverse effects are nearly instantaneous. Individuals suffering from a spinal cord injury may be left to deal with the consequences for the rest of their lives. If you have been in an accident and suffered a spinal cord injury, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. The dedicated attorneys at Branch & Dhillon, P.C. can help you claim the compensation you deserve. Contact our team for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Why Are Spinal Cord Injuries So Horrific?

Unlike other injuries such as a broken leg or arm, a spinal injury affects your whole body. Your spine is designed to help channel communications from the rest of your body to your brain. When the spinal cord takes on damage, such as bruising, tears, or in worst cases, fractures or dislocations, this can disrupt the communication channel, resulting in important parts of your body, such as your legs or arms, losing the ability to function because the brain is no longer able to tell it to move.

Depending on the severity and position of the injury on the spinal cord, your body could lose a majority of its functions. This can alter an individual’s life completely, leaving them unable to participate in sports, walk on their own, live independently, or even hold manual labor jobs.

What Causes a Spinal Cord Injury?

Here are some of the most common causes of spinal cord injuries according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center at UAB:

  • Car accidents led to 39.3% of all spinal cord injuries between 2015-2019
  • Slip and fall injuries led to 31.8% of all spinal cord injuries between 2015-2019
  • Assault/violent crimes led to 13.5% of all spinal cord injuries between 2015-2019
  • Recreational activities, such as sports, led to 8% of all spinal cord injuries between 2015-2019
  • Medical malpractice led to 4.1% of all spinal cord injuries between 2015-2019
  • And the last 3.1% of spinal cord injuries were caused by other accidents, such as amusement park injuries between 2015-2019

Different Types of Spinal Cord Injuries

A doctor standing next to a pair of legal scales and holding a stethoscope.Spinal cord injuries can vary in severity depending on where the injury took place on the spinal cord and how much force was used. Here are some of the most common types of spinal cord injuries:

Complete Injuries: Complete injuries occur when the spinal cord’s fibers have been completely destroyed.

Incomplete Injuries: Incomplete injuries happen when the spinal cord’s fibers have been damaged but still remain functional. This means that there may not necessarily be full paralysis, only partial.

Tetraplegia: Tetraplegia refers to when the spinal cord injury has caused enough damage to paralyze both the arms and legs of an individual.

Paraplegia: Paraplegia means that the legs of the body are not functioning due to damage to the spinal cord. The arms and upper body still have full range of motion.

Cervical CSI: All spinal cord injuries are determined and rated by the region and specific vertebrae where the spinal cord injury took place. A cervical CSI occurs when the damage takes place between vertebrae C6-C7.

  • Injuries that affect areas below C7 are not fully paralyzed and will allow the individual who suffered the injury to maintain some independence.
  • Injuries that occur above C6 leave the individual unable to perform daily functions as it often results in full paralysis.

Symptoms of a Spinal Cord Injury

The symptoms an individual may encounter vary depending on the severity and location of their injury. Some of the more common symptoms of a spinal cord injury are as follows:

  • Temporary or permanent paralysis
  • Feeling of numbness or loss of sensation near or below the site of the injury
  • Loss of important autonomic functions, such as heartbeat or breathing

Long-Term Effects

Spinal cord injuries are serious due to the long-term side effects that often accompany them. Unlike breaking a leg, spinal cord injuries don’t always heal fully, and some spinal cord fibers may be completely destroyed. These are the most common side effects of spinal cord injuries:

  • Shortened lifespan
  • Behavioral changes
  • Mood swings or uncontrollable mood changes
  • Emotional distress
  • Loss of ability to control critical functions, such as bowel or bladder
  • Chronic pain

Damages Often Associated With Spinal Cord Injuries

Wooden Gavel And Stethoscope an American FlagIf an individual brings their spinal cord injury to court claiming it was caused due to the negligence of another, they may be able to claim compensation for the following damages:

  • Rehabilitation
  • Therapy sessions
  • Medical devices
  • Medication
  • Nursing home care
  • Surgeries
  • Getting new equipment needed for daily living, such as a wheelchair-friendly vehicle
  • Home modifications needed to make living easier for the injured individual
  • Recovery of lost and future earning capacity
  • Emotional distress and mental anguish
  • Loss of consortium
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Psychological distress
  • Property damage (if it occurred in the initial accident)

Compensation for a Spinal Cord Injury

Receiving compensation may be the only way for an individual to find financial stability after suffering a serious spinal cord injury. The dedicated attorneys at Branch & Dhillon, P.C. can help you claim compensation for your accident. We have been serving the people of Texas for many years and continue to help more and more individuals claim the compensation they deserve. We are a no-win, no-fee law firm, which helps protect our clients from financial risk. Even if your case gets settled outside of court, our caring attorneys will adjust their rates so that you are getting the compensation you deserve to help with damages and medical expenses. Contact our team today for more information and to schedule a consultation with one of our lawyers.