Nebraska Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys

Spinal Cord Injuries

A spinal cord injury typically occurs after a sudden blow to a person’s spine that either dislocates or fractures vertebrae. The damage starts at the moment of injury when displaced disc material, bone fragments, or ligaments tear into or bruise the spinal cord tissue. In most instances, injuries to a person’s spinal cord do not sever it completely; instead, an injury is more likely to result in compression and fractures of the vertebrae, which in turn crush and ruin the axons, which are nerve cell extensions that relay signals between the body and the brain up and down the spinal cord. An injury to a person’s spinal cord can damage a few, several, or nearly all of the axons. Depending on the severity of damage, some spinal cord injuries allow a patient to make a complete recovery, while others may result in permanent paralysis.

A spinal cord injury can be classified as either incomplete or complete. When an injury is incomplete, it means that the spinal cord’s ability to relay messages between the brain and the body are not lost completely. In many cases, people who sustain incomplete spinal cord injuries retain some motor and/or sensory functions in areas below the injury. A complete injury is categorized by a total loss of motor and sensory functions below the injury.

People who survive a spinal cord injury typically suffer from a wide variety of medical complications, including heart problems, increased susceptibility to respiratory difficulties, chronic pain, bowel and bladder dysfunction, and more.

Spinal Cord Injury Statistics

The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) reports that approximately 12,000 new spinal cord injuries occur each year in the United States. It is believed that upwards of 250,000 people are currently living with a spinal cord injury.

Approximately 12,000 new spinal cord injuries occur each year in the United States.Since 2005, about 41.3 percent of spinal cord injuries have been caused by accidents involving motor vehicles, according to the NSCISC. Slip-and-fall accidents are the second most common cause of this injury at 27.3 percent. Other causes of spinal cord injuries include acts of violence, which are responsible for about 15 percent of these injuries; sports-related incidents at 7.9 percent; and about 8.5 percent are due to unknown or other causes.

Treatment for Spinal Cord Injuries

In many cases, aggressive treatment and rehabilitation may reduce damage to the patient’s nervous system and may even restore limited abilities. Many spinal cord injury victims will also need to participate in programs that incorporate physical therapies that have skill-building activities, in addition to undergoing counseling in order to receive emotional and social support.

Approximately a third of patients that sustained an injury to the neck area will need assistance with breathing and will likely require respiratory support. Additionally, it appears certain steroid drugs can reduce the damage done to nerve cells if administered within the first few hours after the injury is sustained.

Damages & Liability in Spinal Cord Injury Accidents

Whenever someone is injured because of another person’s negligence, they may be able to hold that person accountable for their actions in a court of law. Injured victims may also be eligible to obtain compensation to help pay for accident-related expenses such as hospital bills, ongoing medical treatment, rehabilitation, lost wages, and more.

If you have suffered a spinal cord injury due to another’s wrongful actions, you are likely facing financial hardships while recovering from your injury. Contact the Nebraska catastrophic personal injury lawyers at Cullan & Cullan. Our attorneys are also physicians, so we fully understand the difficulties injured victims face, both in regards to physical recovery and legal challenges. We can help you determine whether you have a valid claim and help you understand what legal options are available to you. For a free consultation, call our law offices at (402) 397-7600.