A spinal cord injury is not the same as a broken bone or whiplash. Individuals suffering from spinal cord damage often deal with a lot more than lower back pain. It’s an incredibly sensitive part of the central nervous system that plays a massive role in our daily life.
What does the spinal cord do?
Your spinal cord is a long line of soft tissue protected by a series of bones called vertebrae. This tissue connects directly to the brain and is responsible for the communication between your brain and body.
It controls everything from autonomous functions, such as the sense of touch, to intentional movements, like walking and dancing. Symptoms vary depending on the exact location of the injury and the intensity of the damage. Depending on the type of injury incurred, a patient may experience anything from minor sensory problems to total paralysis.
Complete vs. Incomplete Injury
Physicians characterize spinal cord injuries (SCI) as complete or incomplete.
Complete injuries refer to damages to the spinal cord where patients lose all ability to feel and move below the spinal damage. These injuries involve conditions like complete paralysis.
Patients suffering from incomplete injuries maintain some abilities of the spinal cord. Movement and sensations are possible below the injury site – although this does not mean they can “feel” effectively. Many victims of incomplete injuries still require wheelchairs or other devices.
Who gets spinal cord injuries?
The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center determined that over 290,000 Americans currently suffer from an SCI. There are over 17,000 new cases every year. While a majority of patients are middle-aged males, anyone is vulnerable to such injuries. Most patients incur their SCI in vehicle accidents or during falls.
Catastrophic injuries are those which have a long-term effect on the life of the victim. A catastrophic injury is so severe that it usually results in long-term medical conditions, permanent disability, and/or a shortened life expectancy. They are often life-threatening and life-altering injuries which require extensive medical care, rehabilitative treatment, medical equipment, nursing care or personal assistance long after the accident or event has occurred which caused them. These injuries can often lead to inability to work at all in the future, affecting not only the life of the victim but family members as well who must be depended upon for care and support.
Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys is known nationwide for providing outstanding legal advice and excellent representation. We have recovered over $700 million in lawsuits involving 18 wheeler trucking litigation, wrongful death litigation, commercial vehicle litigation, motorcycle litigation, catastrophic litigation, and mass torts involving medical devices and bad drug litigation. Our prowess in the legal arena comes from our combined years of trial and complex litigation experience.
We founded our practice on the belief that the 7th amendment and the civil jury system is the best means to provide compensation to injured parties and deter wrongdoers from injuring others in the future.
About Call Me Atlanta!
With 18 strategically placed offices throughout the southeast, Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys has certainly made its mark. And as the firm expands into Atlanta, Georgia, it will continue to build on its award-winning personal injury litigation capabilities that will only strengthen the full suite of resources the firm will offer clients throughout the Georgia community.
Call Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys today or visit CallMeAtlanta.com to get your free, immediate case evaluation. A compassionate intake specialist will take your call, answer all of your questions, and connect you with counsel for further case evaluation.
Legal Disclaimer: These recoveries and testimonials are not an indication of future results. Every case is different, and regardless of what friends, family, or other individuals may say about what a case is worth, each case must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances as they apply to the law. The valuation of a case depends on the facts, the injuries, the jurisdiction, the venue, the witnesses, the parties, and the testimony, among other factors. Furthermore, no representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.
