Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer in Waco, Texas

CALL (800) 863-5312 TO SPEAK WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY LAWYERS IN WACO FOR FREE 

Any injuries you suffer in an accident may often be serious, but spinal cord injuries may often be particularly life-changing. Spinal cord injuries may often leave you paralyzed below the waist or below the neck. This paralysis may leave you permanently unable to care for yourself and in need of constant care.

If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury, you should contact the experienced spinal cord injury lawyers from Zinda Law Group at (800) 863-5312 today for a free consultation. If we are not able to win your case, you will not owe us anything.

TYPES OF SPINAL CORD INJURIES

The brain and spinal cord compose the central nervous system (CNS). The spinal cord consists of nervous tissue that stretches from the brain stem to the lower area of the back called the lumbar region. The spinal cord has a number of significant functions including transmitting nerve signals to coordinate sensory and motor functions. Because of its delicate nature and importance in maintaining numerous bodily functions, any injury to the spinal cord may result in severe and possibly permanent damage such as paralysis including paraplegia and quadriplegia. The extent of any damage and its effect on other body parts depend on where along the spinal cord the injury occurred. Spinal cord injuries are categorized as complete or incomplete based on the extent of the victim’s impairment.

• Complete Spinal Cord Injury – Victims of complete spinal cord injuries have lost the ability to send or receive nerve impulses anywhere below the injured area and are not likely to recover.
• Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury – Victims of incomplete spinal cord injuries are able to send and receive nerve signals below the injury and retain some degree of sensory and motor abilities.

Spinal cord injuries can present themselves in various forms. Some of the most common types of spinal cord injuries include:

Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries

1. Central cord syndrome

Central cord syndrome injuries result from damage to the area of the spinal cord located in the neck. This type of damage typically causes arm weakness and may cause some weakness in the legs. It is classified as an incomplete spinal cord injury since victims of this type of injury generally do not experience complete paralysis.

2. Anterior cord syndrome

Damage along the front portion of the spinal cord typically results in loss of sensory functions and some motor functions below the injured area. Victims of anterior cord syndrome generally lose the ability to sense pain or temperature in areas below the injury. Some may experience a decrease or loss of motor functions.

3. Brown-Sequard Syndrome

This type of injury results from damage to one side of the spinal cord. Victims typically lose sensory and motor functions on one side of the body.

Complete Spinal Cord Injuries

1. Paraplegia

This type of paralysis typically results from damage to the portion of the spinal cord located in the lumbar region. Victims experience a total loss of sensory and motor functions to the lower half of the body.

2. Quadriplegia

Quadriplegia is total paralysis from the neck down. Victims experience a loss of motor and sensory functions in both the arms and legs. This type of paralysis typically occurs as a result of damage to the cervical area of the spinal cord.

Spinal cord injuries can be severe in nature and have lasting effects that significantly reduce a victim’s overall quality of life. If you or a loved one suffered a spinal cord injury as a result of an accident, you should contact an experienced Waco spinal cord injury lawyer to handle your case. Your spinal cord injury attorney may be able to help you seek compensation for your injuries.

HOW SPINAL CORD INJURIES MAY IMPACT YOUR LIFE

Spinal cord injuries often result in some form of paralysis. There are a number of adverse effects that may result from paralysis from spinal cord injuries such as:

• Inactivity due to loss of motor functions, which increases the risk of forming blood clots
• Loss of sensory and motor functions causing difficulty controlling urination and bowel movements
• Shorter lifespans due to secondary health complications
• Decreased blood pressure and heart complications
• Respiratory complications caused by adverse effects on the muscles that control breathing
• Pressure ulcers (bedsores) as paralyzed individuals are often unable to reposition themselves and sit or lie in the same position for extended periods of time, causing prolonged pressure to a particular area, commonly on the back or buttock, resulting in sores on the skin.
• Chronic pain
• Autonomic dysreflexia (AD), or hypertension (high blood pressure), caused by the autonomic nervous system’s reaction to spinal cord damage.
• Muscle spasms
• Decreased immune function
• Sexual dysfunction and disorders due to the difficulty or inability to perform sexually caused by decreased sensory and motor functions.

These effects of spinal cord injuries and paralysis can significantly decrease a victim’s quality of life. Paralysis can cause an individual to be unable to perform everyday tasks or activities they once enjoyed. In addition to adverse physical health conditions, spinal cord injuries may bring about psychological and emotional damages. If you or a loved one sustained a spinal cord injury due to someone else’s negligence, a Waco spinal cord injury lawyer may be able to help you seek compensation for your injuries.

COMMON CAUSES OF SPINAL CORD INJURIES

Spinal cord injuries are commonly the result of accidents. The most common causes of spinal cord injuries are as follows:

1. Vehicle Accidents

Car accidents are among the leading causes of spinal cord injuries. Spinal cord injuries sustained in vehicle accidents can be severe with permanent adverse effects such as paralysis and may even be fatal.

2. Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle accidents pose a significant risk because motorcyclists are left exposed if a collision occurs. The lack of any protective covering from a vehicle makes them particularly vulnerable to severe injuries.

3. Falling Accidents

Spinal cord injuries that result from falling are particularly common among older adults. Falls from greater heights are more likely to result in severe spinal cord injuries. For example, falling down a flight of stairs or off of a ladder can be catastrophic in some cases.

4. Sports and Recreational Accidents

Contact sports such as football may result in spinal cord damage. Diving also poses a risk of sustaining a spinal cord injury, particularly if the water is too shallow or if inanimate objects are in the water causing a diver to strike his or her head. Any sport or recreational activity where the individual is at risk of falling, being struck on the head or otherwise sustaining an injury to the head, back, or neck is susceptible to causing spinal cord damage.

5. Gunshot Wounds

Bullets can cause significant damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord. Damage to the spinal cord from a gunshot wound can cause permanent impairment including paralysis. Any contact with the spinal cord by a bullet, even a slight scrape, can cause damage to nervous tissue and adversely affect sensory and motor functions.

6. Errors in Medical Procedures

Complications or mistakes during surgical procedures can cause significant and possibly permanent spinal cord damage. Physicians must be extremely careful when operating near a patient’s spinal cord. Even a small mistake could cause a severe spinal cord injury.

If you or someone you know was involved in a vehicle accident, a fall, a sports-related accident, complicated medical procedure, or other accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury, you should consult a Waco spinal injury attorney as soon as possible. He or she may be able to help you determine who may be liable for your injuries and seek the maximum amount of compensation you may be entitled to. A spinal cord injury may cause you a significant amount of physical, psychological, and emotional pain. If you or a loved one suffered a spinal cord injury in Waco due to someone else’s irresponsible or negligent actions, a spinal cord injury lawyer may be able to help you pursue a personal injury claim for these damages.

HOW MUCH MAY MY SPINAL CORD INJURY CASE BE WORTH?

Many spinal cord injury cases may be worth a significant amount, given the severity and often permanent nature of these injuries. Spinal injuries may cause a victim to become a paraplegic unable to move their legs or a quadriplegic unable to move their legs or arms. Because of the severity of these injuries, victims may be unable to provide for themselves or take care of themselves, instead requiring sustained care. These factors may often increase the amount of compensation a victim may be entitled to after suffering a spinal cord injury in Waco.

Other damages you may be entitled to for your spinal cord injury may include:

Medical Bills

Any medical expenses, such as extended or repeated hospital stays, necessary mobility or medical equipment, inpatient or outpatient therapy, prescription costs, or healthcare costs that may be required to treat secondary conditions related to your injury. You may also be entitled to compensation for the cost of necessary adaptations to your home such as wheelchair ramps.

Lost Wages

You may generally be able to seek compensation for any lost income you missed while you were recovering from your injuries suffered in the accident.

Loss of Earning Capacity 

Given the devastating effect that spinal cord injuries may often have on your life, you may become permanently disabled, unable to work, or at least unable to earn at the same level as you were able to work before the accident. If so, you may be entitled to compensation for the loss in your earning ability given how much less you will be able to often earn.

Pain and Suffering

As with most injuries, you may be able to pursue damages for pain and suffering to provide compensation for the mental or emotional anguish that you may have suffered while recovering from your injuries. Spinal cord injuries may often cause a significant amount of pain and suffering given the constant pain you may experience in some cases, especially during nay necessary therapy.

Read More: How to Calculate the Value of a Case

CONSULT THE SPINAL CORD INJURY LAWYERS AT ZINDA LAW GROUP TODAY 

At Zinda Law Group, our experienced team of lawyers may often be able to help you after you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury in an accident. Our Waco attorneys have years of experience helping victims pursue the maximum compensation they may be entitled to after suffering a spinal cord injury.

Call (800) 863-5312 today for a free consultation with one of our Waco personal injury lawyers. You will not pay anything unless we can win your case. That’s our No Win, No Fee Guarantee.

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